Guidelines for Staying Safe in a Shooter Situation

Guidelines for Staying Safe in a Shooter Situation
3 min read
03 October 2023

It is crucial for people to be ready for such sad situations, which can happen anywhere, from lively marketplaces to malls, companies, schools, or universities, as a result of the worrying rise in active shooter episodes in recent years. Consider the horrific event on May 24, 2022, when Texas experienced its bloodiest school shooting at an elementary school, to highlight the urgency of this issue. Therefore, it is crucial to arm oneself with information and training on how to handle active shooter scenarios. You may not only safeguard yourself and others with the appropriate advice, but you can also improve your odds of surviving a catastrophe.

5 tips for staying safe:


Get to Know Your Environment: Being knowledgeable of the layout of the places you frequently visit can help you react quickly in the event of an active shooter.

Adopt a "Run, Hide, or Fight" mentality: This tactical strategy offers a methodical way out of such a situation: focus on fleeing, look for protection, and, as a last resort, use self-defense. Even though hiding and running are typically safer options, there may be situations in which being able to fight and having the confidence to do so is essential.

Keep Calm and Take Care: Panic might prevent logical decision-making. The best way to increase your chances of surviving is to maintain your composure and think rationally.

Create a Plan: If you are unable to get away or hide, you may need to take action. Do not make this decision hastily; rather, follow the existing emergency protocols at your place of employment or place of education. Use the power of numbers when there are lots of people around. The key is having effective communication with coworkers or classmates. Make use of adjacent things as weapons. Work together to catch the shooter off guard, restrain them, and take their weapons away.

Carry a bleeding control kit: First responders might put off delivering urgent medical attention in favour of neutralising the threat, thus having access to a bleeding control kit could be essential for providing first treatment. This level of readiness could end up saving lives.

The importance of individual readiness must be emphasised, but institutions and organisations must also have active shooter response plans in place and regularly practise these plans to make sure that everyone is aware of what to do in such circumstances. Collaboration between individuals and institutions has the potential to greatly increase the overall level of safety.

While it is disappointing that there have been more active shooter instances, being prepared is the key to increasing one's chances of surviving. To provide students real-world experience addressing such circumstances, training programmes include mock active shooter scenarios. It is crucial to be alert and prepared to defend oneself and evacuate if necessary. It's critical to adopt an active survivor mentality rather than one of passive victimhood.

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John Jackson 2
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