Recent years have brought all new awareness to Active Shooter/Killer Response training. Horrific events such as the Parkland, FL school shooting or the Las Vegas Massacre or even the most recent shooting at The Gazette Newspaper in Maryland have shown us that these events can take place at any time and any place without discretion. As the world is watching we are often reminded of the Run Hide Fight slogan that was coined by DHS and the Ohio State University who produced the safety protocol video, but there are some serious nuances that aren’t discussed enough about the program, nor is it tactical advice.
Although the simplicity of Run. Hide. Fight. is very easy to remember, the first issue that we have the program (not really a program problem) is that most end-users comprehend this as a sequential plan. Meaning they recall it as a step-by-step Run first, then Hide, then Fight. It is NOT a sequential list but a short list of options. And being a list of options means that you will have to make a decision in real time, under stress, and extremely quickly then execute that decision immediately. The clock is ticking and always working against you which means you need to decide right NOW! This is VERY important to understand….making poor decisions in a critical path event like an active shooting could very well be the difference between life and death.
The second issue that we constantly have to address with the Run Hide Fight program is in the “Hide” aspect. Often times people feel that a good place to hide is behind or under a desk, or back in some corner of the room/office. But it simply is not. Desks and furniture have almost no ballistic resistance and will not stop even a small caliber pistol round. And hiding in corners typically limits mobility and is much easier to take aim on, which means essentially you’ve put yourself as a static target. That being said, if the circumstances requires you to barricade yourself inside a room and hide by locking the doors, turning off the lights, and pushing some furniture in front of the door…do so with the right understanding of the option and prepare yourself to escape or fight.
In the recent shooting in Maryland, an employee (also a reporter for the paper) told The Baltimore Sun; “I’m a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time, But as much as I’m going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you’re there and you feel helpless.” We never want anyone to feel helpless and pinned down, but when the reporter chose the “hide” option and ducked under a desk, he followed the advice that he wrote about many times in the past and honestly put himself in an extremely vulnerable position.
During the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL many of the patrons chose the “Run” option and went for the restrooms. The issue with that is their choice led them to being trapped in a close quarter environment with no option but to be fish in the barrel. Speak to the first responders that arrived on scene and they will tell you that vast majority of the injuries and deaths occurred in front of or inside the restroom. And survivors recap the incident and explain that “everyone ran for the bathrooms to try and hide but had nowhere to go from there.” Why did they do that.. “Run. Hide….. sequence.”
These are just a few surface level issues that we need to discuss right away. Here in 2018, our team at S2 Strategic Defense is spending a great deal of time working with schools and corporate clients on proper training for Active Shooter Incidents that are based on fact and tactics. There is no “one size fits all” program when it comes to prevention and response training, so we have been working in an ongoing capacity with our clients to build a proper safety protocol for them that is customized to their operation.
Whether you choose S2 Strategic Defense or another training provider, we urge each of you to invest in a proper training program and proper tactical guidance.
Be Safe, Be Well-
Nik Farooqui
Nik Farooqui is the CEO/Director of Training Operations for S2 Strategic Defense and works directly with corporate, law enforcement, and civilian clients on a variety of training programs. His team consists of decorated veterans and former law enforcement officers who aide in the development of S2 Strategic Defense training.
