Spotting cover

Cover and concealment are important to know when you are trying to escape an active shooter, or when trying to deny the killer access to you. Both can be valuable, but cover is the most important.

Cover is something that will stop bullets. It may or may not hide you. Concealment will hide you, but bullets can pass through. This is why cover is most important, we want something that will stop bullets. Before I discuss spotting cover, I do want to point out that concealment has its place in the overall survival plan, and it has saved lives.

Concealment

I’ve discussed elsewhere why I don’t like the word “hide” in the Run Hide Fight model. But the fact is, sight and sound attract killers in these incidents, and if you hide behind concealment, and the killer does not see or hear you, there is a good chance he won’t shoot and continue on looking for someone he can see or hear. So hiding is one way to deny a killer access to you, because he doesn’t see or hear you, and thus continues on. I still rather you have a more proactive plan than hiding and hoping, but I don’t dismiss hiding as it can be included in your plan if no better alternatives are present. And while concealment has saved lives, you will be better off if you can find cover, and that is what I will address in the rest of this article.

Spotting Cover

Remember the old saying, “Forewarned is forearmed.” Cover is often all around us if we are paying attention. If you are aware, one of the most important lessons I teach in my classes and courses, you can develop an eye for seeing and recognizing cover, and this can save your life in an unexpected attack. Your brain ignites and automatically sets you into action to get behind suitable cover to keep you alive.

Just the routine spotting and acknowledging of appropriate cover when you are out and about can increase the odds of you seeking cover more rapidly in an active shooter event. But you can take this a step further by actually practicing. Taking cover is a basic tool in street survival, so why not practice it just like you practice your other skills? You practice your combatives and weapon skills, and seeking cover should go hand in hand with your weapon, so practice it too. Real shootouts aren’t like the old movies where you walk out into the middle of the street to meet you adversary.

Regardless if you carry a weapon or not, seeking cover should be part of your overall survival plan when bullets are flying. Putting cover between you and the gunman can save your life, and it is one way of denying the killer access to you.

Learn to think cover and recognize what will stop bullets and what won’t. A fire hydrant will stop bullets, but a garbage can, unless filled with something that will stop bullets, probably won’t. Telephone poles and light poles will stop most bullets, and they are everywhere. Inside a building, hollow doors and many walls won’t stop bullets, but brick walls, and solid doors can. Also remember than some things will stop bullets from smaller caliber weapons, but won’t stop larger calibers.

If you are not in an occupation, or living a lifestyle, that will place you in a gunfight, the odds of you being in a shooting are still rare. Even with the increase of active shooter incidents over the last couple of decades, the odds of you being in one are still extremely low. But, in that slim chance you are, knowing the difference between cover and concealment, and knowing which items commonly on the street provide suitable cover against a host of bullets, can help you survive the shooting.

Stay Aware and Enjoy Life Safely!

Active Shooter Response Training is More Than Watching the Run Hide Fight Video

An individual once wrote me asking what I thought of his company’s “active shooter training.” All of the employees were sent a nice letter from HR explaining the importance of active shooter training, so they would be prepared in case of an active shooter or other active threat incident. At the end of the letter was a link to the “Run – Hide – Fight” video on YouTube with instructions to watch the video, as this was important. That’s it. That was their training.

I wrote him back and said I teach anywhere from one hour to eight hours, depending on the group and what they bring me in for. Sometimes it’s a keynote, other times a breakout session, and sometimes a half or full day of training for organizations. I asked him how he thought a five-minute video on YouTube compared. He agreed with me, and thought it was just a way his company was trying to cover their butt and say they cared about people and did something.

The fact is, training people costs money. And it’s not just the fee paid to me, or other trainers. It costs a lot to have employees attend a course, the longer the more it costs. But it’s worth it. It can save lives, and it also can increase moral and provide peace of mind when people are scared. The person who wrote me didn’t have the best impression of that company’s leadership. How would he have felt if they had provided actual training rather than a video link?

I have had so many people comment that they felt better, empowered, after training. They realized they could do something to keep themselves and loved ones safer. Investing in training is investing in people. There are other benefits to training, and other values associated with providing active shooter response training to employees. But I do believe one of the biggest is having employees feel cared about. When you provide training, and a tool such as Reflex Protect, to help keep your employees safe and provide peace of mind when the news is bombarding them with tales of violence, you aren’t just spending money. You are investing in your employees. You are showing them you care about them and their safety. And that is worth a whole lot more than the actual cost of training.

