AST March 2018 Magazine March 2018 Final -3.3.18 | Page 37

Volume
21 that we consider what happens if the “bad guy”
It is essential
breaches our “secure” perimeter at any level – then what?
March 2018 Edition
Why Run-Hide-Fight Is Wrong
and Two Ways to Fix It
Op-Ed By Doug Haines, Owner and CEO of Haines Security Solutions, and
Winner of the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards for Best Homeland
Security Education
the real solutions to the active shooter threat are based on building
design and how interior designers have designed high occupancy
spaces.
Throw a can of beans. Throw a chair. Spray them with the
fire extinguisher.
These are some of the tactics law enforcement and other
security officials are teaching people to use in defending
themselves during an active shooter situation.
Let’s face it a can of beans against a knife or handgun – not likely to
be effective.
That said however, I believe you have to use what you can to de-
fend yourself, as your life may very well depend on it.
In “live drills”, these Run-Hide-Fight scenarios, are played out by
role players and participated in by a company’s employees.
While many people have been trained over the past few years to
run if you can, hide if you can’t and fight if you have to, I believe
(The Security Industry is the fastest growing market in the world today, and for
good reason...threats to public safety have never been greater. Courtesy of Amulet
Protective Services)
The idea of staying behind and waiting for the police
or SWAT team to show up and neutralize the threat is
35
absolutely crazy in my mind.