What Groups Should Absolutely Have Active Shooter Survival Training?

In April 2020, the FBI released data regarding all of the active shooter incidents occurring in the United States in 2019. This report reveals that the number of people killed and wounded by active shooters both increased over the year before – those killed went from 85 to 97 and the number of wounded rose from 128 to 150.

This report also tells us that in 2019, incidents were considered “mass killings,” more shooters wore body armor (4 in 2019 versus 0 in 2018), and the number of law enforcement officers wounded in the incidents more than doubled (rising from 6 to 15).

These numbers suggest that active shooter situations are still a major threat to us, our families, and our communities. What groups should absolutely engage in active shooter survival training?

Government Employees

Four of the 28 active shooter incidents in 2019 took place in government facilities. They were:

• May 31, 2019 – Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• June 17, 2019 – Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse in Dallas, Texas 
• December 4, 2019 – Jose Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 
• December 6, 2019 – Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida

Together, these four incidents cost 17 people their lives and 13 more were injured. If you are a government employee—whether local, state, or federal—do you know how to respond if someone were to enter your building or your office and start shooting? 

Active shooter survival training can provide government employees the tools needed to better survive this type of incident. From learning what places in the office are more safe to go if a shooter appears to how to respond once the police arrive, this course will provide staff a step-by-step active shooter response.

School Employees

Sadly, schools are also a major target for active shooters. Many times, this is because the shooter was bullied or felt ostracized and wants to get revenge. Sometimes it is just that they want to make a name for themselves and feel that terrorizing a school is an effective way to achieve this goal.

In 2019, 3 of the 28 incidents took place in educational settings. One occurred at a university (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), one at a charter school (STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colorado), and the third at a high school (Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California). In total, 5 students died and 15 more were wounded.

As a school employee, the lives of the students may one day be in your hands. Do you know what actions to take to help protect them to the best of your ability? Active shooter survival training can turn a “no” into a “yes,” providing parents more peace when they send their children to school each day.

Health Care Workers

Two of the 2019 active shooter incidents occurred at health care facilities: the West Palm Beach Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (West Palm Beach, Florida) and Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois). 

There were also two active shooter incidents in 2018 that occurred at health care facilities. One was at a recovery center in San Rafael, California and the second was at a medical center in Chicago, Illinois.

Health care workers already have enough to worry about, especially with viral pandemics like COVID-19. Active shooter survival training provides both frontline workers and back-of-the-house medical staff with the information needed to make survival-based decisions in these situations.

Church Personnel

Traditionally, churches are thought of as a place where you can go to find peace, to strengthen your faith, and to become closer to your spiritual leader. However, some places of worship are targeted by people who are more intent on inflicting evil.

In 2019, two of the active shooter incidents took place at these types of facilities. The Chabad of Poway Synagogue in Poway, California, and the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas were both assaulted by active shooters. In the second, the shooter was stopped by an armed member of the church’s security team.

If you belong to a house of worship, do you and your staff know what to do if someone were to enter your church and begin shooting? Active shooter survival training teaches you how to respond to improve your odds of survival.

Real Estate Professionals

The National Association of REALTORS reports that more than half (53 percent) of real estate professionals have felt physically unsafe at least once within the past year. One in five (20 percent) indicated that they feel this way daily.

One factor that places agents at greater risk is that, oftentimes, they meet with clients alone. And these meetings generally occur in a house or building that is otherwise unoccupied. For a suspect intent on causing harm, this offers the perfect opportunity.

If you work in real estate or have a team of dedicated realtors, providing them active shooter survival training can teach them not only how to survive violent attacks, but potentially how to avoid them completely. In this course, they learn how to become situationally aware so they can identify problems before they even start.

ALIVE Active Shooter Survival Training has specialty programs for all of these groups of people. This provides attendees access to information most relevant to them based on whether they work for the government, are employed by the educational system, are in health care, are active in the church, or work in real estate.

To learn more about the ALIVE Active Shooter Survival Training, visit our website at activeshootersurvivaltraining.com or contact us today!