A common thread we hear from many potential clients is that they have no existing program and do not know where to begin. If this is your organization, you are not alone. In fact, a recent study released by Everbridge and shared by Facility Executive Magazine reported that “More than three quarters of organizations list an active shooter situation as their top safety threat.” While many view this as a top threat, the study also found that, “increased awareness and perceptions of preparedness have not translated to actions by a majority of businesses during the past two years. For example:
- 62% of survey respondents reported never running an active shooter drill.
- 54% have not conducted active shooter education.
- Only 15% increased physical security spending.
- Only 35%t plan to increase physical security spending in the future.”
At AS360 we have found this is very common. Organizations feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin. Of course, we encourage you to contact AS360 to start your Active Shooter Training. However we understand that there are many organizations limited in budget, time, or other constraints that make it difficult to hire experts to launch a program. So, here are a few quick tips to help you get started on your own.
First, subscribe to this Active Shooter Training Blog. We regularly share articles, stories, events, and ideas that can help you develop and refine your active shooter training program. We even send out a digital newsletter to keep you informed.
Second, form an action group, team, or planning committee with your organization. We encourage you to include key decision makers, but also representatives from various levels in your facility. It is also a good idea to include members from various locations in the facility if you are a big manufacturing plant, major hospital, or large school. Keep the team size manageable, but make sure you have enough diversity from within to ensure you get ideas for all areas of your organization, top to bottom.
Third, start with a basic assessment of your organization. Look at your vulnerabilities and identify gaps. Do you have controlled entry? Do you have the ability to perform Lockout and Lockdown (Keep an eye out for an upcoming Blog that explains Lockout vs. Lockdown)? What are your abilities to notify staff and visitors? Do you have internal communications between critical areas and personnel? Next, assess your policies. Do you have an HR policy for recognizing and preventing violence in the workplace? Do you have an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) or Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)? Do you have a specific Active Shooter Response Policy?
Fourth, once you have identified physical vulnerabilities and policy and procedure gaps start developing solutions. At a minimum this must include a dedicated Active Shooter Response Policy for your policy. It must define notification procedures, response actions, survival methods, and other critical factors.
Fifth, after you have developed a policy it is time to train. Your staff must learn the policy, and we don’t just mean that they respond to email memo verifying they have received the new policy. This is deeper than that. This requires dedicated training and practice to ensure staff not only have read the policy, but clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.
Finally, it is time to practice. A word of caution here: Active Shooter Drills themselves can be dangerous if not done correctly. We DO NOT ever recommend conducting surprise, unannounced drills. These can get people hurt, cause confusion, and in many cases have led to real-world responses because the right agencies were not notified. If you decide to conduct drills and practice on your own you should start small. Complete mini drills that involve only small areas of your facility and a few people. Make sure EVERYONE knows in advance that you doing a drill and that it is only a drill. During these small drills observe and evaluate staff. This should be non-punitive at the individual level and should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the policy itself.
We understand this seems like a daunting task with serious implications and impacts. There is no question that Active Shooter Training and Preparedness is challenging. We are here to help and would be happy to discuss programs that we offer, that could help you from the earliest phases all the way up to advanced exercises. But, should you decide to start on your own, we want to remind you to keep SAFETY at the forefront of every discussion.
We encourage you to register on this Blog and share your questions, comments, and concerns. As this Blog grows, it will become a valuable resource for you to gain information and connect with others who are in the same position as yourself. Also, don’t hesitate to message us directly if you have questions. We are here to help and if we can answer a few quick questions to point you in the right direction, we will be happy to do so.
Thank you for checking out our Blog. We hope you find this to be a useful Active Shooter Preparedness resource as time goes on.
Sincerely,
The AS360 Team
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