RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Mass shootings in Colorado Springs and more recently in San Bernardino are sparking fears of ‘copy-cat’ attacks. Subsequently, security professionals are seeing an increased demand for workplace training for active shooter scenarios.
Although such situations can be catastrophic, safety professionals say there are steps you can take to better your chances of survival.
“There’s never been a more important time to know situational awareness than today,” said security analyst and retired police Chief Mike Jones. Jones tells trainees to follow the 1-2-3 options of ‘run, hide, and fight.’
When facing a gunman with intent to kill, the first and most obvious option is to run for safety.
“If everybody else is sitting there paralyzed, tell them to come on, but don’t you stop- get out, Jones said. “Keep going, and run to a safe place.”
If you are unable to escape, he says, your next option is to take cover and hide.
“You want to hide out of the shooter’s sight. Cut that cell phone ringer off! You don’t want that to ring when you’re hiding,” he warned.
Jones says the third option, to confront the shooter, should only be used as a last resort.
“Everyone that has a gun is not going to automatically win,” he told 8 News. “You need to commit to your actions. Fight to kill, because your life is at stake. The shooter can’t kill everybody.”
It’s important to keep in mind that every situation is different, and responses to active shooter scenarios should be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
