Responding to an Active Shooter
Introduction
An
active shooter is a person who
appears to be actively engaged
in killing or attempting to kill
people in a populated area; in
most cases active shooters use
firearm(s) and there is no pattern
or method to their selection of
victims. These situations are dynamic
and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate
deployment of law enforcement resources
to stop the shooting and mitigate
harm to innocent victims. This
document provides guidance to faculty,
staff, and students who may be
caught in an active shooter situation,
and describes what to expect from
responding police officers.
Guidance to faculty,
staff, and students
In
general, how you respond to
an active shooter will be dictated
by the specific circumstances of
the encounter, bearing in mind
there could be more than one shooter
involved in the same situation.
If you find yourself involved in
an active shooter situation, try
to remain calm and use these guidelines
to help you plan a strategy for
survival.
- If an active shooter is
outside your building,
proceed to a room that can be locked,
close and lock all the windows
and doors, and turn off all the
lights; if possible, get everyone
down on the floor and ensure
that no one is visible from outside
the room. One person in the room
should call 911, advise the dispatcher
of what is taking place, and
inform him/her of your location;
remain in place until the police,
or a campus administrator known
to you, gives the “all clear.”
Unfamiliar voices may be the
shooter attempting to lure victims
from their safe space; do not
respond to any voice commands until
you can verify with certainty that
they are being issued by a police
officer.
- If an active shooter is
in the same building you are,
determine if the room you
are in can be locked and
if so, follow the same procedure
described in the previous
paragraph. If your room can’t
be locked, determine if there
is a nearby location that
can be reached safely and
secured, or if you can safely
exit the building. If you
decide to move from your
current location, be sure
to follow the instructions
outlined below.
- If an active shooter enters
your office or classroom,
try to remain calm. Dial
911, if possible, and alert
police to the shooter’s location;
if you can’t speak, leave
the line open so the dispatcher
can listen to what’s taking
place. Normally the location
of a 911 call can be determined
without speaking. If there
is absolutely no opportunity
for escape or hiding, it
might be possible to negotiate
with the shooter; attempting
to overpower the shooter
with force should be considered
a very last resort, after
all other options have been
exhausted. If the shooter
leaves the area, proceed
immediately to a safer place
and do not touch anything
that was in the vicinity
of the shooter.
No matter what the
circumstances,
if
you decide to flee during an
active shooting situation,
make sure you have an escape
route and plan in mind. Do
not attempt to carry anything
while fleeing; move quickly,
keep your hands visible,
and follow the instructions
of any police officers you
may encounter. Do not attempt
to remove injured people;
instead, leave wounded victims
where they are and notify
authorities of their location
as soon as possible. Do not
try to drive off campus until
advised it is safe to do
so by police or campus administrators.
What to expect from
responding police officers
Police
officers responding to an active
shooter are trained to proceed
immediately to the area in
which shots were last heard;
their purpose is to stop the
shooting as quickly as possible. The first responding
officers will normally be in teams of four (4); they
may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or they
may be wearing external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets,
and other tactical equipment. The officers may be armed
with rifles, shotguns, or handguns, and might be using
pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation.
Regardless of how they appear, remain calm, do as the
officers tell you, and do not be afraid of them. Put
down any bags or packages you may be carrying and keep
your hands visible at all times; if you know where
the shooter is, tell the officers. The first officers
to arrive will not stop to aid injured people; rescue
teams composed of other officers and emergency medical
personnel will follow the first officers into secured
areas to treat and remove injured persons. Keep in
mind that even once you have escaped to a safer location,
the entire area is still a crime scene; police will
usually not let anyone leave until the situation is
fully under control and all witnesses have been identified
and questioned. Until you are released, remain at whatever
assembly point authorities designate.
Source: Created by Miami University–Ohio. |