Alain Burrese, Safety Seminar, Billings, MT, Aug 6, 2019

El Paso and Dayton shootings

I went to bed last night sick over the senseless killing of 20 people in El Paso, TX, and wounding at least 24 others. I made a FaceBook Live video discussing it. Committing to do more to help people.

https://www.facebook.com/alain.burrese/videos/10157275307021832/

I was in bed this morning, almost 6:00 am, half awake, procrastinating getting up when I got a text from a friend. Another shooting, this one in Dayton, OH, with 9 innocent people killed and at least 26 more wounded. If I wasn’t sick before, it is even worse now…

Thoughts and prayers go out too the communities of El Paso and Dayton.

I don’t know why these keep happening. No one knows for sure, even though there are theories out there. I do know they are increasing. That’s a fact. While not a new problem, mass killings go back a long ways, the frequency of these incidents has been increasing the last 20. It is sickening to think that people believe going out and killing innocent people is the solution to anything.

I personally want to double down on my commitment to help more people. Since I don’t know how to stop people from wanting to kill others, I will keep teaching people ways to stay safe, and try to do even more. Writing Survive A Shooting was one goal to help others, now I must get the information both from the book and live classes out. Having a plan, being prepared, and knowing what you can do does save lives. No, I can’t stop the killing, but if I can save lives and reduce the number of people killed, at least I’ve done something to help. I’m not sure what else I can do.

I’m heading out tomorrow to Billings, MT, because I’m the keynote speaker at a Safety Expo on Tuesday morning. I have four of the longer Active Shooter Response and Active Shooter Response/Reflex Protect courses booked for this month already, and a couple booked for later in the year, and I’m speaking on the topic at the Santa Clara County Safety Seminar in California next month. So I am getting the word out, but if you can help me, that would be appreciated. Let people know abut this site and what I’m doing. Together, maybe we can help more.

But please, let’s not forget that there are still so many good people in the world doing good things. We had 2 people do terrible things in El Paso and Dayton this weekend. Do not let that define us, and do not let that make you afraid to live life. We can’t give up on society because of a few, we must work together to make things better. And many people are, in different ways.

Take a moment to send thoughts, prayers, blood, and any assistance you can to those in El Paso and Dayton. And let’s not forget those in Gilroy, CA, just a week ago, or any of the others who have faced such tragedy. But then take a moment to share your love with those you love and care about most. And remember the world is not a terrible place because a few do terrible things.

Take care and stay safe,

Alain

Active Shooter Response with Matt Otstot on KMJNow

KMJ-Logo-300x88

I did a short interview with Matt Otstott of KMJNow:

http://www.kmjnow.com

Shooting at California Festival Kills Three; Suspect is Dead
From “Shooting at California Festival Kills Three; Suspect is Dead”
Associated Press (07/29/19) Mendoza, Martha; Ronayne, Kathleen

A six-year-old boy was killed along with two other people after a mass shooting at the Gilroy, California Garlic Festival on Sunday. Fifteen others were injured. The annual festival in the “Garlic Capital of the World” in Northern California was wrapping up its third and final day when a gunman opened fire with a rifle, according to police. The gunman cut through a fence to avoid security and opened fire before police fatally shot him as terrified people and performers ran for cover. Some witnesses reported a second suspect, Gilroy Police Chief Scott Smithee said, but it was unclear whether that person was armed or simply provided assistance. A manhunt continued late into the night. At this point in the investigation, Smithee said he has “no idea” what the shooter’s motive was. The first reports of gunshots at the festival came in around 5:41 p.m. local time, just as the event was wrapping up, Smithee said. He added that officers already stationed at the festival “engaged the suspect in less than a minute.” More than a dozen ambulances and fire trucks were also dispatched to the scene located about 30 miles southeast of San Jose. Smithee noted that security at the festival’s official entrances is “very tight,” despite a lack of posted security cameras. In addition to a police presence, attendees are subject to bag searches and metal detector wands, he said.

Active Shooter Response with Brett Jensen on 99.3 WBT in Charlotte, NC

This is the interview with Brett Jensen on 99.3 WBT in Charlotte, NC, after the shooting in Florence, SC. (aired live on 10/4/18)  While the Florence shooting was not an active shooter event where the killer was wanting to rack up a high body count of strangers, it was a mass shooting of police officers. Brett had me on his show to discuss what people can do in these events.

