Special report: Survivng an active-shooting situation
We see it across the nation, on our television screens. A gunman who opens fire at a movie theater in Colorado, or several children and adults gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary, and the community of Roseburg traumatized after a gunman shot and killed eight classmates and a teacher at Umpqua Community College last fall.
“These active threats type of incidents they’re not happening in inner-city Los Angeles, inner-city New York. They’re happening in semi-rural, rural areas, and we need to be prepared for it,” Bend Police Officer Scott Vincent said.
A recent study done by the FBI tallied active shooter incidents between 2000-2013 reported across the U.S.
Those mass shootings left 486 dead and wounding more than 500 people.
So what would you do if you there were an active shooter where you work or shop.
“I would find a secure hiding space for myself and everybody else with the same space as I’m in,” COCC student Beverly Schlegel said.
According to the FBI study, civilians often have to make a life and death decision before police are able to respond to the scene.
Officers used to say there were eight minutes to get responders to the shooting, that response time has now been pushed up to five minutes to get to the scene.
“You take into consideration the fact people have to survive; they have to get to a phone to call 9-1-1; and they have to get police officers and firefighters personal to that scene…you can see where five minutes get eaten up pretty quickly,” Vincent said.
Police are trying to teach the public on ways to survive and teach officers as well about the best ways to respond to an active shooter situation.
Several law enforcement agencies from all over Central Oregon met for a rare opportunity to train side by side in an active shooter drill at the Redmond Airport.
Vincent says the planning and coordination was important to make sure the drill seemed like a real-life scenario for the police and fire.
He says part of the training is getting officers and firefighters to coordinate with one another when treating the victims.
“We’re creating real life injuries that officers are going to see and paramedics are going to see in real life we’re taking actually meat products creating gun shot wound with it so we can create an environment that will stimulate them,” Vincent said.
Police Departments across the U.S. including the Bend Police Department have started training employers simple steps they could see when dealing with an active shooter situation.
Run, Hide, Fight
Run:
Always try to evacuate if you can and bring others with you.
Leave your belongings behind, your life is more important than materials
Find a secure spot and call 9-1-1.
Hide
Sometimes the shooter could be just a few feet from your office.
Act quickly and quietly.
Turn off the lights.
Block the door with anything you can find.
Put your cell phone on silent and remain very quiet unit police arrive.
Fight:
This is your last resort at getting out alive and taking out the gunman
Everything around you in the room maybe used as a weapon
Act with physical aggression
Attempt to take down the shooter
Saint Charles Bend requires all employees to take an online course on active shooter scenarios
Several businesses have reached out to local law enforcement agencies on ways to improve their emergency plan in case of an active shooter situation.
The Tower Theatre sees thousands of people walking through their doors every year and they knew they needed to get the trained for every situation.
Make sure all of our training protocol were up to speed that our volunteers were trained recently, to make sure all of our staff were prepared to handle any emergency whether it be fire, medical or active shooter in this particular case,” Event Coordinator for the Tower Theatre Brad Ruder said.
Here are some links to keep you and you’re family safe.
