Active Shooter Response Training aligned with FEMA, DoE reccomendations that Empowers, not Intimidates
If your school or district is still utilizing a traditional lockdown procedure for active shooter response (lock the door, wait for law enforcement) it is imperative to know that the Department of Education, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation released updated guidelines for best practices in schools.
We must train and empower educators and students to be able to respond to an active shooter event in the most effective way possible.
"Traditional lockdown" is still the policy in many schools and universities across the US. Traditional lockdown does not involve the options recommended by FEMA and the US Department of Education. It essentially says to staff and students: “You can’t do anything to save your life-just sit there, and wait for law enforcement.”
However, a study, released by the FBI in January 2014 found that 57% of school shooting events are over by the time law enforcement arrives.
Yet, during the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, some staff and students, without training or instructions, were able to utilize other options to respond to an active shooter. In the rooms where the response was a traditional lockdown- 27 people were killed. Traditional lockdown resulted in 59% of the people being killed and 30% being wounded.
However, in the rooms where they evacuated out a window (RUN) or barricaded the door (HIDE) only 2 people were killed. In these rooms, 84% of the people were uninjured.
Continuing with traditional lockdown because it is “convenient” and “what we have always done” is unacceptable.
We must learn from past shooting events, other research, and best practice recommendations to improve active shooter response as part of an all-hazards, evidence-based approach to school safety.
Never a one-size-fits-all solution.
All of our trainings, consulting services and resources are tailored to meet the needs of YOUR school district, university or organization.
Professional development calendar already full?
Ask about a customized, online, on-demand training option to meet your needs, timeline, and budget.
The Educator’s School Safety Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides low-cost training options to empower all your school stakeholders to save the lives of the children entrusted to their care.
In-person training with two of our experts starts at $3,500 (plus travel costs).
Is your school prepared to effectively respond to a crisis event? This self-assessment helps school leaders to critically analyze areas of concern that you might not have considered. We don't know what we don't know - and here's a way to find out. Download and reproduce this important self-assessment.