Active Shooter Incidents

Facilitated by:

Charlie Bunn RN CEN CCRN

Hostile Intruder & Emergency Response Procedures

A History Lesson.

Law Enforcement procedural change after theColumbine tragedy.

List measures that can be employed to reduce theeffectiveness of an active shooter.

Describe actions that can be expected fromresponding law enforcement officers.

Two armed mentally disturbed young men killed 12 students,One teacher & themselves in 43 minutes. 5 minutes afterSWAT arrived they committed suicide.

On April 20, 1999

On April 16th, 2007 a mentally disturbed individualkills 32 and wounds 25 people. Two separateincidents within 2 hours.

Set up a perimeter and call S.W.A.T.

Patrol deputies/officers had limited fire power.

No Specialized training for patrol to respond to activethreats.

Police deputies exchange fire with the gunmen inside Columbine High School

Agencies reevaluate responding to “Active Shootersituations”.

1st units on scene engage the suspect.

4 man, 3 man, 2 man teams have been implementedthrough-out the U.S.

Departments instruct officers to secure the immediatearea, assess the danger.

Determine where the threat is at and move toward thegunfire to stop the shooting.

Once officers/deputies find the suspect, either disarmhim/her or terminate the threat.

Desire to kill without concern for his safety or threat ofcapture.

Normally has intended victims and will search themout.

Accepts targets of opportunity while searching for orafter finding intended targets.

Victim mentality.

Will continue to move throughout building or areauntil stopped by law enforcement, suicide, or otherintervention.

This has necessitated a change in tactics by lawenforcement.

* Studies have shown that mere Law Enforcement presencehas ended an Active Shooter incident.

Losses can be mitigated with community preparednesstraining and response during an actual event.

Having some fore-thought can help prepare yourself if theneed arises.

Householder 'heroically' confronted armed raiders attacking his wife

Your Actions willinfluence others.

Try to stay Calm.

Assure others that youand the police areworking to protectthem.

Secure the immediate area.

Lock the door- This may require some advancedplanning to ensure availability of someone whocan do this.

Most doors in Hospital buildings are solid core andmany walls are block and brick. This may providesome protection.

Block the doors using whatever is available-desks,file cabinets, other furniture.

•If you are trained, treat the injured.

•Remember basic first aid.

•For bleeding apply TOURNAQUATE, pressure andelevate.

•Rescue efforts will be delayed until the shooter isstopped.

As discussed earlier, a shooter will not stop until hisobjectives have been met, unless engaged by bysomeone with a gun.

Attempts to rescue people should not be made if theywill endanger other persons in a secured area.

A shooter may bang on the door and yell for help toentice you to open the door.

Doors, Windows, Openings, and Noise

• Close blinds

• Block windows

• Turn off radios and computer monitors if necessary

• Silence cell phones

• Signs can be placed in interior doors, windows, but

remember the shooter can see these

• Place signs in exterior windows to identify the location of

injured persons

• Keep occupants calm and quiet

• After securing the room. People should be positioned out of

sight and behind items that might offer additional protection

- walls, desks, file cabinets, etc.

Emergency 911

911 may be overwhelmed

Busy signal

Multiple rings

Your specific location -Building name -Office/Classroom number

Number of people at your location

Injuries -Number of people injured -Types of injuries

-Suspect Information

-Specific location

-Number of suspects

-Race and Gender

-Clothing color and style

-Physical features

-Type of weapons

-Backpack

Do you recognize the shooter?

What’s his/her name?

If you find yourself in an open area, immediately seekprotection.

Put a physical barrier between you and the suspect.

Consider your options:

-Escape -Shelter in place

Law Enforcement’s goal is to locate, contain and stopthe shooter.

The best place for you is inside a secure room.

The shooter will generally not flee when lawenforcement enters the building.

Instead he will havenew targets to shoot. *Ifnot end his own life.

Remember, theshooters main goal isnot escape, but ratherto kill as many peopleas possible.

Injured Persons:

• Initial responding officers willnot treat the injured or beginevacuation until the threat isneutralized/stopped.

• You may need to explain this toothers in an attempt to calmthem.

Fire Rescue will respond as soonas it is safe to do so.

Evacuation

• Safety corridors will be established. This may be timeconsuming.

• Remain in secure areas until instructed otherwise bypolice. Make sure the commands are being issued bylaw enforcement and not the shooter…

• You may be searched when exiting.

• You will be escorted out of the building by armedpolice officers.

*Follow their instructions at all times.

Information will be released to the generalpublic and media as quickly as possible.

• The entire area will be treated as a crime

scene.

• Once you have been evacuated you will not be

permitted to retrieve items or access the crime

scene.

• After evacuation you will be taken to a

holding area for medical care, interviewing,

counseling, etc.

Does your office/department have a plan of action?

Think about- Target hardening your area, i.e. Doorchimes, restrict access, cameras, panic buttons.

Code Words- Red Folder, or something that wouldalert another employee to call for Help withoutarousing suspicion.

We can no longer predict the origin of the next threat.

Assailants in some recent incidents across the countrywere not students or employees.

There were no obvious specific targets and the victimswere unaware they were targets, until attacked.

Be aware of your surroundings, coworker troubles,suspicious incidents/suspicious persons.