Active Shooters Are a Very Real Threat

Workplace shootings continue to increase and turning a blind eye could be a costly and devastating mistake.

Crisis Consultant Group's Active Threat Response Training
Crisis Consultant Group's Active Threat Response Training

Early morning on Feb. 27, 2014, an East Coast processing machine builder and PMMI member experienced the death of an employee when a coworker walked into its facility and shot him.

 

“They were best friends, and not a word was spoken between them that morning,” says the machine builder who spoke to OEM Magazine on the condition of anonymity.  

 

This February, a mass shooting occurred at the Henry Pratt manufacturing facility in Aurora, Ill., where a disgruntled employee with a criminal record pulled out a gun after being fired, killing five coworkers and injuring several more.

 

Four shootings also occurred the week of July 28, caused by one disgruntled Walmart employee in Mississippi, two shooters who were connected to supremacist texts—one at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, the other at a Walmart in El Paso, TX.—and a shooter with unknown motives at a popular nightlife district in Dayton, OH. These shootings resulted in 34 deaths and more than 50 injuries.

 

Active shooter situations are becoming more common. In 2017, the FBI released data analyzing active shooter incidents in the U.S. between the years 2000 and 2017, and found that 42% of shootings happen in businesses and commercial settings—including manufacturing facilities—with the other 58% of shootings occurring in spaces like government facilities, schools, residences, and churches. In total, these incidents resulted in 799 deaths and 1,418 wounded, not including the shooters themselves. The data show an overall steady increase of active shooter incidents and, 33% of the killed and wounded combined occurred during 2017 alone.

 

2000 to 2018 Active Shooter Incidents

  • Business and Commerce (including manufacturing facilities)—42%
  • Schools—20.8%
  • Government Facilities—10%
  • Other (including churches, residences, healthcare facilities, etc.)—27.2%

 

Despite these startling statistics, a recent survey of PMMI member companies, the Crisis Management Quickie Survey, concluded that the vast majority of OEMs think it’s unlikely they will experience an active shooter situation at their facility.  The survey also indicated that this perception may be the reason why the majority of respondents currently do not have an active shooter prevention plan in place. Crisis Consultant Group’s CEO and founder, Brendan King, confirms, “There is not a lot that we see being done, at least to this point, in the manufacturing space.” Yet, King notes that over the last four to six years, his company—that helps implement crisis prevention, de-escalation training, and response programs—has seen a rise in companies from other industries requesting active shooter training.

 

WHEN THE GUN GOES OFF

 

Once an active shooter enters a facility and the gun is fired, chaos erupts. In a matter of seconds, multiple employees could be down, some will hide behind the closest cover, others will run, and perhaps someone will try to stop the shooter. It may take police more than 10 minutes to arrive and attempt to apprehend the shooter, and it may be even sooner that the media will show up demanding answers.

 

After the shooting has occurred, police investigations will shut down operations for some time, and the company will turn to the care and welfare of its remaining employees by offering free counseling and making changes in management and workloads for employees directly affected by the loss of their coworker(s). A company must also reach out to the families of those who were wounded or killed during the incident.

 

 “You still have to terminate your employees, even the deceased one, and you don’t really realize that, but it’s part of the process,” says the East Coast machine builder, reflecting on the aftermath and the process of getting his company back to usual business, which was extremely difficult, and took about a month.

 

FBI Tips for Protecting Yourself from an Active Shooter

 

The FBI’s “Run, Hide, Fight” procedure, like “Stop, Drop, Roll,” is a list of simple, direct, and easy-to-remember directions to lessen the panic for those caught in an active shooter situation.

 

Andrew Tirmenstein, senior project manager at Keramida—a crisis management and emergency response planning and training company, which specializes in working with manufacturers—gives a detailed outline of what these steps look like:

 

RUN out of the nearest pre-determined exit to as far away as possible from the event, running from place of cover to place of cover until safe, then dial 911. Leave all belongings behind, except for cellphones. This would be the best option, but there should be several alternatives already established with regard to exit options.

 

“If possible, help others to escape and stop anyone from entering as you exit the building,” says Tirmenstein. “Always keep hands visible as you are leaving the area so that any law enforcement does not mistake you for the shooter.”

 

HIDE behind protective cover that can stop bullets shot in your direction, as a second best option. People tend to hide behind the first thing they can find, which may not be bulletproof. So, try to find cover that could stop a bullet. Your cover should not trap you or restrict your movements.

 

If inside the building when hiding, ensure doors are locked and/or blocked as a way of barricading it, windows should be covered, and lights turned off to make it appear as though no one is in the area. Then, silence your phone and remain quiet.