The discount code was only for those listening live and is no longer valid.

Cincinnati Shooting – Another Senseless Act of Violence

Cincinnati Shooting: Cincinnati Police Chief Elliot Isaac

Cincinnati shooting, another senseless act of violence… My thoughts go out to all who were affected, but thoughts and prayers are not enough. I was literally in the middle of writing an e-mail to the Superintendent of one of Montana’s school districts in regards to bulk Survive A Shooting book sales and the Reflex Protect training we did the first half of for his district yesterday when I got a phone call. (This district is the first Montana school district to implement Reflex Protect throughout all the schools and buses in their district.) The phone call was from Scott Sloan of the Scott Sloan Show on 700WLW in Cincinnati, OH regarding the shooting this morning in Cincinnati.

While many facts are still unknown, and like I said on the radio, these investigations can often take a lot of time, and sadly like the Las Vegas shooting investigation, not answer all of the questions we have. But this is what I do know, the Cincinnati shooting is another senseless act of violence.

It saddens and sickens me that people think the answer to their problems is to kill people. Especially sickening is to kill innocent people that have absolutely nothing to do with these sick individual’s perceived problems. And I’m not using “sick” in medical terms, although I believe mental illness is a contributing factor to many of these tragic incidents, I’m using “sick” as in, ANYONE who wants to hurt or kill innocent people is sick. I have stronger feelings and words, but will refrain from using them here.

I was talking with a couple of other trainers yesterday after training 70 some teachers in the use of Reflex Protect as a component to their active threat and armed intruder response plan and training. We all agreed that we wished this training wasn’t needed. We wished we knew the solution to stop others from wanting to kill innocent people. We wished my book Survive A Shooting wasn’t needed. We wished Reflex Protect wasn’t needed. We wished people would just stop hurting and killing each other. Sadly, we acknowledged that our wishes were not going to come true. History shows us that people have been preying on others and killing each other as far back as you can go, and it doesn’t look like any change is coming. I don’t understand it. I don’t like it. And as a father I worry about my daughter in this world almost every day.

What I do know, and what I do understand, is we can do things to better prepare ourselves. We can practice safe habits and have a plan for when the unthinkable happens. That’s why I wrote Survive a Shooting. That’s why I teach workplace violence and active shooter response classes. That’s why I teach people how to enjoy life safely. And that’s why I’ve teamed up with Reflex Protect to offer a non-lethal option to people to defend themselves.

We must all take personal responsibility for our own safety. And if we are in leadership positions, we should provide training and tools for those that work for us to keep them safe. This not only increases moral and reduces anxiety, it has been shown that workplace violence and active shooter response training saves organizations money. I’ll be writing and talking about that more too. It is morally and fiscally sound to prepare our employees through training and the implementation of making locations more secure.

The Cincinnati shooting this morning is just one more, and sadly not the last, that illustrates the need of doing something proactive to protect yourself, your loved ones, and those who work with or for you. And again, my thoughts go out to all those affected by today’s shooting, and all those from shootings past.

Las Vegas Active Shooter – Active Killer Motive Unknown

Last October in Las Vegas, Steven Paddock, a 64-year-old retiree, fired more than 1,000 rounds into a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. He killed 58 people and injured some 800 more. Months later, investigators still don’t know what Paddock’s motive for the shooting was.

In a press conference, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, when announcing his department’s release of its final criminal investigative report, said, “By all accounts Stephen Paddock was an unremarkable man.”

Lombardo said there were signs that Paddock had a troubled mind prior to the shooting, but those were not enough to concern law enforcement. And that is a major problem with trying to stop these incidents before they happen. Often it is just too difficult to know which people will actually commit crimes, and which won’t. Because of the freedoms we have in this country, freedoms I don’t want to lose, we can’t just lock people up because of what they “might” do, not without overwhelming evidence that they will anyway.

Paddock killed himself in the Mandalay Bay hotel room that he fired from, and therefore law enforcement were never able to actually interview him to determine why he did what he did. So when it comes to motive, Lombardo said investigators had to make their best educated guess based on available evidence. This was difficult because Paddock didn’t leave any political or social manifesto to explain himself like other mass killers have done. Nor were any ties to extremist groups found.

