Nobody ever wants to caught in a situation where an active shooter incident is happening. However, active shooting incidents have already been happening in the past. And worse, there’s still a high chance that it might happen again anytime, anywhere. According to records, between 2000 to 2017, active shooting incidents that have occurred in the United States were more than 250 cases. It caused more than at least 1,500 people injured, and almost 800 people have killed during those incidents. Moreover, almost 40 percent of these active shooting incidents took place in schools and business establishments. Due to these life-threatening incidents, a lot of establishments were forced to create a response plan in the event that they experience an active shooter incident.
If you’re a person that owns a business with numerous people working with you, and you haven’t developed an active shooter response plan yet. We are going to provide you essential tips below on how will you be able to protect your business workplace from an active shooting incident.
Create an Active Shooter Risk Analysis
You should, as a business owner, need to understand your workplace vulnerabilities fully. You should identify if an unauthorized person can have easy access to your workplace. Does your workplace provide real-time surveillance capabilities? What are the possible entry/exit points? Are your security personnel is enough to safeguard the workplace? If an active shooting incident occurs, what is your action plan? With these assessments, you can create an active shooter risk analysis so you can prevent heavy casualties in the future.
Implement Security Protocols
Based on your active shooter risk analysis, it is highly recommended to place door locking systems, gates, and security cameras on highly vulnerable places in your workplace. Moreover, if it’s necessary, hiring additional security personnel is also a must. Furthermore, you also need to ensure that all your security personnel is equipped with the right defensive gear, such as bulletproof body armor. It is to make sure that their life is also protected. Having a bulletproof body armor will also boost their confidence to confront suspicious people both inside and outside of your workplace.
Must read: Apply These 25 Tips to Improve Security at Your Small Business
Conduct Training Exercises
To lessen, if not totally avoided, heavy casualties, everyone needs to learn what to do in an active shooter situation. They should be able to familiarize themselves with the safety plan in place to help protect their safety. You might also want to simulate an active shooter scenario to determine their lapses and the areas that need improvement.
Coordinate with Local Authorities
You must also ensure that when your workplace has experienced an active shooter situation, you can report the incident immediately. Moreover, it is also wise to invite local police and fire department personnel and help them become familiar with your workplace. You can also ask their opinions or recommendations on how you’ll be able to improve your workplace security as well as the safety of your employees.
Conclusion
Getting caught in a situation where an active shooter incident is happening is the worst experience you’ll ever have. It is important to remember or better implement those safety tips mentioned above to avoid heavy casualties and even death in your workplace.
