Work can be stressful enough without having to worry about things like the potential for an armed shooter to enter your place of business or employment through the front entrance.
However, if such a scenario were to occur, planning for the risk is your first line of defense. We cannot simply avoid watching the news and hold out hope as workplace shootings become more frequent. Even though we despise the idea of danger, we must accept the possibility and take precautions now that could save your life and the lives of others.
Here are four ways you can start at your workplace:
Plan an alternative escape route
Invest in rope ladders that can be used to escape through a window if necessary if your office is above the ground floor.
If a gunman enters your office, you might still need to find a different exit even if you work on the first floor. We frequently develop habits when the fight-or-flight response takes over. Your first reaction will probably be to rush for the front door in an effort to get out if you regularly enter and exit your office through it. However, if that's where the gunman entered, you should stay away from there.
Think now to stop yourself from automatically heading toward a shooter out of instinct.
Identify possible items that could be used as self defense
Examine your workplace. What do you have on hand that, if necessary, could be used as a weapon? While we don't advise keeping a kitchen knife in your desk drawer, we do advise learning how to use (or swing) a fire extinguisher in the event of an assault.
You might need to be more creative at times. Stilettos on your feet, the pepper spray hanging from your keychain, or the marble candy dish on your desk might all be used as weapons to help you survive or possibly put an end to a workplace shooting.
Neosporin and Band-Aids are worthless for injuries that pose a life-threatening threat. While you wait for the emergency response personnel to show up, medical items like tourniquets and gauze can halt bleeding and possibly save a life.
A class not only provides you with the knowledge you need to react in an active shooter scenario, but it also equips you to put what you've learned into practice.
Knowing what to do and really performing it differ significantly. Just ask anyone who has unintentionally placed himself in a life-threatening circumstance. Many times, even when you know what to do, people "freeze up." One technique to make sure your body reacts appropriately when your brain is unable to recall the processes you thought you knew is to develop muscle memory.
By practicing emergency response through hands-on training with life-saving medical equipment, you can develop that muscle memory by participating in Active Shooter Training programs at Strategic Research Consulting Group. To register for a class, give us a call today at 803-272-1170.
Visit us online at thesrcgroup.org