Do You Have An Active Shooter Plan?
To best prepare for an active shooter situation, organizations, schools, restaurants, arenas, and any place where customer, employee, and visitor safety is crucial must create an active shooter plan that includes training exercises designed to teach and implement the proper response.
Run, Hide, Fight
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends three responses in an active shooter incident: (1) Run, (2) Hide, or (3) Fight. A formal active shooter plan combined with training exercises will prepare you to effectively respond to the situation and minimize the chances of injuries and loss of life.
To create a tailored Active Shooter Plan, we work with internal and external cross-functional stakeholders that includes representatives from security, human resources, training, facility owners, property management, local law enforcement, and emergency responders.
An effective active shooter plan includes the following critical components:
- Designated safe rooms inside the venue
- Preferred method for reporting the incident
- Established evacuation policy and procedures
- Specific emergency escape procedures and route assignments
- Contact information for, and responsibilities of, individuals to be notified
- Information concerning local area hospitals (e.g., name, telephone number, and distance from your location)
- Emergency notification systems to alert various entities
We ensure the active shooter plan’s evacuation instructions and any other relevant information addresses accommodations necessary for individuals with special needs and/or disabilities. For example, your building should be handicap-accessible and in compliance with ADA requirements. Other critical items include up-to-date floor plans, master keys, personnel lists, and current telephone numbers.