Active Shooter Training has it Wrong

Lessons From Prepper Camp

If you work for a government office, you most likely have had Active Shooter Training. Even if you don't, a lot of large and small companies do Active Shooter Training. The main guide for the training is these three simple steps.

Run/Escape

Run from the area that the shooting is taking place. In most cases, training is done inside of a building, so people are told to run to the nearest exit and get out of the building. However, when it is a campus-wide situation, people are told to skip the first step and go to the second.

Hide

Based on the setup of the building/office space, you are supposed to find the most secure office with the least amount of visibility into the office and hide there. If you have the capability, block the entrance into the office, so that the shooter can't enter. There are many inventors trying to find the best solution for locking a door, without using the door handle lock, which is missing from most interior office doors. For most people, the only option would be to hide under the desk and be very quiet (seriously, that's what they train).

If the shooter does break through the door or gets into your cube area, then you move on to the final step.

Fight

Each person is supposed to grab some sort of object that they can throw or hit the shooter at. If everyone who has locked themselves into the room does it at the same time, there might be an option to overrun the shooter. Maybe you'll get lucky and take out the shooter with your stapler.

Prepper Camp

This past weekend, I went to the 5th Annual (well, as long as Rick and Jane keep on doing it) Prepper Camp. There are many classes with a wide range of topics. Of these classes, I decided to attend Skinny Medic's Active Shooter Trauma class. A great guy, full of energy and humor on a very serious topic. Skinny Medic gave great advice on how to handle things during an incident, most of which works around avoiding getting caught up in the chaos and remaining calm.

One of the main points that Skinny Medic stressed is how the RUN-HIDE-FIGHT idea is wrong. Personally, I always thought it was stupid as well. It must be a self-reliance mentality or something. In the case of government workplaces, maybe if the government wouldn't restrict its employees from practicing their 2nd Amendment, then they wouldn't have to worry about active shooters. If those who were trained and willing to carry their fire arm had the option to, then maybe there would be a better chance to stop such incidents. Even the military can't carry firearms around base, which seems a bit odd. For those who wish to carry, their option should be.

In most cases, by the time the police arrive, the active shooter is done with what they were going to do. They have either moved on, killed themselves or been subdued by civilians. In the Florida school shooting, there is a story of Aaron Feis, who threw himself in front of the shooter to save children. Feis was a football coach and a security guard. If he had been allowed to carry his gun, then instead of just laying down his life, he could have shot back and ended the shooting at that moment. I always hear the loudest voice from teachers and they are saying stuff like "We can't afford pencils and you want us to buy guns." Or, "What would happen if one of the students stole are gun?" Again, this is an option for people who are trained and willing. Based on the dumb stances some teachers take, I wouldn't trust them with a stapler. However, there are probably plenty of capable teachers who can save for a gun and know not to leave it in their desk, since they should always have it on their body.

In the Sutherland Springs church shooting incident, Stephen Willeford ran towards the danger and fired on the shooter, hitting him at least twice and possibly with a fatal shot, even though the shooter ended up killing himself. If the church had an active shooter plan, maybe this disaster would have been stopped at the front door. Skinny Medic talked about how his church's greeters are also part of the security team, so they more quickly access and confront danger, if it happens.

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

~ source: Luke 22 English Standard Version

Now, I'm not suggesting everyone run to the fire. I don't believe everyone can, but your best bet is not to hide under a deck and a table and wait for a shooter to pick you off. If you can't rely on yourself to protect yourself, maybe it is time to do some inward searching and figure out a way to start remedying that situation.

In a study of 84 active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2012, Blair said the shooter ended the attack before police arrived in 25 cases: The shooter committed suicide in 21 cases; in four cases, the shooter fled.
In 16 of the 84 incidents, victims stopped the attack before police arrived, either by subduing the attacker —13 cases — or shooting the attacker in three cases.

~ source : https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/18/schools-advice-confront-shooters/1920601/

The FBI report found that, out of all 160 active shooter incidents, the duration could be determined in only 64 incidents. Of those, 44 ended in 5 minutes or less, and 23 ended in 2 minutes or less. J. Pete Blair, a Texas State University professor and an author of the study, said 50-60 percent of active shooter incidents end before police arrive.

~ source: http://www.wvea.org/content/kanawha-students-receiving-controversial-new-training-counter-school-shootings

---

Let the positive energy sing!

More Power to the Minnows!!

Trading on Bittrex and Binance
Claim Your Stake with a Stake Box
HODLin’
Stellar Lumen(XLM) -- Cardano (ADA) -- Digibyte(DGB)
Get your old school text-based gaming on.