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

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.

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

 

 

 

 

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

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.

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

Why the Survive A Shooting course?

This is why Alain Burrese created the Survive A Shooting course:

After the July 2012 mass shooting at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Alain made and posted this video to his Best Safety Tips YouTube channel. (Later moved to the Survive and Defend channel.)

Alain made a commitment right then to do something to help people so they wouldn’t have to live in fear and be helpless victims when these sick killers took out their frustrations and sick notions against innocent people.

Less than six months later, December 2012, the terrible Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred. Being a father of an elementary school age daughter, this senseless killing hit Alain hard and he reconfirmed that he must do something to help people.

At this time, Alain had considerable experience teaching people. He’d taught conflict resolution, safety and self-defense classes and courses, as well as the martial art of Hapkido. But these Active Shooter and Active Threat situations needed something a bit different. So to add to his knowledge of safety and self-defense, Alain started studying Active Shooter incidents and how to respond to them.

Survive A Shooting Course resources

This study included books, DVD programs, on-line courses, and articles (both on-line and magazines) on the topic. It included networking and discussing the topic with other experts. It also included attending an 8-hour Emergency Response To An Armed Intruder course taught by Safariland Training Group certified instructors. Alain then went through the instructor training and became certified himself. Over the last three and a half years, Alain has taught as part of a team that has taught this 8-hour course to around 4,000 community members on what to do when the unthinkable happens.

Alain started appearing on radio shows around the country to share information to help people when these events happen. He’s been on the radio in Florida, New York, California, Montana, Nevada, Michigan, Texas, and he continues to appear as time permits.

Alain found with all of this study that many of the resources lacked what he wanted to see in a book on the topic, so he is working on his book Survive A Shooting. It will be the definitive book resource for people on this topic. But just reading a book or watching a short video on YouTube isn’t enough.

Literally thousands of evaluations of the course Alain and the team were teaching commented on how empowering the training was. But because that course takes a team to teach, logistically it is difficult to get it out to more organizations. The 8-hour time commitment is also difficult for many businesses and organizations.

Alain wanted a course that would still empower people and show them that people don’t have to be helpless victims and that there are things that can be done before, during and after these horrific events to increase your odds of surviving. Alain wanted to empower people and teach them to be survivors.

The Survive a Shooting course does just that. It is only 4 hours long, so it is much easier for many businesses and organizations to fit into their schedules. Alain can bring this course to businesses and organizations all over the world. Bring him in and he can teach your people. So logistically it is also much easier than the course taught by the team of instructors.

Alain is saddened by the increase in these horrific events. But he is glad that his goal, standing out in front of the Batman movie poster, of helping people in these situations is now materializing on such a large scale. Helping thousands of people is not enough, he wants to help tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. People should not be helpless victims!

To increase these numbers into the hundreds of thousands, or millions, yes, let’s think big and help millions, Alain will finish the book to introduce the basic information to people in that format. He will continue to teach as many as he can, but realizing that he is limited to so many days a year, he is also creating a Train the Trainer course so others will be able to learn from him and use the Survive a Shooting course as a platform and class to teach their own organizations and communities. He’s also looking at developing an on-line course to help others in that format.

Read a Review of the Survive A Shooting course.

Yes, the goal and commitment Alain made in front of that movie theater is materializing. Stay tuned for these new developments to occur, but right now, go ahead and book Alain to teach your group or organization while he still has time slots on his calendar.

Learn to survive, you don’t have to be a victim!