Active Shooter Preparedness and Response Plan

By Business Training Media

An active shooter incident is an unfortunate event that can occur at any time and in any place. Schools, offices, shopping malls, and other public spaces are no longer immune to the threat of an active shooter. According to statistics, the number of active shooter incidents in the United States has been on the rise in recent years, with 33 incidents in 2018 alone. Given this reality, it is crucial to have an active shooter preparedness and response plan in place.

An active shooter preparedness and response plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the actions to be taken in the event of an active shooter incident. This plan provides guidance to employees, students, visitors, and law enforcement agencies on what to do during an active shooter incident to minimize loss of life and property damage. The following is a 1500-word active shooter preparedness and response plan that can be tailored to suit any organization or institution.

Policy statement and purpose

The purpose of this active shooter preparedness and response plan is to provide guidance to employees, students, visitors, and law enforcement agencies on the actions to be taken in the event of an active shooter incident. This plan outlines the responsibilities of each individual during such an incident and establishes a coordinated response to minimize loss of life and property damage.

Objectives

The objectives of this active shooter preparedness and response plan are as follows:

1. To provide guidance to employees, students, visitors, and law enforcement agencies on what to do during an active shooter incident.
2. To establish a coordinated response to minimize loss of life and property damage.
3. To train employees, students, and visitors on active shooter preparedness and response.
4. To ensure that the organization has the necessary resources and infrastructure to respond effectively to an active shooter incident.

Responsibilities

The following individuals have responsibilities during an active shooter incident:

1. Employees, students, and visitors: In the event of an active shooter incident, employees, students, and visitors are responsible for their own safety and that of others. They must follow the instructions of law enforcement agencies and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.
2. Security personnel: Security personnel are responsible for securing the area, evacuating people to safety, and communicating with law enforcement agencies.
3. Law enforcement agencies: Law enforcement agencies are responsible for responding to the incident, neutralizing the shooter, and securing the area.
4. Management: Management is responsible for ensuring that the organization has an active shooter preparedness and response plan in place, training employees, students, and visitors on active shooter preparedness and response, and ensuring that the necessary resources and infrastructure are in place to respond effectively to an active shooter incident.

Preparedness

The following steps should be taken to prepare for an active shooter incident:

1. Develop an active shooter preparedness and response plan: The organization should develop an active shooter preparedness and response plan that outlines the actions to be taken in the event of an active shooter incident.
2. Conduct risk assessments: The organization should conduct risk assessments to identify areas that are vulnerable to an active shooter incident.
3. Train employees, students, and visitors: The organization should train employees, students, and visitors on active shooter preparedness and response. Training should include information on how to recognize and report suspicious activity, how to respond to an active shooter incident, and how to evacuate the premises safely.
4. Conduct drills: The organization should conduct active shooter drills to test the effectiveness of the active shooter preparedness and response plan and to familiarize employees, students, and visitors with the actions to be taken during an actual incident.
5. Develop communication protocols: The organization should develop communication protocols that enable timely communication with law enforcement agencies, employees, students, and visitors in the event of an active shooter incident.
6. Secure the premises: The organization should ensure that the premises are secured with physical security measures such as access control systems, security cameras, and security personnel.
7. Establish an emergency response team: The organization should establish an emergency response team that is responsible for coordinating the response to an active shooter incident.

Response

The following steps should be taken in the event of an active shooter incident:

1. Run, hide, fight: Employees, students, and visitors should follow the "run, hide, fight" protocol. If it is safe to do so, they should run away from the shooter. If they cannot run, they should hide in a secure location and lock the door. As a last resort, they should fight back if the shooter enters their location.
2. Call 911: Employees, students, and visitors should call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so. They should provide information on the location of the shooter, the number of shooters, and any injuries.
3. Follow instructions: Employees, students, and visitors should follow the instructions of law enforcement agencies when they arrive on the scene. They should keep their hands visible and avoid making sudden movements.
4. Evacuate: If the building can be safely evacuated, employees, students, and visitors should evacuate the premises in a safe and orderly manner. They should use the designated evacuation routes and follow the instructions of law enforcement agencies.
5. Account for all individuals: Management should account for all employees, students, and visitors after the incident. They should maintain a record of who was present in the building at the time of the incident.
6. Provide support: The organization should provide support to employees, students, and visitors who may have been affected by the incident. This may include counseling services, medical assistance, and time off.

Recovery

The following steps should be taken during the recovery phase:

1. Review the incident: The organization should review the incident and identify any areas for improvement in the active shooter preparedness and response plan.
2. Communicate with stakeholders: The organization should communicate with employees, students, and visitors about the incident and the actions taken.
3. Return to normal operations: The organization should resume normal operations as soon as it is safe to do so.
4. Provide ongoing support: The organization needs to keep supporting any employees, students, or visitors who the incident may have had an impact on.

Plan Maintenance

The active shooter preparedness and response plan should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that it remains relevant and effective. The following steps should be taken to maintain the plan:

1. Review the plan annually: The plan should be reviewed annually to identify any areas for improvement.
2. Conduct drills: The organization should conduct active shooter drills at least twice a year to test the effectiveness of the plan.
3. Update the plan as needed: The plan should be updated as needed based on the results of the annual review and the drills.
4. Train new employees, students, and visitors: New employees, students, and visitors should be trained on the active shooter preparedness and response plan as part of their orientation.

Conclusion

An active shooter incident is a tragic event that can occur at any time and in any place. It is crucial for organizations and institutions to have an active shooter preparedness and response plan in place to minimize loss of life and property damage. This plan should be comprehensive, regularly reviewed and updated, and communicated effectively to employees, students, visitors, and law enforcement agencies. By taking proactive measures to prepare for an active shooter incident, organizations can increase the safety and security of their employees, students, and visitors.

Business Training Media, Copyright 2023

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