Active Shooter Response

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

What is the biggest active shooter response misconception?

active shooter response misconception by alain burreseWhat active shooter response misconception is the biggest? There are many, and while I’m not sure if this is the biggest, it is very prevalent in some circles and I’m going to look at it today.

Active Shooter Response Misconception: The ONLY way to stop a bad guy with a gun is by a good guy with a gun.

This is often said by the pro-gun crowd, but it is not accurate. While I will agree that if you have to face an active shooter, it would be better if you were armed with a firearm too, but that is not realistic for all circumstances. Because of laws and different personality types, people are going to face active killers unarmed. However, unarmed people HAVE stopped these sick individuals. There are many instances where ordinary unarmed people have stopped active shooter and terrorist threats.

It’s ridiculous to say if you are not armed with a firearm you must resort to being a helpless victim. It’s not true! You don’t have to be a victim. That’s what the Survive a Shooting book and course are all about. I’ve taught many teachers, medical providers, government office workers and others who are prohibited from carrying a firearm at work. I don’t care if you agree or disagree with these laws. The fact is, they exist and I teach people strategies that work within the parameters they must work with.

I refuse to believe this active shooter response misconception and say unarmed people must be victims. Not when so many unarmed people have successfully stopped these killers. I’m not saying it is easy. Nor am I saying it is ideal. I am saying it is possible. And with the things I teach, it raises the chances people can successfully survive these horrific events.

It is important that people learn to harden targets and look for potential indicators to prevent the event from happening in the first place. That is always best. But if bullets are flying, there are things people can do to increase their chances of survival, and to save lives. People must know how to escape, deny, attack back, and stop the bleeding. Knowledge and training can prepare people so they don’t have to live in fear, but rather can enjoy life safely with a plan if the worst case scenario does happen.

 

Clint Eastwood made a movie about a terrorist active shooter that was stopped by unarmed passengers. Here is an article titled The True Story Behind the Movie The 15:17 to Paris

Throwing Stones at Active Shooters

Here is a video rant I made after seeing so many people on social media bad mouth a school for wanting to put stones in classrooms to throw at active threats if they entered.

 

Different articles on the school:

Pennsylvania school wants to arm students with rocks to protect them against active shooters

Superintendent Says Students Are Armed with Rocks In Case of a School Shooting

This school district is arming students with rocks in case of a shooter

Active Shooter Lessons from “The 15:17 To Paris”

I went to the new Clint Eastwood produced and directed movie The 15:17 to Paris, and wanted to point out a couple of lessons we can all learn from the movie. Eastwood took a risk by having the three childhood friends turned heroes play themselves in the film. But it’s a risk I’m glad he took. Those heroes-turned-actors are Spencer Stone, a former U.S. Air Force Airman, Alek Skarlatos, a former Oregon National Guardsman, and Anthony Sadler, a senior at California State University at the time of the incident. On August 21, 2015, the trio was riding on a Thalys train headed towards the French capital when a man armed with an assault rifle and pistol opened fire, shooting one passenger. Stone and Skarlatos instinctively decided to charge at the assailant, and Sadler was not far behind. Despite several injuries, including a slashed neck and thumb for Stone, the three friends managed to overpower the gunman with the assistance of a British passenger. The four were hailed as international heroes and received various honors for their valor. The movie was adapted from the three men’s co-authored memoir of the same name.

It is obvious that Stone, Skarlatos, and Sadler are not actors. It is a risk Eastwood took and the film is taking some criticism for it. Personally, I didn’t mind that the acting and dialogue wasn’t as smooth as it would have been with A-list actors playing the three. I thought it was pretty cool that they were the actual heroes playing themselves, and I enjoyed the movie and am glad I went to see it. There are two lessons related to my work in teaching Active Shooter Response that I want to share.

There is a scene in the film when Stone is in a class at a military base when an Active Shooter alert is sounded. The instructor in the class tells people to lock the door and then get under the desks. I wanted to scream in the theater. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!! Hiding under desks is not a strategy to survive. Little spoiler here. Stone gets up and prepares himself at the door with a pen held in a hammer fist. If the shooter came through the door, he was going to take him out with the pen. YES, YES, YES, YES!!! I still wanted to scream at the instructor and everyone hiding under desks, but having Stone do the right thing eased my blood pressure. (Even though the instructor in the movie criticized him for it.) You lock doors and barricade to keep the shooter out, but you then prepare to ambush him at the door with whatever you have in case the locks and barricade fail. This is what I and others teach, and I was glad that at least one person in that class room figured it out on their own. It is the best strategy in a bad situation. When the instructor who told everyone to get under the desks asked Stone why he did what he did, Airman Stone replied, “I don’t know, ma’am. I just didn’t want my family finding out that I died hiding under a table.”

