AST Digital Magazine October 2017 Digital-Oct | Page 61

The key to engaging any challenge, especially a Volume life or death 17 experience, depends on a survival mindset. dents performed “duck and cover” exercises for October 2017 Edition an atomic bomb attack by getting under their desks. One method that allows an individual to work toward the needed mindset is to ask one’s self hardcore questions and look deep inside for truthful answers. Every public school and many businesses con- duct fire drills. Before one can begin to train for surviving an ac- tive shooting incident, an individual should ask themselves how far they will go to survive. Some hard questions should include: • Can you quickly move through an area with the bodies of wounded and dead colleagues? • Can you block out the sounds of gunfire as well as moans and screams of fellow workers as you flee to safety? • Can you conceal yourself and remain silent while an active shooter moves nearby search- ing for additional victims even when wounded yourself? • Can you lay motionless on a blood stained floor and play dead among the bodies of your colleagues? • Can you use the dead body of a colleague to shield yourself from incoming bullet rounds? • Can you break and jump out of a window to safety? • Can you engage an active shooter with an impromptu weapon (a coffee pot, fire extin- guisher, umbrella, stapler, chair, etc.) and use lethal force? No one can guarantee fully how they will react when a life or death crisis comes into their world. However, if you search yourself and evaluate your possible responses, and you will be way ahead of the individual that ignores such introspection. These are the hard questions that you should ask yourself and meditate on to establish a survival mentality if God forbid you find yourself in an ac- tive shooter situation. Through the 1950’s to1970’s public school stu- Since Columbine, large numbers of public schools have adopted active shooter programs. The thrust of this piece is directed toward what the individual can do to increase their odds at surviving an active shooter incident. A personal protective plan should not replace an agency or corporate active shooter plan but work in conjunction with it. It should also be noted that having a personal plan for yourself and loved ones may be of great value if you find yourself in active shooter inci- dent outside the workplace at such venues as a mall, concert, sporting event etc. The right mind set is key to preparing yourself prior a crisis as well as during. The next area of preparation involves under- standing the what options are available during an active shooter attack. These options are escape, conceal and engage (ECE). The backbone of each of these 3 options are based on knowing your work area and perform- ing a thorough assessment; this will allow you to maximize your surroundings to survive the shoot- er’s assault. ESCAPE ESCAPE is the first option to pursue during an active shooter event. You need to have at least 2 routes of exit from scene of the attack.