The sheriff said he believes Paddock was driven by a number of factors, including recent gambling loses. The FBI’s behavioral analysis unit is expected to release a report on Paddock’s psychopathology by the end of the year.

Studying these events, we find that there is no single profile for someone who goes on an active killer rampage. There is no real common active shooter. It does vary from incident to incident. And studying them does help us prepare for, and to possibly prevent or react faster to, future events. And sadly, there will be future incidents. This is why I think it is so important for people to read Survive a Shooting and have a plan, or to go further and attend a course to better prepare. You want a plan before the incident occurs, because in the chaos of terror, it’s too late to ponder and think about what you should do.

Near the end of Lombardo’s press conference, he said that Las Vegas was a safe tourist community, but he also said that a similar incident could happen again. That is why it is important for all of us to have a simple plan of what we would do. This plan can increase our odds of surviving such a event. That is why I wrote Survive A Shooting, and why I teach the classes I teach, and speak on the topic to any group that wants to bring me in.

Stay safe!

The 187-page report: LVMPD Criminal Investigative Report on the 1 October Mass Casualty Shooting

 

Capital Gazette Shooting in Annapolis MD

The Capital Gazette Shooting in Annapolis, MD, is another tragic incident where five lives were lost, and countless other affected by this senseless and needless violence. I truly wish I wasn’t writing and teaching about this topic because it wasn’t needed. I’d gladly teach mediation skills, negotiation skills, and effective communication as those are topics I’ve taught and written about since law school. However, because these killing continue, and statistics prove they are more frequent than they use to be, I will do everything I can to help people be better prepared and increase their survivability.

I am NOT blaming anyone at the Capital Gazette for what they did, or what they tweeted or said. They didn’t know different. But I do disagree with things that were tweeted and said. The ONLY person to blame is the sick individual that took a firearm to the newspaper office and committed the Capital Gazette Shooting. I refuse to type his name because I don’t want to give him any acknowledgment at all. He’s sick and I wish they would just put him down for all the terror and heartbreak he’s caused. I feel the same about everyone who preys on innocent victims.

But to help people for future incidents, because, sadly, there will be more, I want to share the comments I disagree with and why.

One statement by a Capital Gazette shooting survivor, “it’s not something anyone can prepare themselves for.”

I agree and disagree with this. He was right in the fact that I don’t think we can fully prepare ourselves for the sudden, unexpected horror of an event like that. However, there ARE things we can do to better prepare ourselves for such an occurrence. And I’m not talking about turning everyone into Rambo so they can take out these sick monsters.

We can learn how to harden targets, and position ourselves in ways to better escape or respond. We can learn to better identify and report risk factors, and risk assessment teams and law enforcement can increase what they are doing regarding potential threats. (This is extremely difficult because of our freedoms and rights in this country, which I DO NOT want to see deteriorated.) We can make places easier to lock down and deny access to where we are at. We can learn how to attack back and stop these killers and the ways and opportunities that give us the best chance of doing so. We can purchase and know how to use life saving devices such as tourniquets and pressure bandages. We can increase our awareness, which will help keep us safe in general, not just from active shooters and other terrorists. We can learn how to interact with law enforcement during these situations to better help them do their job and accomplish their mission. There are MANY things we can do to better prepare ourselves for these kinds of situations. Having some kind of plan for emergencies, including active shooter situations, can help a person respond during crisis.

Another tweet I read that really bothered me was from a man that was hiding under a desk and heard the gunman reloading. Anyone who has read my book or taken a class with me knows that hiding and hoping is not a plan for survival. I am very glad that individual who tweeted that survived. But the fact is, hiding under a desk and hoping does not provide the best chance of survival. Being proactive, taking your safety and survival into your own hands, and escaping, denying, or attacking back are proven to be the best options. Which option will depend on different variables, and that’s why I created the Active Shooter Response Triangle for my book, posters, and classes.

Things that were not a surprise to me regarding the Capital Gazette shooting because they have happened before include: signs before hand of a potential incident, the suspect barricaded the exit doors as part of a pre-planned attack, the suspect stopped to reload his firearm, people thought initial sounds were fireworks. These are all things studied because they repeatedly occur. This knowledge helps us prepare, and hopefully prevent shootings and deaths in the future.

