How to Act During an Active Shooter Situation

Gun violence has become rampant in the US, exposing innocent civilians to the risk of getting shot. 2021 saw the highest number of active shooter cases. Statistics from an FBI report show 61 active shooters with 103 casualties. The number is 97% higher than the 2017 incidences.

A lot of confusion and chaos ensues once a gun sound goes off in public. Panic and anxiety leave everyone scrambling for safety or reacting to the fear of anticipation. The body launches the flight, fight, or freeze mechanism to defend itself from external danger. A person can utilize this natural defense response to stay safe.

How can someone make the fight, flight, or freeze response work favorably during an active shooter situation?

Situational Awareness

According to the Department of Homeland Security, situational awareness is an essential skill to possess. Situational awareness is the ability to collect critical information about your environment to give you a chance to avoid harm or to see it coming. Situational awareness works in tandem with swift decision-making.

Observe the environment, make quick deliberations based on your assessment and do the following:

• Identify exits – the first thing to do when entering a building is to note the nearest doorways leading out of the building.
• Observe without staring at suspicious people or situations. Maintain a safe distance or leave the place if there are signs of danger.
• Instincts are crucial – trust that uneasy feeling or gut instinct about a place, person, or situation.
• Limit distractions by staying alert – do not let the disarray become a hindrance to acting.

Actions to Take

Once done with assessing the situation and surroundings, a person can use the information to protect themselves during an incident. Here are some examples:

• Be in the moment – do not zone out. Notice the scale of the situation. Where the gunfire is coming from, where the commotion is heading.
• Run to the nearest exit – if the coast is clear, stay out of harm’s way by evacuating to the closest way out. Call 911 once there is an assurance of safety.
• Hide in an enclosed space – if the shooter is nearby, look for a place to hide. Stay in the office and lock the door.
• Avoid hallways and open spaces.
• Stay quiet and avoid movements while hiding out. Put your mobile phone on silent to avoid drawing attention to yourself.
• If someone gets hurt in the active shooter incident, get them to a safe place first before offering help.
• Self-care is essential to survive the ordeal. Keep a positive outlook while hiding. Keep hope alive until it is over.
• Fight as a last resort. Disrupt and ambush the attacker only after assessing their armory. Recruit other strong civilians and use makeshift weapons to weaken the shooter’s defenses like a fire extinguisher, scissors, or chair. Be mentally prepared to cause harm to the attacker.
• Once the incidence is over, seek professional counseling to overcome mental anguish from the ordeal.

What to do When the Police Arrive

Once the authorities arrive, listen and obey their instructions, as follows:

• Maintain calmness and follow police instructions during an evacuation.
• Place your hands in a visible location and keep them empty as the authorities assess the situation.
• Provide any helpful information once the rescue mission is complete.

Contact Us

At EMR Safety and Health, we provide training to enable people to stay safe during an active shooter incident. Contact us at 800-595-6110 to find out more.

 

Why the Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) Instructor Course for Active Shooters and Workplace Violence is Essential

In recent times, acts of school and workplace violence involving active shooters have been on the rise across the USA. These occurrences not only threaten life, safety, and security, but they also undermine public confidence while emotionally destabilizing the communities affected. Teaching communities how to respond to active shooter workplace violence events helps build campus and workplace resilience by providing the skills necessary to prepare for and respond to violent incidents to minimize fatalities and injuries.

What is S-CAT Training – Active Shooter/Workplace Violence?

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) is an EMR Safety and Health instructor certification program. In the S-CAT Active Shooter/Workplace Violence instructor course students learn how to teach their students how to act and react in case of an active shooter or workplace violence situation. Students also learn how to teach the steps necessary to maintain a safe environment. Once certified, instructors can teach the class to organizations in their communities. All of the class materials necessary to teach the course are included.

Benefits of S-CAT Training for Active Shooter/Workplace Violence

No institution or organization is immune to the threat of an active shooter terrorizing a workplace. The source of threats and violence could be internal or external and can occur anywhere, at any time, and often with no justifiable reason. It is now evident that a proactive stance should be taken to prevent violence from occurring. This S-CAT course is designed to teach students how to prevent, prepare for and respond to workplace violence events. The following are some of the benefits:

Provide peace of mind: Students and employees are worried about becoming victims of active assailants in their environments. A recent study reveals most people believe they are ill-equipped to handle an active shooter or workplace violence event should it occur. Providing S-CAT training gives students and employees the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need when faced with an unthinkable situation.

