Active Shooter Awareness Presented by Don Ebert Risk

Active Shooter Awareness Presented by: Don Ebert, Risk Manager debert@esd 101. net

Introduction § The next Active Shooter incident is already in progress, but you haven’t heard about it yet. § The shooter began his meticulous preparation and planning months, sometimes years in advance. § From the first radio call of “Shots Fired” to the last call of “Shooter Down, ” the entire incident will likely only be 8 to 12 minutes in duration. § The psychological, social and economic consequences of the incident may last decades, even a lifetime.

Map of US school shootings 1992 - 2013 http: //www. stoptheshootings. org

Topics of Discussion • • • Active Shooter Definition Historical examples Active Shooter Mentality Initial Actions Course of Actions Steps to Preparedness

Definition “An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. ” -U. S. Department of Homeland Security, 2008 While victim selection is often random, the violent attacks are not. They are meticulously planned, resourced, rehearsed, and methodically executed.

History • July 26, 1764 - Four Lenape Indian Warriors entered a schoolhouse in Pennsylvania and shot the school master and killed 9 students • 1800 s – 1920 s Students killed staff for harsh punishment of self or siblings

Bath, Michigan, 1927

Bath School Disaster • Bath Township, Michigan, May 18, 1927 • Former school board member • School bombing – use of dynamite, firebombs and Winchester model 54 rifle • Deaths: 45; 44 at school and wife at home. 36 were school children and two teachers. • Injured: 58

Columbine High School, April 1999 • 2 shooters: • Vendetta: 2 angry teenagers killed as many students as possible after being bullied for years • Killed 13 & Wounded 21 • Suspects committed suicide • Used guns, rifles, bombs • Changed the way law enforcement responds

Virginia Tech… April 2007 • Shooting spree in Norris Hall, which lasted 11 minutes. • Shooter fired 174 rounds and killed 31 people in Norris Hall plus himself and wounded 23. • Deadliest shooting in US history • History of mental illness

Sandy Hook Elementary • • Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Dec 14, 2012 School shooting, murder-suicide Deaths: 28; 27 at school plus mother Injured: 2

Some Disturbing Statistics… (Source: New York City Police Department) • 98% of active shooting incidents are committed by a single attacker • 96% of active shooters are male • In 78% of active shooting incidents there is a connection between the shooter and at least one of the victims (family, academic, professional) • 29% of incidents occur in a school setting, another 55% occur in commercial settings such as an office • 40% of incidents end with the shooter committing suicide with another 46% being terminated through applied force (Law Enforcement, Security, Others)

Age of Shooter Source: NYPD “Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation.

Secret Service/Department of Education “Safe School Initiative” KEY FINDINGS • Incidents of targeted violence at school rarely are sudden, impulsive acts

Pathway to Violence sc ala Fin tio n al Pre-attack Preparation Ac Probing & Breaches ts Attack De ca lat ion on Es Grievance De cis i Violent Ideation -e Research & Planning Calhoun & Weston, 2003

USSS/DOE “Safe School Initiative” • Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack – In over half of the incidents, the attacker had selected at least one school administrator, faculty member, or staff member as a target – In nearly half of the incidents, the attackers were known to have chosen more than one target prior to the attack

What We Know? • The justifications and excuses offered indicated that the attacks stemmed not from an absence of values but from a well developed value system in which violence was acceptable • In many cases, other students were involved in the attack in some capacity • Many offenders experienced a significant personal loss in the months leading up to the attack, such as death, breakup, or divorce in the family. • Many offenders repeatedly watched/played violent media • Be aware of online videos, blogs, & social networking Source: The FBI School Shooter Quick Reference Guide, BAU-1

USSS/DOE “Safe School Initiative” • There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence. – Came from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds – 63% came from two-parent families – Academic performance ranged from excellent to failing – Friendship patterns from very popular to socially isolated

An Active Shooter Expects To Die • Desire is to kill and seriously injure without concern for his safety or threat of capture • Normally has intended victims and will search them out • Accepts targets of opportunity while searching for or after finding intended victims • Will continue to move throughout building/area until stopped by law enforcement, suicide, or other intervention

