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Part 2:
Stop and Assess
You’ll naturally think, “What the hell just happened”!? Don’t sit there and ponder this. Visualize your trigger and focus. The calmer you are, the better equipped you’ll be to outthink your assailant.
To devise a trigger, you must dig deep, identify the single-most-important thing in the world to you and make a mental portrait of this image. Whatever it is, your trigger is how you ignite the will to survive. Use this memory file as the ultimate motivation to get you through life-and-death situations.
If able, call 911. Give police as much HUMINT (human intelligence) as possible, including:
• Who you are, what’s happening and where
• How many shooters there are and their physical description
• What types of weapons are being used, and what special gear, such as body armor, you observed
• The shooter’s skill level, ethnicity, language or accent — and anything else that may be helpful to first responders.
Next, check yourself for wounds. If you have made it this far, you are probably not critically injured. Present breathing and a heartbeat rule out serious injuries, but many times, in great stress, people will be injured and not know it. Do a quick head-to-toe self-assessment, paying particular attention to bleeding and potential fractures.
If you are with others and someone is injured, you may need to figure out a way to transport that person. Also, take a moment to remove excess or brightly colored clothing and any accessories you don’t need (coat, purse or shiny jewelry).
Another part of this assessment step is to take an inventory of the resources at hand that could help you further. Is there anything that can break a window, for example, or something to act as a transportable shield? Is there a vending machine or a water cooler nearby to get some nourishment? You have just been through strenuous physical activity and significantly more effort may be required until you are safe.
Pick the best plan for evacuation and then follow it.
In an active shooter scenario, here are your three options:
1. Head to the nearest exit.
2. Run to the highest level and attempt rescue from the roof.
In making your decision to evacuate, choose the most discreet way out and the one most likely to limit your chances of meeting the shooter again. Your goal now is evacuation. However, remember that the safest evacuation route may not be the most direct. The best exit may not be the closest one.
Never assume this is the only shooter or that the incident is now over.
Instead, be sure to:
• Stop and listen: Do you hear any more gunfire?
• Does a shooter that was taken down have a radio? If they do, they must have accomplices.
Again never assume an active shooter situation is over until law enforcement declares it.
Hands in the Air
If your efforts are successful and you’ve made it out alive, you surely don’t want police to think you are one of the assailants. As in the military, law enforcement officers are taught to look at the hands of anyone first. If your hands are free of weapons, then you aren’t considered a shooting threat. When you are about to exit and think there is a high probability of encountering law enforcement, you must empty your hands. Put all makeshift weapons and other personal items (including cell phones as they can be used to detonate a bomb) on the ground and away from you. Place hands high in the air and yell out, “Friendly — I'm unarmed.” Keep repeating this, and do so loudly. At this point, do exactly as you are instructed. There will be time for police to realize you are a survivor once they have you in a nonthreatening position.
And now that I've bummed folks out (sorry about that), come to the Vegas and LA shows and have a fun and productive time. And most importantly. Be aware of your surroundings, have an exit plan, and stay safe.
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