9th Annual Child Center Conference 9th Annual Child Center Conference April , W INNING E DGE T RAINING

Goals: To reduce the fear associated with active shooter situations To present life-saving options for surviving active shooter incidents 2 Winning Edge Training

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 Lack of awareness leads to:  Panic  Instinctive, often counterproductive responses  Increased awareness enables you to:  Avoid many dangers  Identify danger early; more time to escape or take other defensive action  Think more clearly 4 Winning Edge Training

 What to be aware of:  People who seem out of place or odd in appearance or behavior  Your environment and position  Sound of gunfire: May sound like breaking glass, door being kicked, falling cans, pops, etc 5 Winning Edge Training

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 Two levels of planning  General: What would I do if I ever found myself in an active shooter situation?  Reduces fear  Exercises your brain  Make a “game” of it 7 Winning Edge Training

 Two levels of planning  Situational: What would I do if an active shooter came into this building while I’m here? Besides allowing you to customize your planning, situational planning: Further reduces fear Speeds up reaction time when confronted with danger 8 Winning Edge Training

 Do not expect the police to arrive quickly  Average length of time between the start of an incident and notification of police is SIX M INUTES.  Does NOT include the time it takes for individual officers to arrive 9 Winning Edge Training

10 W INNING E DGE T RAINING Video R UN. H IDE. F IGHT : Surviving an Active Shooter Even Run, Hide, Fight

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 Plan ahead, even if just visiting  Identify and assess escape routes  Is escape a viable option in this case, or would it be better to hide? 12 Winning Edge Training

 Escaping  Leave valuables behind  Help others only if they are willing to leave 13 Winning Edge Training

 Escaping  D O NOT attempt to move the wounded unless they are able to walk on their own  Moving the seriously wounded may aggravate their wounds  It is unlikely the active shooter will return to cause them more harm 14 Winning Edge Training

 While escaping:  Be aware of your surrounding: be ready to take another route, hide or fight back if escape route is blocked  Avoid moving toward the shooter’s location if possible  Move away from building and/or take cover 15 Winning Edge Training

 Watch for arriving officers; be ready to handle yourself accordingly :  Remain calm  Keep hands visible, fingers spread at all times  Follow instructions promptly and exactly  Avoid pointing, yelling or interfering  Know that help for the injured is on its way; officers’ job is to neutralize the shooter ASAP, not tend to the injured 16 Winning Edge Training

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 Plan ahead  Identify hiding places even if it appears you could escape easily  Cover vs. concealment:  Cover: anything solid enough to stop bullets  Concealment: only protects you from being seen 18 Winning Edge Training

 Plan ahead  The value of darkness  Shooter may think room is empty  Makes it harder for him to see anything else inside the room  Meanwhile, your eyes adjust to the dark, which gives you a tactical advantage if you must fight 19 Winning Edge Training

 Plan ahead  Locking door is preferable to blocking it; blocked doors let shooter know someone is probably inside  Avoid locations with only one avenue of escape 20 Winning Edge Training

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 Confrontation should be avoided if at all possible.  Unfortunately, there are times when confrontation is unavoidable; very important to plan just in case  Regardless of your options for escaping or hiding, you should plan what to do if you must fight 22 Winning Edge Training

 When planning, it is helpful to understand that:  Gunshot wounds are NOT as dangerous as we think  98% of all gunshot victims recover, and the great majority can continue to function at a high level after being shot. 23 Winning Edge Training

 Remember:  Even an unarmed person can success- fully defeat an armed assailant if he/she:  Has a plan  Is committed to the attack  Acts decisively and with maximum aggressiveness and force  Chances of success significantly increased when able to act at a time and in a manner that surprises the shooter 24 Winning Edge Training

 Advantages of fighting back:  Aggressive, unexpected attacks at maximum force usually catch assailants off guard, which gives the intended victim a significant tactical advantage  Tactical advantage can be extended by continuing to the attack with aggressive follow up action: 25 Winning Edge Training

 Advantages of fighting back:  When the event occurs indoors, as they usually do, defenders will can often hide around corners or just inside doorways.  Allows them to catch the shooter by surprise as he rounds the corner or comes through the doorway 26 Winning Edge Training

 Advantages of fighting back:  Hiding around corners or just inside doorways:  Creates the advantage of being able deflect or grab the weapon and then immediately counterattack  Especially true if shooter is armed with a long gun, as long guns are harder to maneuver at close range and easier to deflect 27 Winning Edge Training

 F EAR :  A powerful motivator when coupled with knowledge about what to do  Motivates you to do things you never realized you could do. 28 Winning Edge Training

 F EAR :  Use it to your advantage by:  Staying focused on how important it is for you to succeed, not just for your but for:  Those who love you  Other potential victims.  Accepting your fear and recognizing it as a friend that empowers your to do what- ever it takes to go home to your loved ones 29 Winning Edge Training

 Weapons:  Improvised weapons:  Available in almost any environment  Includes scissors, pens, lamps, chairs, paper weights, etc.  Make a habit of identifying these wherever you are 30 Winning Edge Training

 Weapons:  Empty hands: target vital areas: eyes, throat, temples, groin, etc.  Dry fire extinguishers: Blind, instantly take oxygen out of the air, and very effectively impact weapons  Do something! 31 Winning Edge Training

 If you must fight:  Let him come to you; then attack as soon as he is close enough  Try to distract him first:  Throw something into or past his face  Have someone else make a noise, etc.  Keep at it until he is no longer a threat. 32 Winning Edge Training

 After disarming/disabling the shooter:  Watch for other shooters  D O N OT pick up the weapon  Holding it may make the police think you are the shooter.  Move it well out of the shooter’s reach and keep others away from it 33 Winning Edge Training

From Tragedy to Training 2013 ILEETA Conference