When You Call 911 Dispatch • The phone may not ring right away • Most important piece of information is call back number

Dispatch’s Role • Job is to preserve life and facilitate safety • Multiple callers • Each caller is a new witness • May disconnect you due to call volume • Will ask you the big 6: (Where/What/When/ Who/How/Why)

Dispatcher Will Ask: What and When Ø What is occurring? Ø Are you hearing it or seeing it? üFirst hand knowledge üJust hearing chaos Ø Is it just starting, in progress or over Ø Information may save lives/minimize causalities üWhat you ADD is helpful

Until Law Enforcement Arrives • If you cannot speak to 911 dispatcher, just leave the line open for the dispatcher to listen in. • They are trained to do this

Actions • Remember Active Shooter’s intent is to kill and injure • This necessitated a change in tactics by law enforcement Consequences are potentially catastrophic Ø Incidents over quickly (5 -15 minutes) § Ø First line of defense • Action taken by personnel on-site is the most effective way to stop the killing Establishing a proper mindset and tools to react with purpose is called Survival Mindset

Course of Action • Get out, if safe, is there a path of escape? • Move quickly; don’t wait for others to validate your decision • Leave belongings behind • Survival chances increase if you are not where shooter is or to go where he can’t see you

Unsecured areas • If you find yourself in an open area, immediately seek protection • Put something between you and the shooter • Is escape your best option? Do you know where the shooter is? Is escape immediately available? • If in doubt find a safe area and secure it the best way you can

Hesitation Kills, Do Something! History has shown that those that react the quickest in a life or death situation have the highest probability of survival

WHEN It Happens… Trust your safety instincts to do what is in your best interest at the time of the event: – Run – Hide – Fight

Not In Line of Fire: Hide vs. Escape Ø Be quiet and remain calm. ü Silence your cell phone ü Take several deep breaths and review what to do Ø Make the decision to hide or escape Ø Then assess if you can help others while hiding or escaping

If Hiding Makes Sense Ø Keep yourself safe üMove to secure area üLock door/barricade it üHide • behind large furniture • in a large wall vent • in the bathroom Ø Turn off sources of noise Ø Close the blinds Ø EMS will tell you not to intervene Ø Question someone asking for entry

If Escape is Feasible Ø Shooter will not stop until objectives are met or is actively engaged Ø Is escape best option? üWhere is the shooter? üMultiple shooters? üCan you get out immediately undetected?

If Escaping Ø Evacuate area using designated exit path – Hug the wall – Check around corners first – Whether or not others agree to follow – Leave all your belongings – Only jump out a 1 st or 2 nd floor window Ø Help others escape Ø Alert others you come across

Things to Consider Before Fighting Back Ø Chance of survival may be greater if you incapacitate the shooter but consider: Ø How many shooters are there? Ø How many of you will commit to an attack? Ø What objects do you have available to disable the person? ØAre your odds good?

When Your Decision is to Fight ØNever attempt to wrestle a gun away from someone pointing it at you ØThe closer you are to the shooter the better the chances of overcoming them s ØChance of survival is greater when you q are behind or out of vision of shooter q incapacitate the shooter q improvise a weapon ü throw heavy, blunt or sharp object ü hit shooter with something heavy ü use cart to shove them down or door open ü jump on them ü stab them with letter opener, scissors, or exacto

When Your Decision Is To Mass Attack ØUse the code if you know victims or try to preplan during ØOpportunity may be obvious to incapacitate and overcome AS ØGo for the gun if you are not in the line of fire Ø Try to knock them down & then üTry to get on them üGo for hands, eyes, personals ØYou must COMMIT 100%

When Your Decision is to Comply ØDo what the shooter says ØKeep your hands where they can be seen ØNo sudden movements to draw attention or alarm AS ØAvoid eye contact unless you are being addressed ØBe quiet and remember your life may depend on being calm

WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVE: • Uniformed and plain clothes – multiple agencies • Understand the POLICE point of view: – The situation will be chaotic, the initial information is often inaccurate and incomplete – They do not know who is a victim or suspect – They will treat everyone as a suspect until proven otherwise – Officers will be experiencing high stress, just like you