Help prevent incidents: Providing active shooter and workplace training also helps prevent incidents. When communities learn to recognize the warning signs, they will act proactively by informing managers and authorities, thus helping to avoid a disaster.

Reduces financial and legal liabilities: There is no doubt an active shooter or workplace incident can quickly become overwhelming for an organization. Recent statistics reveal that the annual cost to businesses of workplace violence in the U.S. was $130 billion in 2018, which could be higher today. These costs are related to medical bills and the costs of counseling survivors. Companies will need to gather for lawsuits and out-of-court settlements should families take legal action. Active assailant readiness training can help lower the risks of these violent events from happening, thus reducing financial and legal liabilities.

Providing Critical Training to Communities

Due to these highly unpredictable occurrences, there is a huge demand for workplace violence training, all schools, businesses, and organizations must have a workplace violence awareness and response plan in place and offer adequate training to their communities, so they are ready to respond to any situation. This half-day course is for anyone who wants to teach work associates, teachers, friends, family, etc. how to act and react during an active shooter and/or workplace violence situation and how to maintain a safe environment. Click here to learn more about our S-CAT Active Shooter/Workplace Violence instructor course. Go to www.emrsafetyandhealth.com to see a full catalog of all of our S-CAT instructor courses, OSHA courses and American Heart Association courses.

Expand Your Teaching Portfolio with Safety Compliance Awareness Courses

Heath and workplace safety is a standard requirement for all organizations. The government dictates that employers must incorporate employee safety, health, and welfare measures into their businesses. Safety Compliance Awareness Training (S-CAT) is a new certification program offered by EMR Safety and Health. It is a great way for instructors to build their training portfolios so they can help students find a good job, advance in their careers, become safety leaders in the workplace and add more stability to their long-term employment.

The instructor courses that we currently offer are listed below and there are more coming. Classes are taught live in our EMR Online Training Studio. All the materials needed to teach the courses, including fact sheets, workbooks, curriculum, etc., are provided. The courses that we offer include:

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – General Industry:

Students will receive training on topics such as safety and health programs, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), electricity and lock-out tag-out, ergonomics and more.

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – Construction:

Students will receive training on topics such as avoidance, necessary control measures, hazard identification, confined space, fall protection and more.

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – OSHA and HIPAA for Healthcare:

Students will receive information on OSHA for Healthcare, Dental for Healthcare, Respiratory Protection for Healthcare N95 and HIPAA for Healthcare.

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – Active Shooter, Workplace Violence:

Students will learn how to act and react during an active shooter and/or workplace violence situation and how to maintain a safe environment.

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – Opioids:

Students will learn what an opioid overdose looks like and how to combat it. We will review commonly used terms, review prescription opioids and talk about prevention and response.

Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) – Babysitting:

Students will learn about babysitting tasks, duties, and responsibilities, what parents are looking for, what to do in an emergency, how to lead children and much more.

EMR Safety and Health has built a reputation for quality training. Becoming a professional S-CAT instructor with EMR is easy and fast. The course completion will allow you to establish your own training business or expand your existing one. Becoming an S-CAT instructor is an excellent way to make extra money, while filling a legitimate need in your community. Click here to learn more.

EMR Safety and Health, a national leader in safety and compliance training, is proud to announce a new set of certifications for instructors covering general industry, construction, healthcare and active shooter / workplace violence. The proprietary certifications will cover these areas and tells employers, students and industry professionals that you are well qualified and take compliance seriously.

The certifications are divided into two levels:

Red: Instructors the successfully complete an S-CAT instructor course
Blue: Students that successfully complete an S-CAT training class.

The certification program is retroactive and instructors that have already successfully completed core courses will receive a new certificate and card with the S-CAT emblem. The new program will allow instructors to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and show additional value to prospective students and employers.

Some legacy courses will be rebranded as follows:

• Safety Compliance Awareness Instructor – General Industry the new name will be Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) for General Industry
• Safety Compliance Awareness Instructor – Construction the new name will be Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) for Construction
• Safety Compliance Awareness Instructor – OSHA for Healthcare the new name will be Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) for OSHA and HIPPA for Healthcare
• Safety Compliance Awareness Instructor – Active Shooter, Workplace Violence the new name will be Safety Compliance Awareness Trainer (S-CAT) for Active Shooter, Workplace Violence

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EMR will be adding even more courses to the list as the program grows and we will keep instructors in the loop once they are live.

