Active Shooter – How to Respond Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection Sector Specific Agen

1. Active Shooter – How to Respond • Department of Homeland Security • Office of Infrastructure Protection • Sector Specific Agency-Executive Management Office • Commercial Facilities Sector

2. Program Overview--Active Shooter “How to Respond” Profile of an active shooter General good practices for coping with an active shooter How individuals should respond when an active shooter enters their vicinity How individuals should respond when law enforcement arrives on the scene Training for an active shooter situation and creating an emergency action plan The responsibilities of human resources departments and facility managers in preparing for and managing an active shooter situation Tips for recognizing signs of potential workplace violence Managing the consequences of an active shooter situation Agenda

3. Homeland Security Program Overview • In Spring of 2008, members of the National Retail Federation (NRF), requested materials from the Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance to individuals who may be caught in an active shooter situation. • Currently, one of the foremost concerns in the Commercial Facilities Sector is the threat of an active shooter targeting a Commercial Facility Sector place venue, employees, or visitors. • The Commercial Facilities Sector Specific Agency collaborated with the Emergency Services Sector Specific Agency, representatives of the law enforcement community, and partners in the Retail Subsector to develop guidance materials concerning an active shooter situation.

4. Program Overview • Although active shooter situations are typically associated with schools, the threat of an active shooter exists in any facility type. • Recent examples include: • November 6, 2007 Orlando office building, one dead and 5 injured; • November 5, 2007 Ft. Hood Texas killing 13 and wounding dozens; • February 2007 Trolley Square Mall shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah, where five people were killed; and, • December 2007 Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, Nebraska, where nine individuals (including the shooter) were killed. • The November 26, 2008, terrorist attack in Mumbai, which killed at least 172 people, has been referred to as “India’s 9/11.”

5. Homeland Security • Profile of an Active Shooter • An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. • Active shooters usually use firearms and select their victims at random. • Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. • Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to end the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. • Because active shooter situations are often over within ten to fifteen minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation. DRAFT

6. Homeland Security Active Shooter – How to Respond • The Awareness Material final products include: • Desk reference guide, • Reference poster, and • Pocket-size reference card which provide guidance to managers, employees, and human resources departments on preparing for and responding to an active shooter situation. • The materials are written generally and are applicable to a variety of facility types beyond retail establishments. DRAFT

7. Responding to an active shooter Responding when law enforcement arrives Preparing for an active shooter situation Recognizing potential workplace violence Managing the consequences Homeland Security Guide Book DRAFT

8. Homeland Security General good practices for coping with an active shooter To best prepare your staff for an active shooter situation, create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life. DRAFT

9. Homeland Security How to respond when an active shooter enters the vicinity • Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. • Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation. • Evacuate: • If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises • Hide out: • If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. • Take action against the active shooter: • As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter • Call 911 when you are safe DRAFT

10. Homeland Security Communication with Law Enforcement DRAFT

11. Homeland Security • Training and creating an emergency action plan To best prepare your staff for an active shooter situation, create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life. • Create the EAP with input from several stakeholders including • Human resources department, • Training department • Facility owners / operators, • Property manager, and • Local law enforcement and/ • or emergency responders DRAFT

12. Homeland Security HR Department & Landlord Responsibility • Human resources department • Conduct effective employee screening and background checks • Create a system for reporting signs of potentially violent behavior • Facility managers • Institute access controls (i.e., keys, security system pass codes) • Coordinate with the facility’s security department to ensure the physical security of the location • Activate the emergency notification system when an emergency situation occurs DRAFT

13. Homeland Security Recognizing potential workplace violence • An active shooter in your workplace may be a current or former employee, or an acquaintance of a current or former employee. • Intuitive managers and coworkers may notice characteristics of potentially violent behavior in an employee. • Alert your Human Resources Department if you believe an employee or coworker exhibits potentially violent behavior. • Increased use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs • Unexplained increase in absenteeism; vague physical complaints • Noticeable decrease in attention to appearance and hygiene • Depression / withdrawal • Resistance and overreaction to changes in policy and procedures • Repeated violations of company policies • Increased severe mood swings DRAFT

14. Homeland Security Consequence Management • After the active shooter has been incapacitated and is no longer a threat, human resources and/or management should engage in post-event assessments and activities, including: • An accounting of all individuals at a designated assembly point to determine who, if anyone, is missing and potentially injured • Determining a method for notifying families of individuals affected by the active shooter, including notification of any casualties • Assessing the psychological state of individuals at the scene, and referring them to health care specialists accordingly • Identifying and filling any critical personnel or operational gaps left in the organization as a result of the active shooter DRAFT

15. How to React Communicating with Law Enforcement Recognizing Workplace Violence Homeland Security Break Room Poster DRAFT

16. Homeland Security Pocket Reference Guide • Size of a standard business card • Highlights the key messages of the guide book and the poster: • Evacuate • Hide Out • Take Action • Call 911 when it is safe DRAFT

17. CFSteam@hq.dhs.gov Questions