Primary Goal: Stop the Killing!! • Priority of work – Find and confront the shooter • Will NOT stop to help the wounded • Will NOT escort people out – Treatment & evacuation of the wounded (ONLY after the shooter/hostile intruder has been stopped!) – Clear people from the building

When You See Police ØHands üImmediately raise hands üKeep your hands visible üDrop anything in your hands ØDo not approach, stop or speak to or hold onto officer(s) ØAvoid screaming or yelling

Delayed Medical Entry with Active Shooter Scenes Ø Fire/EMS personnel will respond when dispatched Ø Entry by medics will be delayed until police are in control of area and shooter is disarmed Ø Be prepared to do trauma care until they enter

Response On A School Bus Limited Options: Take Action: Limited choices If something just doesn’t seem right at the stop, don’t make the stop, continue past and call Dispatch for assistance. If you stop and something happens follow school district procedures If possible, leave radio microphone in the “Keyed Open” position. If demands are made, follow the demands. Hiding is not an option for us at this point.

Next Steps • Emergency Operations Plans • Threat Assessments • Staff Training • Enhanced Drills Goal: Zero incidents, verses zero tolerance

Five Preparedness Missions Prevention Recovery Response Before Mitigation Protection During After an incident or emergency

Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) • Identify Threats and Hazards • Assess Risks • Determine high and medium risks and prioritize resources Moving beyond duck and cover

EOPs Planning Process

Risk Assessment Activity

Prioritizing the Risks Hazard Fire Hazmat spill outside the school Probability Magnitude Warning Duration Risk Priority 4. Highly likely 3. Likely 2. Possible 1. Unlikely 4. Catastrophic 3. Critical 2. Limited 1. Negligible 4. Minimal 3. 6– 12 hrs. 2. 12– 24 hrs. 1. 24+ hrs. 4. 12+ hrs. 3. 6– 12 hrs. 2. 3– 6 hrs. 1. < 3 hrs. High Medium Low

Warning Behavior: Leakage § The communication to a third party of an intent to do harm to a target through an attack. § In adult mass murders, 67% had leaked intent to third parties before an attack. § In adolescent mass murders, 58% leaked information prior to attacks. § In an FBI study of school shooters ALL (100%) engaged in some sort of pre-attack leakage.

Methods & Themes of Leakage § § § Methods of Leakage Threats: overt, veiled, innuendos, etc. Diary/Journal entries Social media/web postings Doodling/Artwork Video/Audio recordings § § § Themes of Leakage Violence/ Suicidality Hopelessness/Despair Hatred/ Vengeance Isolation/ Loneliness Nihilism /“End of the World”

Threat Assessment 11 Key Questions • What are the student’s motive(s) and goals? • Have there been any communications suggesting ideas or intent to attack? • Has the student shown inappropriate interest in school attacks, weapons, and/or mass violence? • Has the student engaged in any attack related behaviors? • Does the student have the capacity to carry out an act of targeted violence? • Is the student experiencing hopelessness, desperation, and/or despair? Source: U. S. Secret Service, 2002.

Threat Assessment 11 Key Questions (Continued) • Does the student have a trusting relationship with at least one responsible adult? • Does the student see violence as an acceptable or desirable way to solve problems? • Is the student’s version of events consistent with his/her actions? • Are other people concerned about the student’s potential for violence? • What circumstances might affect the likelihood of an attack? (Multiple Indicators v. Single Severe Event) Source: U. S. Secret Service, 2002.

Staff Training • Everyone including subs • Occupation specific (food services, transportation, custodial) • Procedures clear in advance -- Who can initiate lockdown? -- What is everyone’s role? -- Survival mindset because each situation is different

Training Sources • • • Contractor (ALICE, Gap, Pivotal Moments) Liability Insurance Company resources NEWESD 101 Risk Manager OSPI and Homeland Defense resources Commercial videos

Enhanced Drills • Tabletop Exercises • Drills • Functional Exercises • Full-Scale Exercises

Don Ebert- Risk Manager (509) 789 -3517 riskmanager@esd 101. net