Active Shooter Preparedness Program
An active shooter is a person who takes part in killing or trying to kill many people who are at a confined location. In most cases this person uses firearms to carry out his mission. They shoot without aiming at a specific person with the main goal as to shoot and kill anyone and everyone. Their activities and schedule are undefined and not known to the public. An active shooter gives no prior notice or communication to communicate his or her intended actions (United Sates Government, 2016). Since the active shooter crimes are unpredictable, they call for fast and immediate response from law enforcers to maintain law and order and prevent and reduce harm and damage caused to the shooting victims.
Based on past experiences, active shootings take a duration of ten to fifteen minutes before law enforcers arrive at the scene. Because of this reason, it is important for all individuals to be prepared physically and mentally on how to react to active shootings (Wade, 2020).To realize preparedness, individuals must me trained by instilling knowledge and through practical skills. This is because there are some set guidelines and principle set and passed by law enforcement on how to respond to active shootings. The goal of the training is to ensure that individuals have the ability to recognize and respond to active shooting situations to remain alive and mitigate the damage caused.
With the ongoing active shootings, there is a need for well-organized response by the law enforces and all stakeholders to save lives. Law enforcement is committed to protect colleges and other institutions from these active shootings. A college is a populated place which makes it a good choice for an active shooter. Organizations and other stakeholders have partnered with law enforcement to ensure that colleges are well protected and also prepared to tackle active shooting situations.
The first to respond to the scene of active shooting is the state and local security units. The FBI is also one of the partners of the local and state law enforcement to support in the mission for protection of colleagues and other public gathering places such as workplaces and worship centers. It has the expertise and capacity in offering training for organizations to stay prepared and also it offers resources to tackle the active shooter situation before and after it occurs. For organizations to be well prepared for such situations, it relies on the support and efforts of both public and private entities. The FBI conducts research to determine the indicators for potential active shootings. It assesses threat in order to detect and prevent such attacks. It investigates potential threats in order to prevent and disrupt active shootings.
In Indianapolis on the 15th of April 2021, a 19-year-old gunman from Indiana shot and killed eight people at a FedEx facility. The shootings started at the parking lot and continued increasing as he neared and entered the building. The authorities investigated the motive of his killings and did not release the number of dead victims immediately. The active shooter allegedly committed suicide before he was prosecuted.
The other incident occurred in Orange in March 2021. The gunman who appeared to recognize his victims shot and killed four people in an office complex which was a two story building. The authorities responded on time and captured the suspect who was later charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
In an active shooting, it is very essential for each individual to know how to protect themselves and escape it alive. The school administration partners with law enforcement to ensure implementation of the set guidelines, policies and measures on how to handle an active shoot out. College administrators and students should be trained on the good practices to be able to cope in an active shooter situation. These practices include: –
- Being aware of your surroundings and alert to identify any possible danger
- Allow availability of two or more exits in the facility
- Being aware of two of these exits when you are in any facility
- Staying calm and securing the door during an active shooting if you are in a closed classroom
- For those in the hallway, to go to a room and secure the door
- The last response should be trying to take the shooter down. If he is close and you cannot escape for your survival.
Because in an active shooting situation students are more likely to follow the lead of the administrators. Administrators should be well trained on the response to ensure no life is lost. The college and other public and private organizations collaborate to facilitate these trainings and implement safety policies. All employees of the college should be trained on preparedness and handling an active shooter situation. The students should also receive training on what to do in such a situation. To prevent future active shootings known to the institutions for example by a former employee, I would pass policies that require background checks on all employees. Employees should also be offered support for mental illnesses and the institution will ensure best working environment. The college also collaborates with law enforcement that has the capacity to recognize and respond to potential threats of such nature to ensure the safety of all individuals.
References
United Sates Government. (2016, June 9). Active shooter resources. Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources
Wade, T. (2020). Active assailant preparedness: Beyond active shooter response. The Professional Protection Officer, 121-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-817748-8.00011-0
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