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Given the number of active shooter incidents over the past ten to fifteen years, as well as the upward trending of these incidents, awareness for security professionals is prudent. The N.Y.P.D. study and the Homeland Security document attached hereto provide useful information. If one adheres to the belief that history is prologue, familiarity and preparation for these kinds of incidents seems like a worthy objective. You will also find an active shooter protocol developed by the National Retail Federation.
When these incidents occur, they generally capture several news cycles and have a lasting shelf life. History has shown us the very few institutions are immune from these senseless acts of workplace violence. Active shooter incidents have touched public schools and universities. They have occurred in shopping malls, manufacturing facilities and business offices. They have also occurred in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and extended care facilities. The common denominator is that most incidents have occurred in properties that afford public access.
As I see it, security professionals need to plan for these events on two levels. First, they need to reasonably try to prevent these events from occurring in the first place. Second, if and when an episode does occur, they need to develop reasonable protocols to contain the event while at the same time moving potential victims out of harms way. There are no "one size fits all" remedies.
Part of the planning process needs to include sensitivity to warning signs, if and when they exist. Sometimes warning signs can be a shooting event on the other side of the country. How many times, over the past ten years have we seen two or three of these events occurring in close time proximity to one another?
Hopefully, these three documents will be an adjunct to your planning process.
 NYPD Active Shooter
US Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter
National Retail Federation Active Shooter
Visit www.smsiinc.com or call Security Management Services International, Inc. at 805-499-3800.
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