An active shooter/ hostile intruder is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area by any means including but not limited to firearms (most frequently used), bladed weapons, vehicles, or any tool that in the circumstance in which it is used constitutes deadly physical force. In most cases, there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Most active shooter situations are unpredictable, evolve quickly, and are over within minutes.
Planning and training truly define how effective our companies will manage an active shooter situation.
Active shooter by definition, a suspect(s) activity is immediately causing death or serious bodily injury. The activity is not contained and there is immediate risk of death or serious injury to potential victims.
We need to understand that this type of situation is a dynamic situation and one that doesn’t fit the norm of critical incident management. This is why Secutor's preparation strategies must be adjusted to this type of situation. Our security team trained to manage this type of situation?
As the United States Department of Homeland Security states: “. . . there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and evolve quickly.” In the same way we have no control over a natural disaster, there is no way to prevent an active shooter situation. However, there are ways to lower the risk.
SHOOTERS ARE A THREAT BUT YOU CAN LOWER THE RISK
Every company is vulnerable somewhere, in some way, to threats and risks. Threats are out of a company’s control. They are out there and could become dangerous situations at any time. Risks, however, are what make your company vulnerable to those threats. They are the elements that can be controlled if the company is made aware of them and has a plan to mitigate them. For example, if a company does not have a sign-in procedure for employees, vendors and guests, there is a greater risk that someone intent on harm can enter company property. Where your company is most vulnerable to threats is what is determined through a comprehensive risk assessment, after which a plan can be created and implemented to reduce those risks.
It is common for people to assume that an active shooter risk assessment is something that should stand on its own. However, this is far from the truth. Determining where you are vulnerable during an active shooter situation should be a subset of a workplace violence assessment which is part of a larger emergency and disaster response plan.
Workplace Violence
There are three major types of workplace violence.
Type I involves a violent act by an assailant with no legitimate relationship to the workplace who enters the workplace to commit a robbery or other criminal act.
Type II involves a violent act or threat of violence by a recipient of a service provided by the University, such as a client, patient, customer, passenger or criminal suspect or prisoner.
Type III involves a violent act or threat of violence by a current or former employee, supervisor, manager, or another person who has some employment related involvement such as an employee’s spouse or lover, an employee’s relative or friend, or another person who has a dispute with one of our employees. This is the most common threat.