Shooting incidents are becoming more and more common in today’s world. In this present environment, it seems more prudent to say we should prepare for “when” this type of event will occur, rather than “if” it will. In response to the ever-increasing violence, some businesses and organizations are looking into active shooter training to help them be ready.
A Violent World
Are you wondering if this type of training is really necessary for your company? Consider the following shooting incidents. They resulted in seven deaths, all within just 42 days of each other. No part of the country is immune to this growing trend in violence, either. Except for two, these events occurred in different parts of the country.
- December 12, 2017: An employee walked into his workplace at Industrial Solutions in Atlanta, said “Good morning” to co-workers, and began firing his weapon. One person was killed.
- December 13, 2017: Andre Slocum, 25 years-old, was shot and killed by a co-worker after arriving at Flexible Industrial Solutions in Atlanta. The shooter was waiting for Slocum to arrive.
- December 29, 2017: Two people died and one was injured after a gunman shot them at their Long Beach, California law office. The shooter then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.
- January 9, 2018: Two employees at a Michigan fence company continued a long-standing feud. One pulled a gun and shot two people, one fatally. The man who died was the owner of the business.
- January 23, 2018: A 15-year-old student at a rural Kentucky high school shot and killed two classmates and wounded 19 others.
Active Shooter Training
In an attempt to keep their employees and customers safe, many businesses are engaging in this type of exercise so their employees will understand what to do in the event of an active shooter.
Fox News recently covered this type of training as it happened. A beverage distribution company located in Mechanicsburg, New York worked with the Saratoga County Sheriffs Department to arrange the exercise.
The local SWAT team told Fox News that in the past, they only received one to two training requests per month. Recently, however, that number has jumped to 10 to 15. It’s not just businesses that want trained, either. Schools are scheduling the sessions, as well.
The drill involves a police office acting as a shooter. He enters the business with a cap gun and “shoots” anyone he sees. Of course, employees play along, pretending to be dead.
When shots are first heard the staff inside the building call 911 and the police are sent to the scene. Everything happens in real-time so employees get a sense of what to expect.
As police teams enter the building, also with cap guns, uninjured employees are instructed to flee the premises. The exercise ends when the police subdue the shooter.
The drill not only helps businesses and their teams learn what they should do during an active shooter event but also gives local police the chance to practice their skills as they train others.
The Bottom Line
The United States Justice Department is supporting this type of active shooter training. It has allocated $5.4 million to make sure law enforcement agencies around the country are prepared to offer it to businesses and organizations in their local communities.
Want to learn more about protecting your business from active shooters, call American Security Force at 855-722-8585.
