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April 13, 2017

How to Survive an Active Shooter in Your Workplace

Active Shooter Safety Training

It’s sad. It’s tragic. It has an impact profound enough to rattle an entire nation; launching citizens, students and employees into a state of fear and panic. While science and research hasn’t quite allowed us to pinpoint the mental and psychological reasons behind why school or workplace shootings take place, we have been able to pinpoint what steps should immediately be taken in the event that one occurs. We know you probably don’t relish the thought of having to digest some disheartening facts about school and workplace shootings. But knowing the basics can help profoundly reduce the lasting emotional damage caused by them.

Mass shooting 2013-2015

Source: TheSocietyPages.org

It’s fascinating how humans have this innate arrogance that nothing will happen to them, until it does. We see and hear of terrorist attacks or people diagnosed with deadly diseases, and while we feel immediate empathy, we never completely accept the fact that tragedy could strike us at any point. Hence propelling the phrase “you can never really imagine, until it happens to you.” When it does happen to us, it’s bewildering. Why me? If it does happen to you, here’s how to react:

Your Emergency Evacuation Plan

In order to truly accept the fact that a crisis could take place at any time, it’s important to accept that it could happen, and it could happen to you. No, I’m not talking about the cheesy 1994 movie with Nicolas Cage. I mean having a plan in the event of a crisis. Always have an emergency evacuation plan. Here are some tips to formulating an exit plan for your workplace:

Suspicious Signs to Keep an Eye On

Courtesy: CNN

It is unbelievably important to remain vigilant, and report suspicious activity right away should you see something take place around the building. Don’t let it be propelled by prejudice or fear, but rather, by your primal gut instinct. That undoubtedly perturbed feeling that signals your brain to take action before it’s too late. Here are some suspicious signs that are worth reporting to law enforcement:

Recognizing the Behavior  

Often times, the suspect in a school or workplace shooting is a student or an employee. Here are some signs that a student or an employee may be showing signs of a violent out lash:workplace shooting

Bottom line: be prepared, be vigilant, and make sure all your employees are likewise.

By Mikaela Delia

References

[1] https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3088.pdf

[2] Safety Matters: Active Shooter Preparedness (Video) by Coastal Training/DuPont 

Featured Image: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2558/4189169360_1842ffe274_b.jpg

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