Most Effective Responses In An Active Shooter Event

09-17-2013 at 10:12 AM

 I thought this was important enough to share with my readers because it may save a life. My colleague and friend Nancy Hightshoe, who used to be a cop, is the author of this document. There is a link at the bottom where you can view a video compliments of the St. Louis County Police Department.

MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSES IN AN
ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENT©


RUN! If you can’t run, HIDE! If you can’t hide, then FIGHT!
Run IMMEDIATELY - and don’t look back!.

A lesson from the Virginia Tech shooting, if necessary, jump out a window!
Just as the shooter was about to burst into the classroom, Liviu Librescu, a 76 year old professor and
Holocaust survivor, sprinted to the door and held it shut with his body. He never hesitated to save his students.
He shouted out orders to them to kick out the windows and jump down from the second floor. The students
did what they were told and many were saved. Those who jumped, survived.

Run in a zigzag pattern to become a more difficult target.
Make use of any cover but keep running!

IF HIDING IS YOUR BEST OPTION: A lesson from Colombine: The students who hid under desks, died;
The librarian who hid in a closet, survived.
- Barricade and lock the door
- Turn off the light
- Stay quiet. Put your cell phone on vibrate or off. (VERY important!! Remember this!)
- Determine your safest hiding place. Stay out of sight from the door and out of the line of fire. If there
are no closets, etc. to hide in, corners on the same wall as the door are acceptable.
- Grab your belongings on your way to your hiding place or hide them out of sight – especially if the
door has a window. You want the room to look unoccupied.

If you can, safely and without being spotted, send a 911 text saying:
- Active Shooter.
- Street address or building name.
- Number of shooters (the number is usually one).
- Any helpful information about the shooter (his name, location in the building, etc.).
- Your hiding location

IF YOU HAVE TO FIGHT use everything around you and on you. Grab a fire extinguisher! Aim where you
can do the most damage - his eyes, nose and mouth. Once the fire extinguisher is empty, hit him as hard as you
can until he’s disabled and you can escape. If he’s close, jab a pen, laptop or book in his Adams apple.
Remember Hero Flight 93!
Remember to Stay Smart! You know what to do! Don’t just go along with group think. Do what you
know will save your life! The shooter knows there are people in the building and is looking for them. If you
can get out, do! If you have to hide, hide well! If you have to fight, fight with all you’re worth!
There is a program to train school children in how to fight with whatever is at hand. The A.L.I.C.E. training
also focuses on mental toughness in an emergency situation.

The Houston police department has developed an excellent video: “Run. Hide. Fight.”
It has received some criticism because of the real guns and real gun fire. I disagree. For those without a law enforcement, military, hunting or target shooting background, you don’t want the first time you hear live gun shots to be a crisis.

The St. Louis County Department of Police has the video, in both English and Spanish, on their web site:

http://www.stlouisco.com/LawandPubli...hooterIncident