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.