With the increasing cases of public places, schools, and workplace shootings, there is a growing demand to implement active shooter training in workplaces to protect employees, clients, and other stakeholders. The training is the first defense against firearm-bearing individuals who might intend to cause havoc. This article looks at the importance of active shooter training in the workplace, its benefits, and how organizations can implement the principles to ensure everyone’s safety.
Why Include Active Shooter Training in a Workplace?
Gun-related incidents can happen anywhere and to anyone. They’re horrific and leave a trail of emotional, physical, and property damages. Organizations must prepare to respond promptly and swiftly to protect their employees. Here are reasons why the program is effective in de-escalating high-stress situations.
Preparedness
Predicting when someone might go on a rampage and shoot random people is impossible. The program aims to prepare employees and other members to react in case of such an event.
Trainees are taken through possible scenarios and prepared to deploy effective countermeasures to diffuse the situation. Besides handling the aggressor, trainees also learn how to evacuate the personnel to ensure minimal or no casualties. The essence of the training is to save lives.
Enhanced Coordination
An active shooter situation is highly volatile, with a lot of confusion. People tend to react instead of acting, resulting in many casualties. However, the active shooter training splits people into groups with detailed instructions enhancing coordination. They also learn to use different communication tools, like walkie-talkies, and how to reach law enforcement agencies.
For instance, trainees might act in groups, each with different instructions on de-escalating the situation.
Panic Reduction
Panicking is expected in an active shooter incident due to its terrifying nature. The situation worsens when there are many employees in a workplace, with everyone running for their safety, increasing the chances of some running unknowingly towards the shooter.
The training prepares the employees how to deal with the situation without panicking. They learn how to evacuate the premises quietly or find the best hiding spots to minimize casualties.
Increasing Awareness
Ignorance is bliss, some say. Unfortunately, many active shooter situations have been successful due to people ignoring the obvious signs. The active shooter training teaches people to see the early warnings, like mood swings, aggression, violence, obsession with past shootings, threats, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and lack of empathy.
Although there might be other reasons for behavioral changes, it’s crucial not to ignore them. Trainees learn how to identify the red flags and intercede to prevent the shooting before it happens.
Benefits of Active Shooter Training
The active shooter training program has several benefits to the workplace, including:
Empowerment
Employees learn how to act and care for themselves in a life-threatening event. Doing so empowers them with confidence and skills they can use to keep themselves and everyone safe.
Legal Compliance
With the growing number of mass shooting cases, it’s becoming mandatory for organizations to train their employees to deal with potential active shooter scenarios. Training the staff not only helps them to stay safe in dangerous situations, but it’s also a moral obligation.
Risk Mitigations
Active shooter cases carry a heavy liability, which the organization has to bear most of the time. A well-prepared workforce helps to reduce casualties and liability risks. Training employees also show commitment to their safety, which helps to improve the organization’s reputation.
Community Engagement
By implementing the active shooter training program, an organization shows its commitment to employee safety and that of other members, like customers and suppliers, fostering a great relationship with the community.
How ROI Runs an Effective Active Shooter Training Program
Customization
Every organization is different, with varying needs and workforce. Tailoring the active shooter training program to fit your needs is best. We consider the potential risks, the number of employees, and the size of your workplace.
Inclusive Approach
The program only works if everyone is committed and playing their role. We engage everyone, including the full-time and part-time employees and contractors. A strict schedule is handy; everyone should follow it without deviating.
Regular Training
Active shooter training shouldn’t be a one-time thing but an ongoing process. Scheduling refresher courses ensures people remember the training and can go through the steps effortlessly. Also, updating the training to reflect new defensive methods is crucial, as attackers are known to improvise.
Coordinating with Law Enforcement
Employees should learn to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies for a practical approach. In doing so, they’ll understand the response procedure, improving the effectiveness of joint response to threats.
Scenario Training
Taking notes and talking people through the training isn’t enough. Sometimes, people need to experience how it feels to be in the actual situation. Basing training on a recreated scene helps trainees realize the gravity of the situation. Putting them under pressure helps them prepare psychologically for the actual event.
Mental Health Support
People are only as strong as their mental resilience. We train how to create a mental health support system for employees who might experience trauma from an incident or training. Hiring a counselor or a psychiatrist to take the employees through recovery stages helps.
Final Thoughts
We live in dangerous times where anything can go wrong at a moment’s notice. With so many guns in civilian hands, we never know who might decide to turn this dangerous weapon towards us. Active shooter training helps equip people with the necessary skills and experience to defend themselves in an attack.
Customizing the training and keeping it ongoing serves long-term goals to ensure the workforce has the relevant skills to handle themselves in an attack. Ensure everyone cooperates and knows their role if there is an attack. Implementing active shooter training helps boost the organization’s reputation by showing its commitment to safety. Here at ROI Safety Services, we are ready to ensure your workforce is well-prepared for an active shooter incident. We have a program that will fit your needs. Contact us now for a discussion and a quote.
