Created February 28, 2012. Updated on March 6, 2012, July 30, 2012, January 25, 2013.
The school shooting in Chardon, Ohio is a reminder that active shooter incidents can happen in any town, any school, and any workplace. Every EMS agency should work with its law enforcement and fire partners to plan for a response to an active shooter incident. Preparation should include didactic and hands-on practice training.
The didactic training program could be a mash-up of these existing online training resources:
FEMA IS – 907 – Active Shooter: What You Can Do is an online training program of text, videos, and quiz questions to prepare employees to identify an active shooter incident and how to respond. The course resources include a booklet, pocket card, and poster.
EMS Response to Active Shooter Incidents from EMS World Magazine by Jim Morrisey. This outstanding article examines active shooter incident and shares principles for EMS response.
Another excellent EMS World article discusses how non-tactical EMS crews can support special operations, such as a school shooting or another type of active shooter incidents.
Also review this PDF of a PowerPoint presentation titled, Active Shooter Incidents – EMS Response Considerations. This lengthy and thorough presentation reviews past workplace and school shootings, traits of shooters, and EMS response considerations.
If your group includes firefighters and or fire inspectors link to this article from the rescue digest, School Lockdown Drill Considerations. This article emphasizes the importance of knowing the lockdown plan for each of the schools in your response area.
A long list of resources/references is available in this edition of the USFA Chief’s Corner: the Roles of Fire and EMS Personnel in Armed Attacks.
Next, this slide share presentation on the Active Shooter is aimed at students and college instructors, but the information is interesting and provides some solid ideas about response by potential victims and bystanders during an incident.
Another Slideshare presentation, prepared by an Argentinian, School Shootings: why, where and how.
What other training resources would you incorporate into a CE Mash-Up on the Active Shooter Incident?