Interested instructors looking to expand their training portfolio and become an S-CAT certified instructor are encouraged to sign-up for our next round of courses. Classes are taught
live in our EMR Online Training Studio and all the course materials needed to teach the courses, including fact sheets, workbooks, curriculum, etc., are provided.

For more information and class schedules visit our S-CAT certification page.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a part of the medical field, including allied health positions, should consider enhancing their knowledge with American Heart Association training. Here is more information regarding the American Heart Association Training courses that are available.

Basic Life Support (BLS) Training Course

The Basic Life Support course is available for blended learning and classroom training at EMR Safety and Health in Dallas, Texas. Each BLS training course teaches the same AHA science-based skills. Individuals who complete this course will receive an AHA BLS course completion card. The blended learning option features e-learning where students can complete part of the course at their own pace. The remaining part of this course is a hands-on skills session. The classroom format of the Basic Life Support course features an instructor-led, hands-on, classroom atmosphere. The BLS course is ideal for prehospital providers, including paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and facility hospital providers. In this course, students will learn CPR for infants, children, and adults, the importance of the early use of an AED, and other basic life support essentials.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Training Course

The ACLS training course enhances the foundations of basic life-saving skills while focusing on the importance of preventing cardiac arrest. This advanced cardiac life support training course reflects the education and science from the 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC). The ACLS training course is ideal for health care professionals who manage cardiovascular emergencies for personnel in an emergency. Students who enroll in this course will be able to define systems of care, model effective communication, perform early management of cardiac arrest in various situations, including resuscitation, transfer of care and other skills.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Training Course

The Pediatric Advanced Life Support Training Course is available in a blended learning setting online and classroom training. Students who complete this course will receive an AHA PALS Course Completion Card. The PALS training course is ideal for health care providers who respond to emergencies in children and infants, as well as personnel in emergency medicine, response, intensive care, and critical care units. This training course features clinical and realistic scenarios that encourage participation, hands-on class format and more. The Pediatric Advanced Life Support Training Course strives to improve the outcome of pediatric patients by teaching health care providers to recognize and intervene in situations that involve patients with shock, respiratory, and cardiopulmonary arrest emergencies.

These courses, along with many others, provide health care providers with enhanced knowledge of life-saving technology and advanced life-saving methods that improve a patient’s overall care and quality of life. Students who complete these courses can be more confident in their profession and the quality of care they provide. These American Heart Association Training courses are available online and at the Dallas, Texas, location for a traditional classroom learning experience.

Most accidents are blamed on the employee’s behavior.  There are cases where this is true, but usually, this is not the case.  Causes of accidents run much deeper than employee behavior.   

Every 1,000 near misses in the workplace is a practice for a minor incident.  Every 100 minor incidents in the workplace is a practice for the serious incident.  Every 10 serious incidents result ultimately in one fatality.  Every time we let a near miss go, without an investigation and correction, we are practicing for the fatalities.  Businesses need to address incidents at a preventive measure.   

Theories of the Cause of Accidents

Multiple Cause Theory uncovers root causes because accidents are not assumed to be simple events.  They are the result of a series of random related or unrelated acts/events that somehow interact to cause the accident.  This is a systems approach, which take into account the dynamics of systems that interact within the overall safety program.

The Domino Theory says that injury results from a series of related occurrences which lead to a final event, resulting in injury or illness.  Also referred to as a chain of related events.  It’s assumed that by eliminating any one action or event, the chain will be broken.

Single Event Theory is to blame the victim.  It’s simple right, Jim on one occasion reached into the machine without a tool. It’s convenient to blame the victim and all responsibility goes to him.  Blaming is a short-term fix, but in the long run blaming is expensive to implement and maintain.

Incident/Accident Steps to Investigation

1. 1. Get everyone safe
   2. Preserve and document scene
   3. Collect information
   4. Determine root causes
   5. Implement corrective actions

Information Analysis

After gathering all the information, conduct a structured analysis to determine the unique events that occurred.  Accurately determine the sequence of events and start by separating (breaking down) the incident into its component parts.  This is looking at pre-incident, during incident and post incident parts so that hazardous conditions, unsafe behaviors, and system weaknesses can be identified.

