Active Shooter Situation – What to do Before Alarm Response Arrives
San Jose Security Company Provides Advice for What to Do Before Help Arrives
When an active shooter opens fire in a public place or in your home or office, waiting on alarm response can feel like a lifetime. An FBI study indicates that there are an average of 16 active shooter incidents annually. Some are deadlier than others. While most will never find themselves in an active shooter situation, everyone should know and understand what to do and how to act to improve their chances of escaping harm.
Remember these tips if you ever encounter a dangerous shooter situation:
Call 911. If it is safe to do so, call 911 as soon as possible. Do not count on another individual to call. Report the incident, and confirm the ETA of police enforcement.
Stay calm. Try not to panic and listen closely to what, if anything, the shooter says. Follow his or her instructions. If possible, be empathetic with the shooter. This does not mean “forgiving” the shooter or being passive; rather, it means striving to understand what the shooter is feeling and needing in the moment. An understanding of these motives can inform your strategy for survival and potentially prevent the situation from escalating into further violence.
Note your environment. Find the exits, locate any possible dangers, and get into a secure location, if possible. Get low on the ground or lock yourself in a closet or office.
Note your security patrol. Try to remember your security patrol company’s schedule, if your location has security patrolling. The knowledge could help you assess when help may arrive and what this means for your plan of resistance or cooperation.
Take the shooter down. As a last result, act aggressively towards the shooter. Use anything you can as a weapon, and don’t give up.
An active shooter situation usually only lasts a few minutes, but the consequences can echo for generations. For maximum Bay Area home safety, find a security company with a quick response time to ensure that help arrives before a scary situation, such as a home intrusion or burglary scenario, escalates to violence.
Plan Ahead by Contracting a Reliable Alarm Response and Monitoring Service
Orion Security is dedicated to providing high quality security and alarm response services in Santa Clara, Palo Alto, San Jose and throughout the Bay Area. We can tailor our service offerings to meet your private or public sector security monitoring, response, and mobile patrolling needs. Call our team now and let us help put together a customized plan to protect you and your loved ones. Call us at (800) 564-5105 or (408) 287-4411 or send us a message from our website for more information about the security service that we offer.