Summary: Active shooter events are becoming more frequent. Businesses need to have procedures in place to respond to these types of situations. Learn how to recognize behavior signs of a potential active shooter, be prepared if an incident happens and what to do if one occurs on your worksite. Being Prepared for An Active Shooter Incident at the Workplace
News reports are continuously filled with mentions of active shooters or mass killings. Recent incidents include the VTA shooting in San Jose, the mass shooting at a club in Miami, the situation at King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, and the list goes on and on.
The statistics are startling. In just 2019, the
FBI designated 28 shootings in 16 states as active shooter incidents. The report also found:
- 97 people were killed, including two law enforcement officers
- 150 people were wounded in these events, including 15 law enforcement officers
- 5 of the shooters committed suicide at the scene police killed nine of the shooters and a citizen killed one
- 15 suspected active shooters were apprehended by the police
- Out of the 30 reported shooters: 29 were male and one was female
- 12 of the 28 incidents occurred in areas of commerce, such as retail shops, restaurants, bars and offices
What is an Active Shooter Incident?
The FBI has defined an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” In most cases, active shooters use one or more types of firearm(s) and have no pattern or method to their selection of victims. These situations can evolve quickly, with many incidents being over within 10 to 15 minutes before first responders even arrive on the scene. However, some incidents continue until stopped by law enforcement, suicide or an intervention by the victims. The majority of attackers are insiders and are familiar with their surroundings. Workplace Violence
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace violence as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the worksite.” It can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide. Specific jobs, such as delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, customer service representatives, or law enforcement, can have a higher stress level of stress, leading to a potential increase in workplace violence.
Matt Zender, SVP of Worker’s Compensation Strategy at AmTrust explains further, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants, grocery stores and essential businesses took a harder hit. They had, and still have, a higher potential of workplace violence. They have overworked employees and customers who are not happy because of with health and workplace safety mandates. A lot of the other industries, everybody went home. Overall crime during COVID-19 went down, but homicide related to stress went up.”
There is no single element that can predict a violent act, but when a combination of factors comes together, there can be an increased risk of violence. Therefore, organizations must have clear policies and procedures stating that violence in the workplace will not be tolerated, and there will be severe consequences for those who commit it. Workplace Active Shooter Warning Signs
Active shooter situations are unpredictable, but there can be warning signs to watch out for that can mitigate the risk of a future attack and ensure the safety of those around you. An active shooter in a workplace can be a current or former employee or their acquaintances. Employers and co-workers should be trained to look for behaviors that could indicate potential violence, including:
- Increasingly erratic, unsafe, or aggressive behaviors and severe mood swings
- Illegal drug and alcohol abuse
- Changes in performance at work
- Violations of company policies
- Overreaction to changes in work policies or procedures
- Noticeable decrease in attention to hygiene and appearance
- Sudden and dramatic changes in home life or personality
- Financial difficulties
- Observable grievances and making statements of retribution
- Increased unsolicited comments about weapons and violent crimes
- Empathy with individuals committing violence
Active Shooter Training
Ensure your business is prepared for an active shooter event by recognizing the potential workplace violence indicators, performing a security survey of your facility, conducting employee training, and developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). In addition, training your staff for an active shooter situation can help prepare them to respond and help minimize the potential loss of life. Why is Active Shooter Traing Important for the Workplace?
