Sadly, the tragic news of late has reminded us that no business sector is immune to the possibility of an active shooter incident. They have taken place in workplaces, college/university settings, shopping malls, places of worship, and government buildings. Active Shooter is defined as an individual who is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area. Some cases, usually domestic violence and educational setting types, do have a connection to individuals, the entity or location of the event.

Active Shooter situations are most often unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and to mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within ten minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to make survival decisions.

If you are in the vicinity of an active shooter, quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation.

Your options for survival are:

1. Evacuate-If there is an accessible path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Have an escape route in mind and evacuate whether or not others agree to follow. Leave your belongings behind and keep your hands visible in the event you encounter law enforcement while evacuating. Prevent others from entering an area where the active shooter may be and do not attempt to lift or carry wounded people. Call 911 when you are safely out of the area.
2. Hide out/shelter in place- If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the shooter is less likely to find or gain access to you. Your hiding place should be out of the shooters view and provide protection if shots are fired in your direction. Offices, closets, restrooms and utility areas with locking doors are advisable. Lock or barricade the door with heavy furniture, silence your cell phone, turn off any sources of noise (radios and TV’s) hide behind large items such as desks or cabinets if possible. Discreetly communicate your location to 911 if possible.
3. Take action against the active shooter- As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the shooter by acting as aggressively as possible against him/her. Yelling, throwing objects at his face and head, improvising weapons and committing to your actions are all things to consider.

When Law Enforcement arrives:

Responding officers will be in small groups and may be wearing regular uniforms, tactical gear and/or plainclothes. They may be representatives of multiple agencies such as local, county, state or federal and will be armed with rifles, shotguns.

1. Follow instructions of officers, put down any objects in your hands, raise hands and spread fingers.
2. Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as attempting to hold on to them for safety. Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which the officers are entering.

The first officers to arrive to the scene will not stop to help injured persons and will be focused on rendering the situation safe. Rescue teams of additional officers and EMS will respond to treat and remove any injured persons. Once you have reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified and questioned.

This article contains highlights taken from the Department of Homeland Security’s Active Shooter Civilian Awareness Program. This program is in the process of being presented to numerous regional groups including, local, county, state and federal agencies, religious leaders, healthcare organizations and commercial facilities. The DHS presentation has been presented by Trump Entertainment Resorts in association with the Atlantic County Association of Chiefs of Police. Trump Executive and Chamber board member Rick Santoro CPP, Atlantic County Prosecutors Office Chief of Detectives Larry Szapor and Major Crimes Sergeant Michael Quigley have presented the program to over 1,100 individuals in our area. Mr. Santoro is a corporate executive of Trump Entertainment Resorts, an A.S.I.S. board certified protection professional and a DHS certified civilian terrorism awareness instructor. For more information please contact Rick Santoro.

Rick Santoro is Executive Vice President of Asset Protection and Risk Management with Trump Entertainment Resorts.