You know that active shooter preparedness is important. After all, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the nation’s front pages day after day, it’s that mass shootings can happen anywhere. But what you might not know is that having an emergency action plan for your building is only part of it. Training all individuals—not just building staff but tenants too—so that they know what to do if faced with a potentially deadly situation can be key to their survival.
“In nearly all active shooter incidents, there are 3 to 5 critical minutes until law enforcement arrives,” says Walter F. Ulmer III, president of Remlu, Inc. (Remlu, Inc. is a consulting firm specializing in emergency preparedness planning that is partnering with Kastle for active shooter safety training this month.) “That means the civilians are the first responders, and they need to know what their options are.”
Ulmer recommends all individuals receive training on the Department Homeland of Security’s standard guidance to “Run, Hide, and Fight” when an active shooter is in the vicinity—the main goal being for each individual to protect his or her own life.
The first response to hearing gunfire (popping noises) should be to evacuate (even if others don’t follow). If the individual cannot get out safely, they need to find a place to hide—one that provides protection if shots are fired but that doesn’t trap or restrict movement. As a last resort and only if an individual’s life is in danger, the DHS recommends confronting the shooter with physical aggression, improvised weapons and whatever is required to take him down. This training can be done by any jurisdiction or local law enforcement.
Training building staff may be more complicated—and this is where Kastle Systems can help. The key is to make sure building staff know what to do with each building system during an active shooter incident—everything from recalling passengers’ elevators and releasing fail safe doors to communicating the situation to tenants and law enforcement. Contact your Kastle account manager for help in implementing an active shooter emergency plan customized specifically for your facility.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to face such a tragic event, but ultimately it’s smart to be prepared for the worst.
For more information, refer to: https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf and if you would like to host your own Active Shooter Preparedness event, please contact info@kastle.com.
