Emergency Management

Attacks

Active Shooters

Active shooter(s) actively engage in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and other populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Common terms for active shooters include: active killers, violent intruder, or active assailant.¹

Active Shooter Events: How to Respond

RUN

Getting away from the shooter(s) is the top priority. Leave your things behind and run away ONLY if safe to do so. Call 911 when you are safe. Describe each shooter, their locations and weapons.

HIDE

If you cannot get away safely, find a place to hide. Get out of the shooter’s view and stay very quiet. Silence your electronic devices and make sure they won't vibrate. Lock and block doors, close blinds, and turn off the lights. Do not hide in groups—spread out along walls or hide separately to make it more difficult for the shooter. Try to communicate with police silently— such as through text messages or by putting a sign in an exterior window. Stay in place until law enforcement gives you notice that all immediate danger is clear.

FIGHT

Your last resort when you are in immediate danger is to defend yourself. Commit to your actions and act aggressively to stop the shooter. Ambushing the shooter together with makeshift weapons such as chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors, and books can distract and disarm the shooter.²

Active Shooter Preparedness Tips

• If you see suspicious activity, let an authority know right away.
• Enhance your situational awareness; when you visit a building such as a shopping mall or healthcare facility, take time to identify two nearby exits. Get in the habit of doing this. Consider places to hide, if needed.
• Sign up for active shooter, first aid, and tourniquet use training. Learn how to help others by taking FEMA's "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" course.
• When law enforcement arrives on scene, make sure to keep your hands up and free of objects. This will help law enforcement officials identify you as a bystander/victim.

For more information on active shooter incidents, visit:

• https://www.ready.gov/active-shooter
• https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/active-shooter-how-to-respond-2017-508.pdf
• https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources
• https://www.hsdl.org/?collection&id=86569
• https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/

Other Mass Attacks

Attackers and those who seek to cause fear through violence (terrorism) don't always use firearms to conduct multiple casualty attacks. Some of the other modes of assault include, but are not limited to:

• Intentional Vehicular Assault (vehicle ramming), where a vehicle (cars, trucks etc.) is used to cause mass casualties.
• Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs), where homemade bombs are used to cause mass casualties.
• Other methods of mass attacks may include knives, fires, drones or other weapons.

For more information about mass attacks, visit:

• www.ready.gov/public-spaces

CBRNE Attacks

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) events refer to the uncontrolled release of chemicals, biological agents or radioactive contamination into the environment or explosions that cause widespread damage. CBRNE events can be caused by accidents or by terrorist acts.

For more information on CBRNE events, visit any of the following:

• Chemical attacks: https://www.ready.gov/chemical
• Biological attacks: https://www.ready.gov/Bioterrorism
• Radiological Dispersion Devices: https://www.ready.gov/radiological-dispersion-device
• Explosives: https://www.ready.gov/explosions

¹ Source: https://www.alicetraining.com/active-shooter/

² Source:https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1523561958719-f1eff6bc841d56b7873e018f73a4e024/ActiveShooter_508.pdf