Active Shooter Situation Survival Guide
We live some dangerous times. No one can predict when and where the next mass shooting will be. We see the news and wonder who do these things? Why do they kill innocent people? The reasons are different but the fact that people die even they did nothing wrong remains.
If you find yourself in this kind of situation, you need to know how to act. This article will tell you exactly that. In the meantime, see this link for some stats of how often shootings are happening.
The survival mode includes three main reactions when you realize someone’s there to harm you and the people around you. You should either run away from the scene, hide, or fight back. In that order of priority. Let’s go over them one by one.
Run
The best choice when something like this happens is to run. Always have the exit in mind and try to predict if you can get there before the shooter gets to you. If you think you have a chance, then go for it.
Take everyone with you and worn everyone on the way toward the exit that there’s a mass shooting behind you. Sometimes in companies, schools, and malls, where it can be loud enough for everyone not to be able to hear that something’s going on, people won’t be aware of the danger coming toward them.
If the attacker is too close and you can’t get away, don’t just get in front of the gun, use some of the other tactics we mentioned. But if you see that the person is not looking at you and you have enough time to get away, don’t hesitate to do it. Hesitation might get you killed. Evaluate the situation fast and make a decision.
Once you get to safety, call 911, tell them your location, and explain what is happening. Don’t forget to tell them people were already shot so that they understand that this is not a joke. Worn everyone coming inside the facility and try to get out as many as possible so they don’t get hurt.
Hide
If there’s no option for running, you need to hide. Even though this is a scary moment, you should know that even breathing loud can get you killed. Your heart will probably work twice as faster than normal, but you need to get control over it if you want to stay alive.
The attacker will shot everyone that comes near them but won’t look for someone or something specific. If you work in a company where a lot of people are present, the shooter will not search behind every corner, they’ll just walk around and try to get everything that moves.
Find a large object that will be enough to hide behind. Turn off the volume and the vibrations of your smartphone and keep quiet. Don’t move until the police arrive and hope for the best.
Fight
If there’s no other option, you’ll have to fight for your life. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are and if you’ve ever punched a person before. This is the right time to see if you’re good at it. It’s not like you have a choice too. Don’t lean on begging the attacker because if they cared about how people feel they wouldn’t be killing them in the first place.
Instead, find something that can be a weapon and locate yourself in the most strategic place. Behind a door or a big object where you know that the person with the gun won’t see you right away. Right before they see you, strike hard and try to disarm them. If you manage to do it, take away the gun and don’t hesitate to fire back. Click https://athena-security.com/active-shooter-training to see a video that will explain better this situation.
To do a good job it’s best if you find something that will be easy to handle and still hard enough to hurt the opponent. Understand that these people who cause chaos like this are often military trained, but in some cases, they are just common people like us.
Something went wrong and their psychological situation got twisted. They don’t know where they are and have no contact with reality. In many situations hitting them in the head might wake them up from the dream they are having at the moment.
You may not just save your life, but save their life too. Of course, this is all a matter of a final move. A situation when you have no choice. If you do, don’t be a hero, just run away and call the cops. It’s better to stay alive than be a hero and die.
Conclusion
These three methods should always be in your hand no matter what’s happening. You don’t know when something terrifying is going to happen, so be prepared at all times.
The advice we shared with you above is not a matter of choice. If you find yourself in something like this, you need to be aware of your options right away. Always have the three rules in your mind – run, hide, and fight. One of these will save your life and eventually may save a lot of others too.
Of course, this being said, you need to tell everyone around you that you know what you’re doing and ask them to follow you. If they don’t want to, don’t waste time, go for safety or organize the fightback.