Sample Accident

EMS responds to an accident at your facility.  Mike was injured on August 1, 2020 in the power press shop area of the facility.  The accident occurred on a mechanical power press and Mike lost three fingers when he reached into the press to extract a part.  The press is operated by a foot pedal and it was not guarded.  The plexi-glass point of operation guard was left flipped up.  Mike was removing a tool stuck in the die and he hit the unguarded foot pedal.  Mike yelled for help and employees came running to his aid.  A supervisor arrived followed shortly by EMS first responders.  There was no emergency response team trained at the facility, but there was a first aid kit.

Example Sequence of Events

1. 1. Employee was hired and received orientation one week ago
   2. Maintenance removes a guard to work on press
   3. Maintenance does not have the needed part and is called away for another broken machine
   4. Maintenance fails to secure guard or post a “Do Not Use” sign
   5. Tool jams in press
   6. Employee fails to lock out the press before clearing the jam
   7. Employee bypasses unsecured guard
   8. Employee reaches into press without a hand tool
   9. Employee steps on unguarded foot pedal activating press
   10. Press dies closes on employee’s hand amputating three fingers (the injury incident)
   11. Supervisor and 911 are called
   12. Supervisor shows up with first aid kit
   13. 911 medics provide treatment at scene
   14. 911 medics transport employee to hospital

Causes of Accidents

Look below the Direct Cause of the amputation injury.  We must look at the Indirect Causes (behaviors and conditions) that led to the injury.  Conditions would include unguarded machine, broken tools or equipment, defective PPE or an untrained worker. Behaviors would include ignoring a hazard, failure to enforce or inspect, failure to train.   The Basic Root Cause of accidents pre-exist indirect and includes; inadequate training, no discipline or procedures, no orientation process, inadequate training, no inspections that recognize hazards, no labeling or signage to warn employees.

Injury Analysis

1. 1. Injury Analysis – amputation of three fingers caused by caught in, dies of press.
   2. Indirect Cause Analysis – hazardous conditions, foot pedal unguarded, and unsafe employee/manager/maintenance behaviors, employee bypasses unsecured guard, employee failed to lockout tagout, employee reaching unguarded die without hand tool and maintenance failed to secure guard
   3. Basic Root or Systems Analysis – press operator not trained, maintenance man had too much work and was in hurry, press operated working too fast, supervisor too busy, supervisor not conducting safety inspections of area and failed to train press operator.

OSHA’s View on Controlling Hazards

Employers must control hazards in the workplace and keep employees safe from harm.  The intention of the OSHA standards is that they are minimum requirements.  If a specific rule cannot be sited, the General Duty Clause says,  “employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees…”

What is a Competent Person?

“Competent Person” has:

1. 1. The knowledge to recognize a hazard, and
   2. The authority to correct it

Industries Requiring Competent Person Training

In the OSHA regulations, there are three big sections that necessitate a Competent Person:

1. 1. Scaffolding
   2. Fall Protection
   3. Excavations

Competent Person Training

Generally, these classes are twenty-four hours long, but taking the class is not enough.  How does taking a class make you competent?  Training will provide the knowledge, but who really knows you?  What are your capabilities and how do you apply what you learn?

Your employer must understand what you learned and understand how you performed on the course examination.  Employers must observe how you demonstrate your learning of recognizing and correcting hazards.  How do you handle others?  Are you respected by your peers and coworkers?  The employer looks at you from a liability standpoint and evaluates the risk.  So ultimately, the employer deems you competent and gives the authority to stop work and correct hazards in the workplace.

You can find competent person training here.

OSHA and the Competent Person

OSHA will ask for the Competent Person on job sites. They want to know:

• • If your employees know who the Competent Person is, and
  • To evaluate their knowledge and level of authority

 

OSHA could cite you if you do not have a competent person, or if your Competent Person is found lacking knowledge and information. It is important for the employer to select the right person for this role.  Competent Person’s must understand the responsibilities that come with the role. Title cannot be a haphazard appointment.

Competent Person Training

“Competent Person” classes designed to present a higher level of education than your standard training classes.  It provides the information necessary to qualify somebody for this title. Employers must establish an assessment period for a new Competent Person and evaluate their ability. Once you are comfortable with your new Competent Person, give them the authority to operate and introduce them to the employees.  Employees need to know who to turn to with a question or concern.