Day in and day out, our schools and public places are victimized by the extreme emotions coupled with the use of firearms. Sometimes we walk away with no physical scars and no loss of life and other times; our loss is much greater than the emotional trauma alone. As we make efforts towards eliminating all possible factors that could put us in a scenario such as that, we would be prosperous only if we address the issue from all possible perspective and also teach as many people as possible how to deal with a situation of an active shooter. Doing that, we hope that we can minimize the losses in the aftermath that could be later fixed in therapy.
The United States Department of the Homeland security defines an active shooter as a person who indulges in the killing of people mostly in conditions that are populated. More often than not, the active shooters use no particular login in the selection of their victims, and this characteristic makes them fairly unpredictable and a bit harder to deal with. The law enforcement agencies feel that they could have greater success dissolving situations such as these if the individuals that are in that situation are prepared on how to deal with the situation.
In preparation for a situation that involves an active shooter, the law enforcement recommends a few measures the first of which is to be aware of environments that could pose any possible danger or be suggestive of the same. It would also prove helpful to make note of all the possible exits within the vicinity so that evacuation could proceed smoothly when the situation presents itself. Wherever the possible victims may be, they are mostly advised to get within a confined space that could be secured with a lock or a bolt.
Similarly, when the active shooter is within close range, any doors that could be locked should be locked, and all of the electronics should be switched off or to silent so that they do not give away the hiding place of a person in hiding. It is mostly advisable to hide in places that are easier to figure out and if there is an opportunity, an individual should call the emergency helpline 911. If an individual faces a situation that places lives at risk, he/she may even have to react against the possible shooter, the best way for which is to distract the shooter as much as can be. A few tricks that may help are to act in aggression, to yell at the possible shooter or to throw items and improvise and use what is available as weapons. In certain situations, it may even be possible to evacuate from the area where the active shooter is, and this is an option that should always be acted upon when available.
Again, the risks could be minimized if the possible victims remain hidden and quiet or if they evacuate the area that is most at risk. Help should be called for at the first opportunity that arises, and if the shooter is calm and face-to-face, it always helps to keep him/her calm and occupied so that there is no time to do something irrational. After the law enforcement have been contacted, it is always advisable to wait for help to arrive and stall for time as much as can be. Giving as much information to them as possible could help them significantly towards a more successful rescue.
The police could train individuals mostly regarding situations that are high-stress, and they could talk the individuals over the steps that would be safest when confronting an active shooter. They could give the people ideas about the possible nearby tools that could be converted into weapons, and they could also give them ideas about all the hiding places and about ways in which possible exits in any building should be located.
The situations that have an active shooter at large are usually those filled with a lot of stress, and they could end in a matter of minutes. It is usually in all of our best interests if we follow all of the rules and minimize the casualties that might result. All of us should be prepared to deal with situations such as these because we never know what we might get ourselves into.
Works Cited
US Department of Homeland security. "ACTIVE SHOOTER How to respond." Informative Report. October 2008.
