How to survive an active workplace shooter

The footage above is from a training video, similar to one shown in active shooter training put on by the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

“Really the goal is in our training to talk about the history of an active shooter, what a police response looks like in an active shooter event and then third what individuals involved in an active shooter can do,” explains Captain Jeff Smith.

The process is called Run, Hide, Fight. Police say the best thing you can do in an active shooter situation is run from the scene. If that’s not possible, try to find a place to hide.

“Try to barricade yourself in a location, whether it’s a closet, a room that will lock – someplace safe turning off lights – putting as much in front of the door, securing it with robes, cords, whatever you can,” Captain Smith tells us.

Captain Smith says if you have to fight off a shooter, try to think about what you can use as a weapon around you. “Is there a fire extinguisher on the wall, can you throw a stapler at them? Is there a kitchen knife that’s readily available? Your goal is to survive,” he explains.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department provided city employees with active shooter training within the last year.

“We felt we had a responsibility for our employees to make sure they were prepared and that they had a general understanding of the tasks and tools they could use should that situation emerge,” says Assistant City Manager, Derek Johnson.

And now after the training, they’ve stepped up security in City Hall even more. “Should something happen – for example, there’s a way to lock a door, there’s a way to notify the police department and to notify senior personnel that potentially we have an active shooter situation in our public building,” Johnson says.

​Now if you are interested in having this training done at your place, it’s recommended to contact your local police department to schedule a session