I want everyone reading this to know there are things you can do to help make yourself safer and to increase your survivability in an active shooter or terrorist attack. No, nothing is 100%, and I can’t ensure no one else dies. No one can do that. But I can provide information, that if acted upon, can make a difference and increase your odds if ever faced with such a horrific situation. That’s why I say my book is the most important book you will every read that I hope you never need.

Capital Gazette Shooting Victims

As a final note, I want to say my heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family members of those killed yesterday. May the all Rest In Peace.

  • Rob Hiaasen, 59, an editor and columnist
  • Wendi Winters, 65, a local news reporter and community columnist
  • John McNamara, 56, an editor and sports reporter (who worked directly with Messenger, an intern in the sports department).
  • Gerald Fischman, 61, the editorial page editor
  • Rebecca Smith, sales assistant

 

Photo Copyright Patrick Semanski/AP Photo

 

 

 

 

Survive A Shooting Best Seller

Survive a Shooting best seller alain burrese

Survive a Shooting Best Seller! It reached number 3 this morning in its category, and number one for new releases in its category.

Survive a Shooting Best Seller

Survive a Shooting Best Seller

These rankings go up and down, and the category isn’t as hard to rank in as some such as top thrillers where you are competing with Lee Child, Brad Thor, and other best selling authors. But it is still nice to see Survive a Shooting climbing its category charts and selling well.

It really is the best book on the topic, and the most important book you will read that I hope you never need.

This is what the first amazon reviews are saying:

Joanne Black
5.0 out of 5 starsIncredibly Great Resource!

May 19, 2018

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

This is a “must have” book on this subject. I have read many books on subjects of self-defense, violence, the psychology of violence … and despite being pretty well informed, I am amazed by how much more I have learned from this book.

It is great for the complete lay-person, and yet also a great resource for an expert. It is so clear that the author has taken great time and effort to compile the absolutely best info, the latest research … and put it together in a very easy to read, very useful resource. You can go back to it again and again and easily find the info you are looking for! I will add a photo or two in a day to show what I mean by this.

Another great feature is that the author references other books, of which you will see the best summary … and you might also choose to read that book later. Even if you do not, you will lack for nothing with this resource in hand. It is the most complete book of it’s kind. All I can say is: “Get it!”.

anonymous
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent resource

May 19, 2018

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I never saw a book dealing with this topic before , and I am not a professional police officer or security person , but it seems to be an incredible resource. Well written and easy enough to understand for a lay person.
I believe that if people follow the advise in this book we will save lives. Both in response and deterring future attacks . Bad guys like soft targets, not those who can adequately defend themselves.
If you’re a parent buy two , one for you and one for your school . Everyone should learn how to deal with this issue .
Marc MacYoung
5.0 out of 5 starsWhether its just you or people in your care… get out alive

May 15, 2018

Format: Paperback

If you know who I am, that’s enough. If you don’t, it would take too long to explain. But, let me say this…

I have standards for ‘good books’ about violence, crime and personal safety.
First is the information reliable?
Second is how much new stuff did I learn?

On such a subject, people’s lives depend on reliable information. Will the information work to keep you alive? It’s not sexy, it’s not exciting, but that first standard is of quiet importance.

The second standard takes some explaining. These days the percentages of learning new things are much lower. If I find a book or class that can give me 10 to 20% new information, I am damned impressed.

I am damned impressed with Alain’s book.

L. A. Kane
5.0 out of 5 starsAn approach that actually works!

May 24, 2018

Format: Paperback

No one wants to be a victim, yet learning how to successfully defend yourself against an armed threat can be a significant challenge. Nevertheless, with the right training it’s a surmountable one. If I was going to put my life (or a member of my family’s) in someone else’s hands during an active shooting I can think of no better person to safeguard it than Alain Burrese. His knowledge, experience, and pragmatic approach create powerful, trustworthy advice that everyone must know.

Lawrence Kane
Bestselling author of The Big Bloody Book of Violence and 16 other titles

Greg Ellifritz
5.0 out of 5 starsAlain’s book is the absolute best reference for active killer response available on the market …

May 29, 2018

Format: Paperback
I have been studying the problem of active killer response for more than two decades. I’ve read every book available on the subject and have both attended and taught countless classes on the topic. Without question, Alain’s book is the absolute best reference for active killer response available on the market today. His advice is both thorough and driven by industry best practices. If you want to learn how to prevail in an active killer attack, you need this book in your library.