The other lesson from this movie is that people, even unarmed people, can and have stopped killers. I get tired of so many people saying the only way to stop a killer with a gun is with a gun yourself. These four men, the three Americans and one British passenger, prove that quote wrong. And there have been many others in similar incidents.

As I said earlier in this book, yes, if I had to face an active shooter, I would prefer to have a firearm myself. But I refuse to say that people without a firearm must resign to being victims. I sure won’t, and I don’t want anyone I teach to be a victim either. I teach people to be survivors. If all they have is a ball point pen like Stone in the movie, use it. If there is a fire extinguisher handy, use it. If you are naked with absolutely nothing, use your hands, feet, elbows, knees, teeth, and anything else to attack back and stop the attacker.

I like that this movie shows regular people deciding to act, and their actions saved many lives. Not only did they stop the killer, they kept the wounded man alive until professional medical personnel could take over. That’s a reason stopping bleeding is part of my book and courses. People can and do save lives. This movie was a great example of what people can do, and I applaud the men who acted on that train, and I applaud Clint Eastwood for bringing the story to us in this film.

Know Your Exits Save Your Life in an Active Shooter Event

Know your exits! This is a valuable thing to know during an emergency. Too often, most people try to exit out the entrance they came in during emergencies, and this often prooves fatal. Airline disasters and club fires both illustrate this point. Knowing nearest and alternate exits has saved people’s lives.

Many people teach to be aware. It’s true, situational awareness is very important for your safety. It is one of the most important things for your safey. But what should you be aware of? There are a number of things you should notice, and one key thing is to know the escape routes and the ways out of wherever you are. Know your exits!

Here is a video I recorded live on Facebook regarding this topic.

Active Shooter: Know Your Exits Video


Make it a game. Get your kids involved too. Teach them to always know the way out of wherever you are. Here is a short video I filmed in a mall discussing the importance of knowing exits and how many people won’t think of the exits going out the back of stores because we don’t normally use those exits. In an emergency, you can use them, and that just might save your life.

I hope these videos get across the importance of knowing how to get out of anyplace you are. You don’t have to dwell on it, just be aware of the ways out in case you need to exit quickly to save your life or that of others. Like I said above, you can make a game of it to help get used to recognizing the ways out. Make it fun for your kids and they will be learning a life saving skill without even knowing it.

Like I always say, I sincerely hope you never need to know where the emergency exits and alternate ways out are. But if you do, I sure hope you have been aware. I want you to be a survivor.

What To Do If You Are In a Wheelchair

What To Do If You Are In a Wheelchair? I was asked this on Facebook, and so I did a live video to address this issue. Just because you are in a wheelchair, or are dealing with another challenge, does not mean you have to be a helpless victim. We have had people in wheelchairs, both men and women, go through the 8 hour Active Shooter Response class, including the scenarios. I’ve had people with other physical challenges attend my classes. It doesn’t matter. You can learn things and do thing to keep yourself safe and be a survivor.

What To Do If You Are In a Wheelchair Video


Remember, if you are not as good at one of the three responses, Escaping, Denying Access, or Attacking Back, work to improve that area the best you can, but also make the other two stronger. If a wheelchair and your environment makes the escape option unrealistic, work to make your deny and attack back options stronger. Sometimes this takes some thinking and planning, and maybe even a little creativity depending on your situation. But everyone can learn and do something to increase their survivability.

As I mention in the video, we had a student come through the course with a large motorized wheelchair and he determined that it would help him barricade and deny shooters from his and his student’s location. He didn’t let it be an obstacle. he figured out how to make it a strength. We had a woman who had very little mobility and used a motorized wheelchair, but she partook in all parts of the course with her co-workers and designed plans of what they would do if the unthinkable ever happened.

Don’t ever feel that you must be a victim. Never accept that. You can and will be a survivor!

Calling 911 During an Active Shooter Event

Calling 911 during an active shooter event is not as easy as many believe. We see people struggling with providing the basic information time and time again during scenario training. It is an important thing to be able to do. This video, recorded live on Facebook, provides information that you need to know when calling 911to get law enforcement officers responding. The information you provide can increase their speed in stopping the shooting which will save lives.

Information to Provide when Calling 911

The responding law enforcement officer’s primary duty is to stop the threat. Any information you can provide when calling 911 to help with their mission will be helpful. Keep the information you provide to what you know. If you don’t know something, don’t speculate or guess. Good information is accurate information. Things that will be helpful:

  • Description of Bad Guy. If you saw the bad guy, or bad guys, provide the information you could identify and remember. Tell how many armed intruders you identified. Describe what the intruder looks like by clothing, head gear, height estimate, weight estimate, color of skin, and any other descriptors. Describe any weapons such as rifles, hand guns, explosives strapped to body, etc. Tell the operator if you saw any bags, backpacks, or other cases carried by or with the intruders. Provide information on the intruder’s behavior if possible (calm with the 1000-yard stare vs. running around erratically) and anything you may have heard the intruder say or yell.
  • Location of Bad Guy or Bad Guys. It takes a long time to clear a large building or school. Knowing the location of the bad guy inside saves a considerable amount of time for those responding to the threat. The more specific the location provided to law enforcement, the quicker they can stop the shooting. Law enforcement most likely won’t be familiar with the building and its layout. Use descriptions they will be able to understand and follow. Floor numbers, specific room numbers, cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West), and so on. One thing the schools in our community did was to put room numbers facing outside in the classroom windows. If you say room 123, the police will be able to identify room 123 from the outside of the building. Another thing we discuss with schools is that young students often remember the room as Mrs. Smith’s room rather than room 123. Putting the name and number may be prudent in case of someone calling and only remember what teacher’s room, and not the actual number. (Having the number on the inside of the classroom, as well as out in the hall, would make this easier for callers too.) Be as specific as you can, but remember every bit of information can be helpful. Even if you don’t know the room, saying, “he came in the entrance on the West end of the building and the shots are coming from a classroom on that end.” That at least narrows it down some and will make it easier for the police to know where to start looking. Obviously, before you can tell them the West end of the building, you must be able to tell them the address you are located, and if you don’t know the cardinal directions, provide something that will assist the officers in finding the correct location. For example, “I’m at the Southgate mall and a man wearing jeans and a black t-shirt is shooting at people with a semi-automatic handgun near the Clock Tower in the middle of the mall.”
  • Your location and description if relevant. If you have escaped to safety and are calling 911 from a safe location away from the shooting, your description and location isn’t going to be that helpful and you probably don’t need to provide it. Information that is not helpful is best left out of the communications. If you are barricaded in a certain room, that could be relevant as it at least provides a location police don’t have to search and clear. You may say, “I’m barricaded in room 132 with three other people and we are safe right now.” If you had to attack back and stop the attacker, you will want to provide this information. Describe the bad guy, but also give a description of yourself as the good guy. Tell them your exact location to the best of your ability. I’ll provide some additional information regarding this scenario in one of the next sections.
  • Location of injured and type of injury. As I’ve said, the first priority of the police is to stop the shooting. The second priority is to ensure there are no other shooters or additional threats. Only after they have accomplished these tasks will they turn to helping wounded. That’s why it is critical that you know how to stop bleeding and have tourniquets and pressure bandages available in first aid kits. It is still important to provide the 911 dispatcher information on those injured. This information will also help the paramedics who will come in to treat wounded once cleared to do so by the police. Focus on life-threatening injuries. If John twisted his ankle while barricading in a room, he is going to be okay until everyone else is treated. The 911 dispatcher needs to know about life-threatening injuries, those that need immediate treatment or they may die: How many injured? How bad and what kind of injury? Where are they? You may also add what treatment has been provided, and if the injured person is mobile or not.

Practice calling 911 so you can do it quickly and accurately if you have to.

Movement Saves Lives! Active Shooter Response

Movement Saves Lives!

There is a reason “Move!” is in the center of the Active Shooter Triangle used in the Survive a Shooting course and featured on the Survive a Shooting posters. (See them over in the right sidebar.)

In an active shooter situation, you must do something immediately. You must move! When the adrenaline rush hits, people go into the fight or flight response, but there is another “f” and that is freeze. We can’t afford to freeze in such situations. Remembering to breathe, having a plan, and prior training are all important to reduce or prevent this freeze reaction. Freezing and remaining motionless can mean death. Movement can save your life.

What Movement Saves Lives?

Any movement is better than freezing, but what you do will be determined by your location to the shooter and your environment. You can escape, which could be running away or going out a window. You might move quickly to lock and barricade the door to deny the shooter access to you by keeping him out. If the shooter is right there, your best option my be to attack back and take him out. You attack back with anything available. If you are armed, use what you have. If unarmed, grab an improvised weapon or just use the tools you were born with by tackling the shooter and pounding his head into the floor with hammer fists. What you do is sometimes not as important as doing something. In almost every situation, doing something is going to be better than doing nothing.

I remember when a report came out regarding a plan to throw cans at an armed intruder if he came into a classroom. Some people were quick to criticize this. I’m not going to criticize it, because it’s better than not moving! Creating chaos and movement make it extremely difficult to shoot someone. Being hit with cans is going to mess up the killer’s OODA Loop and make it difficult to focus on his original task. This can create the opening to then tackle and take out the shooter. This is a lot better than jumping under desks to hide and hope.

Bottom Line

Movement saves lives, so move. Do something. Escape, deny, or attack back. I’m always ecstatic when people in my classes say, “I never thought of that, but I could do it if I had to…” That is what the Survive a Shooting course (read review) is all about. It provides people with options to increase their chances of surviving. Moving is key. Movement saves lives!

Movement Saves Lives – FaceBook Live video recorded 8/1/17