Spinoff: Have you had active shooter training?

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I work in education so I have active shooter training every year. The local police officers come out to the school. They have nerf type guns and we practice situations. They always have us do the lock and cower old school method first and they inevitably bust in and "shoot" everyone. Then they train us on barricading/fighting or running depending on proximity of the shooter. It's really unreal when you are told to train 5-11 year olds to push furniture in front of the door and then have heavy objects in their hands to throw at the shooter if he breaches the door. It does keep the shooter from hitting as many people during the training and they say it's been proven that a shooter will move on if the people inside are making it too hard, looking for easier targets. We also learn how to break the windows with a chair leg and use a belt to wrap the handle of the door making it hard to enter.

It's usually an emotional training, hard to wrap your head around the fact you are there preparing for this awful thing and this actually happens to children on a semi regular basis.

This is just horrific and I can only send hugs across the internet. While in Ireland and UK we have our own issues, at least our children are safe in school. I have friends in Arizona and their son will be going to college in Ireland. Knowing he will not have do this training in an Irish college was one of main reasons they are sending their son to Ireland for 4 years.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Yes, when I worked in a school. I was a secretary there so I had control of coming and going & took it very seriously You'd be shocked how many parents pushed up against the rules of announcing who you were and why you were there, like they should get a pass.

People need to know that they really need to be supportive of school security, it is not a good thing to give people a pass because you never know if a POA pops up or if, say there is some conflict in the family or friends. Not just for kids but teachers and other staff too, the secretary would not be the first one you'd tell but you should, I NEVER let anyone in without announcing themselves.

Showing up in a uniform was not gonna help I'd get the janitor to escort everyone and if no-one told me to expect someone guess who was not getting a buzz? Ticked off, too bad, go away.

 

[BrianL]

My company does a (video) training annually

Yeah, that's what we do. We have a few training courses that we have to do every year and one of them covers this.

 

[Vashophy]

Yeah, it's scary to think about. We had a brief training at work, but it wasn't super detailed. They mentioned finding cover and staying out of sight if you can't reach an exit. I've started making a habit of noting exits whenever I’m in public spaces, but it’s still unnerving. Stay safe out there.

 

[Bethislucy]

At work no which is kind of crazy as I work in a local government office, but sadly at church we have and then get a yearly email about what to do there if it happens.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

My employer started providing it about 6-7 years ago. We have an annual WBT that we take that focuses on hide, flee, and fight. It's a lot of useful information, but I hate taking it. It's sad that we need it and in order for it to be useful, you really have to think about yourself having the misfortune of being in these situations.

They also do it in the schools. DD15 came home the other day talking about their recent training. It launched us into this awful conversation that painted my mind with horrific pictures. It's hard enough envisioning yourself in it, but picturing your kid is just gut wrenching. After Parkland, I bought the kids bulletproof shields for their backpacks, but the reality is that those won't stop the preferred weapon of most mass shooters and now that they're older, they have too much stuff to also fit the shield.

 

[china mom]

As a civilian employee, I have watched the run/hide/fight video once. Prior to that, the only active shooter drills I participated as an officer. Back then, we waited for back-up and entered the building in the diamond formation and searched for the shooter. That method changed about two years after I retired. I have not drilled on the new methods but have played the victim role for deputies who were training (I got shot in the head early on so I didn't get to see the new tactics).

 

[Imzadi]

but have played the victim role for deputies who were training (I got shot in the head early on so I didn't get to see the new tactics).

I've seen when the local news reports how our first responders have had training drills once every year or so, using actual people playing victims. I thought it would be so interesting to play one, as I would still learn so much watching all the responders. It would be a bummer to get shot early and not see anything.

 

[china mom]

I've seen when the local news reports how our first responders have had training drills once every year or so, using actual people playing victims. I thought it would be so interesting to play one, as I would still learn so much watching all the responders. It would be a bummer to get shot early and not see anything.

My husband was a decedent in a very extensive drill with a lot of funding. They used moulage to give him a horrific head would and he had to lie on the hard floor for forever. My son got to play the hysterical teenager who just watched his father get shot. I was a drill coordinator for that one but was manning the command post so I did not get to see anything.

The one I was in was low budget - no blood or anything.

Although I didn't get to watch them in action but am very familiar with the tactics they were using.

 

[SC Minnie]

We've had it at the company I work for. During Health/Safety week every couple of years they have someone from the local police or sheriffs dept come out. They do a walk thru of both buildings then have a meeting session for everyone to go over what should be done depending on what floor you're on.

 

[neverlandsky]

Yes. 3 of 4 of us have been in active shooter situation. Our Training: Avoid, Deny, & Defend. Active Shooter: Shelter in place.
I will say during active shootings and the aftermath there is a lot, and I mean a lot of miscommunications! ETA: Our best way to communicate was through text.

 

[Stratman50th]

Yes.

 

[EACarlson]

Another division of my employer produces video training and we all got to be the guinea pigs when the first couple of versions rolled out. I've also taken part in a couple of the schools drills when I was working delivering lunches, and I was a small part in a big scenario when I worked security for one of the local sports arenas. But that last one was 20 years ago.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes. My office does it every year, and it is required of anyone who works onsite.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I'm a teacher, so we have the training. We do a 1-hr training before school starts and then this week we did a practice lock down with the kids.

 

[RangerPooh]

Every few years we have Run/Hide/Fight training.