Are You Prepared for an Active Shooter Incident?

Are You Prepared for an Active Shooter Incident? Do you think the innocent victims of the Virginia Tech, Umpqua Community College, the Washington Navy Yard, Orlando’s Pulse nightclub or the Indianapolis FedEx facility ever expected to encounter a shooter?

An active shooter is a person armed with one or more deadly weapons and who systematically, actively and presently employs those weapons against multiple available victims, even upon the arrival of law enforcement. Active assailants, bent on maximizing the number of deaths in as short a time as possible, may use other weapons, such as vehicles, explosives and knives. Their attacks come with little warning but horrific consequences.

While these attacks rarely occur at colleges, they do occur at shopping centers, houses of worship, outdoor events, etc. The following themes may help keep you safe:

1. Expect the unexpected. Look at people, including those you know, critically. Have you observed behavioral changes; inappropriate dress (e.g., a long coat on a summer day could conceal a rifle); seeming depression; absenteeism; loss of interest in school, friends, and favored activities; increased use of alcohol or drugs; giving away treasured items; espousing understanding or justifying violent behavior; etc.? Is so, contact your campus CARE team and NOVA Police.
2. If you see anything (e.g., behavior, suspicious packages) that makes you uncomfortable or arouses your suspicion, report your concerns immediately to law enforcement, even if you’re unsure you’ve witnessed a crime. Contact NOVA College Police Dispatch is at 703-764-5000, or 911 if you think the threat is imminent. The police rely on information from the entire NOVA community to keep our campuses safe, and we investigate/respond to all reports. The LiveSafe mobile safety app, available at no cost to the NOVA community, is a great way to provide unobtrusively emergency information to the police. Download LiveSafe at http://www.nvcc.edu/police/livesafe.html.
3. Police may not arrive on scene for several minutes. Until they do, you are responsible for your own safety.
4. Time is critical. Be prepared to act decisively, have a plan, and commit to survive.
5. In the event of an active shooter on campus, you have 3 options (not mutually exclusive or in order). These are summarized in a video at the NOVA Police website http://www.nvcc.edu/police/training.html.

• Run. Evacuate the area immediately; this may be your best chance of survival! Even if the shooter is approaching you, you are more likely to survive by running away, since a moving target is difficult to hit and most shooters are not trained marksmen, especially under stress. If you are injured, you will receive medical attention sooner if you can evacuate the building.
• Hide. If you cannot evacuate, remain quiet, lock/barricade the doors, and turn off lights, pagers, and silence cell phones. Take cover/hide behind articles out of view from windows. Ideally, the items you use to hide will protect you from gunfire. Spread out; do not huddle together. If the shooter enters the room and there is no cover/concealment, move randomly and continuously.
• Fight. If confronting the shooter and your life is in imminent danger, go on the offensive. Yell, improvise weapons, throw articles, attack (with others, if available), and secure the shooter until help arrives. Putting the shooter on the defensive will minimize casualties to potential victims.

6. Police will respond aggressively.

• Don’t get in the way or contribute to an already confusing situation. The immediate goal of police is to end the threat. Police will not stop to help the wounded or assist evacuees.
• Don’t allow yourself to be considered a suspect. Keep your hands visible above your head and make no quick/unpredictable movements. Leave handbags and backpacks, which police may assume contain a bomb or weapon, in the classroom or office.

7. Consider the three key factors in developing your survival strategy: yourself, your location and the threat. NOVA Police can help you develop site-specific survival plans.   Contact us for assistance.

8. Do not leave campus until released by police. Arriving police and medical responders, as well as ambulances departing with patients, will need uncongested ingress and egress. You will help save lives by not clogging the roads!

NOVA Police offer detailed active incident response training for classes, faculty and staff meetings, clubs, etc. We provide extensive information on how to run, hide and fight most effectively. If you are interested in receiving this face-to-face or virtual training, contact novapdoutreach@nvcc.edu or call NOVA Police Dispatch at 703-764-5000.