Many law enforcement agencies across the United States have spent a great deal of time and effort preparing for the potential of an active shooter event in their communities. They have developed procedures, purchased equipment and trained their officers to rapidly deploy in an effort to neutralize the threat and stop the potential loss of life. These efforts are now a necessary strategy for law enforcement agencies. In order to comprehensively prepare for an event of this nature, agencies also need to plan and train for the time period directly after the shooter has been stopped. Once the shooter has been neutralized the potential exists for law enforcement agencies to encounter a very unique large mass casualty incident (MCI).
In light of recent active shooter events, the Department of Homeland Security has released a training initiative in conjunction with FBI efforts to enhance preparedness in the event of an active shooter incident.
The full training video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mzI_5aj4Vs
The fundamentals of the training if you find yourself in an active shooter situation are: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.
1) RUN if there is an escape path and call 911.
2) HIDE if you cannot get out safely and try to secure your hiding place by locking/barricading doors, silencing cell phones, hiding behind large objects and remaining quiet.
3) As a last resort, FIGHT to attempt to incapacitate the shooter, utilize improvised weapons and commit to your actions.
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