Active Violence Preparedness

What do you do if an act of violence occurs at your workplace. Hopefully it never happens but in the unfortunate instance that it does, preparation will be your saving grace.

• Develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). This plan should address the responsibilities, emergency contacts, exit routes, policy and procedures.
• Establish training for employees. Training should include: Evacuation routes, emergency codes or announcements, Run-Hide-Fight procedures, and accounting for everyone after an event.

Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation.

• Run, Hide, Fight is the most popular and recognizable method of response promoted by both FBI and Dept. of Homeland Security.
• If your life is on the line and you are backed into a corner, being the aggressor will improve your odds. Don’t rule that out.

Once Law Enforcement arrives on the scene, there may be a sense of relief but you are not out of the woods. The following are general guidelines you should follow to ensure your safety.

• Follow all Law Enforcement instructions.
• Evacuate to the direction they instruct you to.
• Keep hands visible and empty of any objects.
• Remember that LE’s primary goal is to end the incident. Everything else is secondary. Injuries or requests may be ignored if the perpetrator is still active.

The after effects of a traumatic event can go on for years. If not prepared well, an organization may never recover. The following are areas that should be given attention to bring a sense of normalcy back to operations.

• How will you respond to media. Is there a plan? Is there a point person to address all questions or concerns?
• Develop a contingency plan to keep the operations moving forward.
• Professional assistance should be provided to help employees deal with their mental health.

It’s impossible to fully prepare you for a violent incident. This fact sheet is not meant to cover all possible scenarios. Due diligence is required on your end to consider your risk and exposures. These are just a few points that you should consider in the process of developing your action plan.