|
Confirmed User
Industry Role:
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Boston
Posts: 688
|
Dark, but needed thread: How to survive an active shooter at a trade show.
As show season approaches and there is another thread already going on helpful tips for show success, I thought i should post this here in the Age of Incels and Christian Extremists attacking anything they hate (yes, that means us).
Here is a solid set of protocols for what to do at shows or any soft-target public gathering written by a Navy SEAL that you may want to take note of.
######
Part 1:
SEAL Steps to Surviving an Active Shooter By Cade Courtley - Former U.S. Navy Seal
Average Police Response Time to an Active Shooter Incident: Ten minutes and 30 seconds. That’s the national average time it takes a police officer to show up at the scene after a high-priority 911 call is received. In many larger cities, including Los Angeles and New York, there are full-time officers assigned to SWAT operations. Yet statistically, their response time is approximately 20–30 minutes before they can get to the scene. Smaller municipalities often have officers who are regularly assigned to other departments, although they are trained for “active shooter” incidents. It can take up to 45 minutes or longer for these units to respond. Nearly 99% of the time, these critical situations are handled by regular patrol officers before SWAT ever gets there.
This is why it is your response time and what you do that really count.
Head up, Eyes Open
In this scenario, situational awareness means paying attention to exits, cover and people.
When going to a busy hotel, concert, or a business conference, pay attention to the exits. Make a mental note of at least three options — preferably in three different directions. They could be as obvious as a set of double doors or as desperate as a second-floor window with a 10-foot drop onto pavement.
Second, observe the whereabouts of any large items or objects that seem sturdy enough to provide cover if needed and file this information. In some hotels, for example, there may be a lounge area with furniture, sculptures or columns placed at regular intervals. Do the windows open? The cooking and dishwashing equipment in a hotel kitchen will provide very good cover.
Third, look around at the people you pass while in public places or when you are among crowds. If you are at a business conference, pay special attention to individuals who don’t seem to have the demeanor of the average attendee, so to say. Many times, these shooters imagine themselves as some type of militia or military imitators and could be wearing army boots or fatigues, while clearly identifiable as someone not in active duty.
Here is this same information condensed into a simple, easy-to-remember checklist:
• Know your exits.
• Locate places or objects that could serve as your nearest cover.
• Observe isolated individuals carrying large bags, such as duffel bags, or who are wearing unseasonably heavy clothing. Keep an eye on people who seem particularly nervous or are sweating. Watch individuals wearing military-style boots or clothes that are “out of place.”
Most importantly, trust your gut and be alert to someone or a situation that just doesn’t seem right so you can notify the proper authorities.
Shots Fired
People who have never heard the sound of gunfire often compare it to the sound of a car backfiring or a loud firecracker. But the discharge of a firearm in a closed environment, such as an auditorium or a hotel lobby, is distinct and will leave no question that an assault of a deadly nature has begun. As your ears begin to ring, you must understand that what you do in the first few seconds of this event will determine if you live or die.
Some people think that gunfire produces the smell of burning sulfur or gunpowder like at a fireworks display. However, modern ammo uses smokeless powder and is virtually odorless. Of all yours senses, initially trust your ears in this scenario — the sound of gunfire is unmistakably distinct…if you know what to listen for.
As soon as you hear shots, the FIRST THING you must do is remove yourself from the immediate vicinity of the source of the gunfire, which is referred to as the “kill zone” or the “X,” and do so without hesitation. Simply put, you must do whatever it takes to get clear of the “kill zone” if you expect to have any chance of survival.
If you survive the first 10 seconds of this type of ambush, you have a much better chance of making it out alive.
Fight, Flight or Freeze
When a shooting occurs in a public place, the natural and initial response is to flee, but you need to do it with forethought. There is little time to think, but you must make your flight a calculated one so you don’t turn yourself into a more visible and attractive running target. By scrambling in panic, you could end up going nowhere worthwhile or even moving closer to the line of fire. Your flight must be for the purpose of getting clear of danger — off the “X” — and not flagging your position.
In many shootings, it’s bystanders who freeze who are added to the casualty toll. Do not freeze or burrow in — react and move immediately. Hitting the floor and lying flat is usually the first thing people do instinctively, but don’t just cover your head and hope for the best.
Maintain Cover
You must begin moving immediately while staying low. If you are able to dive for one of the objects you previously identified as cover, make that move while the shooter is aiming somewhere else.
Get to your cover while staying as low as possible, and do it with maximum purpose. Continue to move away from the shooter, going from cover to cover. Visualize the path you will take — this will help you set your mind to achieving small goals or little victories, as each move takes you farther from the “X.”
For example, you see a potted plant 15 feet away. Your goal is to make it to that point, and thus you gain one more little victory in your overall escape plan. Once you make it to that secure cover, follow your path to get to the next one.
At first, get to covers by making small bounds. As you gain distance from the shooter, you can increase the distance you travel between covers.
Start by low-crawling, but note that the farther you are away from the shooter, the faster you can move, until even sprinting if the situation warrants it. But remember — assault rifles have a maximum effective range of 600 meters (or six football fields), and sniper rifles can hit targets even further, so if you can hear gunfire, you can be shot. You must continue to move with maximum purpose and calculated caution.
Danger Crossings
Even when places have numerous objects that afford cover or concealment, your escape route will often have open spaces, like hallways, sidewalks or roads that must be crossed. These junctions, while you are still in the line of fire, are called “danger crossings.” If you come upon a dangerous crossing, take a moment to discern a pattern in the shooting and try to move when there is a pause in the gunfire. This will generally happen when the shooter is reloading. Even after you have cleared the kill zone, there is still a good chance of being shot.
Maintain a lower profile (slightly hunched over, with your weight over the balls of your feet). Continue to move from cover to cover. Utilize shadows or “dead space” areas that are obstructed from view. Be sure to stay at least a foot off of walls. When a bullet ricochets off a wall, it tends to travel down the wall approximately 6 inches. If your body is against the wall, you will get hit.
Exiting the Area
Once you have successfully cleared the kill zone, you need to quickly decide the best way to gain even greater distance from the shooter or ultimately exit the building.
Remember where you saw the main exits. Fire exit doors in hotels and many other public buildings are required by law to be at the rear of the building or at the back of each store. Continue to move, but take no chances, because the shooter could be following you. Put as many obstacles as you can between you and danger, by closing doors as you go or tumbling merchandise to the ground, making it harder for the shooter to trail you if that is his or her intention. If, and only if, you feel you are at a location of relative, short-term safety, gather yourself. When you are in a defensive position that is well hidden and away from the site of the shooting, take a moment to calm yourself, but keep your mind alert.
Continued in Part 2....
|