KidCheck Shares “Surviving an Active Shooter Incident” Video
Unfortunately, we’ve recently seen too much news coverage regarding multiple causality shootings, with the most recent being at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon. To date, it’s been estimated that in the United States “379 people have been killed and 1094 injured in mass shootings in 2015 alone.” 1
“In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and evolve quickly.” 2 This creates a complex scenario for churches due to their unique environments where children and elderly are in attendance. So why share such horrific information about what some would describe as an American epidemic? Two words – Preparedness & Prevention!
A lot of people think of churches as a safe haven from violence. However, this is not always the case. As with many active shooter incidents, most occur without warning, making it imperative that plans are put in place to ensure the safety of those attending, the staff, and the facilities.
In collaboration with community partners such as first responders, public and mental health officials, and local government, churches can take steps to map out a plan to address these emergencies. This plan is often referred to as an EOP or Emergency Operations Plan. The steps to creating a good EOP for churches will be covered in another post.
For today, we’d like to share a scenario training video entitled, “Surviving an Active Shooter Incident.” It was produced in an academic setting and is provided by the Campus Alberta Risk and Assurance Committee. Although a campus setting is different than a house of worship, there are some good tips and tricks to consider when thinking about planning for such a scenario.
To learn more about improving child safety, additional security tips, and best practices visit the KidCheck Blog or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Pinterest.
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