Michael Dorn emailed me a link to a video made by the City of Houston, with funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the video is to instruct people in the workplace on what to do in an Active Shooter Incident. They boil it down to three main responses: Run, hide, or fight.
As I watched the video, I was impressed by it's quality, and by the desire of those who made it to protect others. I therefore applaud their effort, and thank them for the time and energy spent in its making.
That being said, I have a tactical issue with the 'run' part of their instructions. Eight of my twelve years in the US Army were spent in the Infantry. One of the things we were taught was that, when ambushed, you charge the ambush. Thus, if a person barges into my school and begins shooting, my personal choice would be to go to the shooting. That's not my problem with the video.
My problem is with running when you don't know what the situation is. Even with my training, it is difficult to determine where a shot came from, and blindly running at the sound of a shot may send you right into the sights of the shooter. This happened more than once at Columbine.
We need to teach people how not to give into panic, and how to properly react to a shooter. Assess the situation, make the right call, and know where you're running too. The seconds spent doing this could mean the difference between life and death.
The same is true with hiding. It is rare for an Active Shooter to force a locked door. They are often moving quickly, seeking targets of opportunity. At Red Lake, MN, the shooter did force his way in, but in many cases, classes were able to get out of a back door. Hiding places need to have a means of escape.
Another thing I learned in the Infantry was the difference between 'cover' and 'concealment'. One can hide using concealment, but it won't protect you from gunfire. If your hiding place offers you cover, concealment, AND an escape route, then you have a good hiding place.
The key is that people should use this video as a starting point for their thoughts on preparing for violence in the workplace. Spend some time NOW, thinking of what you would do, and those memories will be ready for you IF it ever happens.
Thanks to the City of Houston for making this video. It's a scary topic, and an important one to discuss.
It's a Sheepdog thing to do.
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