Jeff Corder, VP of Loss Control at AmTrust shares the importance of active shooter training, “As restrictions are lifted, remote workers are returning and customer numbers are increasing, making it all the more important to protect against the risk of violence in the workplace by identifying stressors. The pre-pandemic pressures and aggravations are still there. Employers need to understand and anticipate these challenges and train their staff to understand what do if a situation becomes escalated.” Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
An EAP should have input from various departments, including human resources, the training team, facility operators, property managers and local law enforcement and/or emergency responders. The Department of Homeland Security recommends that the EAP should have the following:
- A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies
- An evacuation policy and procedure
- Emergency escape procedures, route assignments including floor plans and safe areas
- Contact Information for local law enforcement and area hospitals
- Creating an emergency notification system
Active Shooter Training Exercises
Active shooter training exercises are an effective way for employees to understand how to respond in an active shooter situation. Local law enforcement teams are an excellent resource for developing these types of exercises. The training exercise should include:
- How to recognize the sound of gunshots
- How to react when gunshots are heard or when a shooting is witnessed
- How and where to evacuate or if that is not possible, where and how to hide or act against the shooter
- When it is safe to call 911
- How to adopt a survival mindset during the crisis
- Knowing your environment and possible dangers at all times
- How to act when law enforcement arrives
Be Prepared: Prevent an Active Shooter Incident
Recognizing the behavioral warning signs is just one way to help avert an active shooter incident. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends that businesses can also prevent these types of situations by following these security measures:
- Conduct periodic background checks on all staff assigned to critical or sensitive areas
- Set up a credential system that indicates the areas of access and purpose of activity for all employees and visitors at the office or worksite
- Issue special identification badges to visitors, contractors, cleaning crews, vendors and temporary employees
- Require that identification badges be displayed at all times and verified to gain access to the building
- Collect all badges when visits are complete
- Ensure your facility has at least two evacuation routes
- Post signage throughout the worksite detailing emergency entry and exit points, first-aid stations, and shelter locations
- Review past active shooter events at other locations to determine issues and benefits and include them in your EAP
What Should You Do During an Active Shooter Attack?
During an active shooter event, employees and managers need to be both mentally and physically able to deal with the situation to protect their own life and the lives of others. A manager should stay calm, lock and barricade the doors, and evacuate all personnel to a safe area via a pre-planned safe route. The three preferred options to an active shooter situation in order of response are: run, hide and fight. Run
Running or escaping is the first response option for an active shooter in your workplace or vicinity. Quickly determine the most reasonable and accessible escape path to exit the premises. Leave your belongings behind and keep your hands visible at all times. Help others escape if possible and prevent others from entering the area where the active shooter may be located. Hide
If no rapid escape route is possible, seek cover behind any available object that eliminates a direct line of sight from the shooter. Block any entry to your hiding place with heavy furniture and lock the doors. However, try not to restrict your options for movement out of your hiding area. Remain quiet and make sure that your cell phone is on silent mode. Stay in place until law enforcement arrives. Fight
The last and final option is to fight. Fighting should only be a last resort and only attempted when your life is in imminent danger. For this type of response, it is critical to fully commit to your actions to incapacitate the active shooter by acting with physical aggression. Yell as loud as possible, improvise weapons and utilize any object to throw at and harm the shooter. Calling 911
Once it is safe to do so, call 911. Remain alert for potential additional attacks and assist others if you can. Give the 911 operator or law enforcement the following information:
- Location of the victims and the active shooter
- Number of shooters, if more than one
- Physical description of shooter/s
- Number and type of weapons held by the shooter/s
- Number of potential victims at the location
Law Enforcement Arrival
When they arrive on the scene, law enforcement's immediate purpose is to stop the active shooter and eliminate any additional threats. Then, they will proceed directly to the area where the last shots were heard. The secondary team will assess injuries and direct the survivors to a safe location where witnesses can be identified and questioned, and the situation can be put under control.
Active shooter survivors and victims should remain calm, put down any items, raise their hands and spread fingers, avoid making any quick movements, pointing, screaming or yelling and heed the directions of the first responders. Do not leave the safe area until instructed by law enforcement. Post Active Shooter Event Actions
After the active shooter is no longer a threat and the situation is under control, managers and human resources should perform post-event assessment activities, including:
- Account for all individuals that are in the safe area to determine who, if anyone, is missing or potentially injured Determine how to notify family members affected by the shooting, including notification of casualties
- Assess the psychological state of individuals at the scene, and refer them to health care specialists as needed
- Analyze the active shooter situation and create an after-action report
- Update your business’s EAP based on the analysis and lessons learned
Protect Your Workers with Workers’ Comp Insurance from AmTrust
AmTrust’s Loss Control team has active shooter resources to help your business be prepared if a threatening situation should occur at your business. Contact AmTrust to learn how we can create a small business insurance package, including workers’ compensation insurance for your organization.
This material is for informational purposes only and is not legal or business advice. Neither AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates represents or warrants that the information contained herein is appropriate or suitable for any specific business or legal purpose. Readers seeking resolution of specific questions should consult their business and/or legal advisors. Coverages may vary by location. Contact your local RSM for more information.