ACTIVE SHOOTER
HOW TO RESPOND
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OFFICE #:
EXT.
PROFILE OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER
An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in
a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no
pattern or method to their selection of victims.
Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate
deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.
Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law
enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically
to deal with an active shooter situation.
Good practices for coping with an
active shooter situation
• Be aware of your environment and any
possible dangers
• Take note of the two nearest exits in any
facility you visit
• If you are in an office, stay there and
secure the door
• If you are in a hallway, get into a room
and secure the door
• As a last resort, attempt to take the active
shooter down. When the shooter is at
close range and you cannot flee, your
chance of survival is much greater if you
try to incapacitate him/her.
CALL 911
WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO!
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HOW TO RESPOND WHEN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IS IN YOUR
VICINITY
Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that
customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an
active shooter situation.
1. RUN
If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:
• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
• Leave your belongings behind
• Help others escape, if possible
• Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be
• Keep your hands visible
• Follow the instructions of any police officers
• Do not attempt to move wounded people
• Call 911 when you are safe
2. HIDE
If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely
to find you.
Your hiding place should:
• Be out of the active shooter’s view
• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed
and locked door)
• Not trap you or restrict your options for movement
To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:
• Lock the door
• Blockade the door with heavy furniture
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If the active shooter is nearby:
• Lock the door
• Silence your cell phone and/or pager
• Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)
• Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)
• Remain quiet
If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:
• Remain calm
• Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location
• If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen
3. FIGHT
As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to
disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:
• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her
• Throwing items and improvising weapons
• Yelling
• Committing to your actions
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HOW TO RESPOND WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES
Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible. Officers will
proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard.
• Officers usually arrive in teams of four (4)
• Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets,
and other tactical equipment
• Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns
• Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation
• Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground for their safety
How to react when law enforcement arrives:
• Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions
• Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)
• Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
• Keep hands visible at all times
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as holding on to them for safety
• Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just proceed in the
direction from which officers are entering the premises
Information to provide to law enforcement or 911 operator:
• Location of the active shooter
• Number of shooters, if more than one
• Physical description of shooter/s
• Number and type of weapons held by the shooter/s
• Number of potential victims at the location
The first officers to arrive to the scene will not stop to help injured persons. Expect rescue
teams comprised of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial
officers. These rescue teams will treat and remove any injured persons. They may also call
upon able-bodied individuals to assist in removing the wounded from the premises.
Once you have reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area
by law enforcement until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified
and questioned. Do not leave until law enforcement authorities have instructed you to do so.
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TRAINING YOUR STAFF FOR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION
To best prepare your staff for an active shooter situation, create an Emergency Action Plan
(EAP), and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare
your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life.
Components of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Create the EAP with input from several stakeholders including your human resources
department, your training department (if one exists), facility owners / operators, your
property manager, and local law enforcement and/or emergency responders. An effective
EAP includes:
• A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies
• An evacuation policy and procedure
• Emergency escape procedures and route assignments (i.e., floor plans, safe areas)
• Contact information for, and responsibilities of individuals to be contacted under the
EAP
•
Information concerning local area hospitals (i.e., name, telephone number, and
distance from your location)
• An emergency notification system to alert various parties of an emergency including:
- Individuals at remote locations within premises
- Local law enforcement
- Local area hospitals
Components of Training Exercises
The most effective way to train your staff to respond to an active shooter situation is to
conduct mock active shooter training exercises. Local law enforcement is an excellent
resource in designing training exercises.
• Recognizing the sound of gunshots
• Reacting quickly when gunshots are heard and/or when a shooting is witnessed:
- Run
- Hide
- Fight the shooter as a last resort
• Calling 911
• Reacting when law enforcement arrives
• Adopting the survival mind set during times of crisis
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Additional Ways to Prepare For and Prevent an Active Shooter Situation
• Preparedness
- Ensure that your facility has at least two evacuation routes
- Post evacuation routes in conspicuous locations throughout your facility
- Include local law enforcement and first responders during training exercises
- Encourage law enforcement, emergency responders, SWAT teams, K-9 teams,
and bomb squads to train for an active shooter scenario at your location
• Prevention
- Foster a respectful workplace
- Be aware of indications of workplace violence and take remedial
actions accordingly
For more information on creating an EAP contact the U.S. Department of
Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, www.osha.gov.
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PREPARING FOR AND MANAGING AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION
Your human resources department and facility managers should engage in planning for
emergency situations, including an active shooter scenario. Planning for emergency situations
will help to mitigate the likelihood of an incident by establishing the mechanisms described
below.
Human Resources’ Responsibilities
• Conduct effective employee screening and background checks
• Create a system for reporting signs of potentially violent behavior
• Make counseling services available to employees
• Develop an EAP which includes policies and procedures for dealing with an active
shooter situation, as well as after action planning
Facility Manager Responsibilities
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Institute access controls (i.e., keys, security system pass codes)
• Distribute critical items to appropriate managers / employees, including:
- Floor plans
- Keys
- Facility personnel lists and telephone numbers
• Coordinate with the facility’s security department to ensure the physical security of the
location
• Assemble crisis kits containing:
- radios
- floor plans
- staff roster, and staff emergency contact numbers
- first aid kits
- flashlights
• Place removable floor plans near entrances and exits for emergency responders
• Activate the emergency notification system when an emergency situation occurs
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Reactions of Managers During an Active Shooter Situation
Employees and customers are likely to follow the lead of managers during an
emergency situation. During an emergency, managers should be familiar with their
EAP, and be prepared to:
• Take immediate action
• Remain calm
• Lock and barricade doors
• Evacuate staff and customers via a preplanned evacuation route to a safe area
Assisting Individuals with Special Needs and/or Disabilities
• Ensure that EAPs, evacuation instructions and any other relevant information
address to individuals with special needs and/or disabilities
• Your building should be handicap-accessible, in compliance with ADA
requirements.
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RECOGNIZING POTENTIAL WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
An active shooter in your workplace may be a current or former employee, or an
acquaintance of a current or former employee. Intuitive managers and coworkers may
notice characteristics of potentially violent behavior in an employee. Alert your Human
Resources Department if you believe an employee or coworker exhibits potentially violent
behavior.
Indicators of Potential Violence by an Employee
Employees typically do not just “snap,” but display indicators of potentially violent
behavior over time. If these behaviors are recognized, they can often be managed and
treated. Potentially violent behaviors by an employee may include one or more of the
following (this list of behaviors is not comprehensive, nor is it intended as a mechanism
for diagnosing violent tendencies):
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Increased use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs
• Unexplained increase in absenteeism; vague physical complaints
• Noticeable decrease in attention to appearance and hygiene
• Depression / withdrawal
• Resistance and overreaction to changes in policy and procedures
• Repeated violations of company policies
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Increased severe mood swings
• Noticeably unstable, emotional responses
• Explosive outbursts of anger or rage without provocation
• Suicidal; comments about “putting things in order”
• Behavior which is suspect of paranoia, (“everybody is against me”)
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Increasingly talks of problems at home
• Escalation of domestic problems into the workplace; talk of severe financial
problems
• Talk of previous incidents of violence
• Empathy with individuals committing violence
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Increase in unsolicited comments about firearms, other dangerous weapons and
violent crimes
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MANAGING THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER
SITUATION
After the active shooter has been incapacitated and is no longer a threat, human resources
and/or management should engage in post-event assessments and activities, including:
• An accounting of all individuals at a designated assembly point to determine who, if
anyone, is missing and potentially injured
• Determining a method for notifying families of individuals affected by the active
shooter, including notification of any casualties
• Assessing the psychological state of individuals at the scene, and referring them to
health care specialists accordingly
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Identifying and filling any critical personnel or operational gaps left in the
organization as a result of the active shooter
LESSONS LEARNED
To facilitate effective planning for future emergencies, it is important to analyze the recent
active shooter situation and create an after action report. The analysis and reporting
contained in this report is useful for:
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Serving as documentation for response activities
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Identifying successes and failures that occurred during the event
• Providing an analysis of the effectiveness of the existing EAP
• Describing and defining a plan for making improvements to the EAP
References
Safety Guidelines for Armed Subjects, Active Shooter Situations, Indiana University Police
Department, April 2007.
Safety Tips & Guidelines Regarding Potential “Active Shooter” Incidents Occurring on
Campus, University of California Police.
Shots Fired, When Lightning Strikes (DVD), Center for Personal Protection and Safety, 2007.
Workplace Violence Desk Reference, Security Management Group International,
www.SMGICorp.com
How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Health and Safety Administration, OSHA 3088, 2001.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
cfsteam@hq.dhs.gov
http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness