For the past 18 years, the author has worked with numerous agencies and private sector companies to help enhance their security and security-related training. During the time of actively consulting with these entities it was discovered that there was a lapse of training regarding an Active Shooter incident. Furthermore, the author has found that the public has a commonality that is being desensitized to violence.
These types of ongoing incidents have proven to be indiscriminate to the victims involved. There is no common thread between incidents. Although there are more prevailing circumstances involving the shooter, these individuals have not shared a common.
More and more we are seeing the public taking an observer approach to violence, standing by or recording an incident. Within this issue lies another problem, and a more serious one: the reaction to a serious violent attack. We are all animals by nature and were born with instincts of flight or fight. Unfortunately, some of us also fall into the category of "freezing."
With the continued evolution of technology we are falling victim to being lost and distracted within this technology. When a violent incident is presented to us, the majority of the public will be the proverbial "deer in the headlights." We can conclude that the majority of people are not prone to violence or are perpetrators of violence.
To avert, prepare and assure a more favorable outcome of one of these events, a situational awareness and a survival mindset needs to be developed and maintained throughout one's professional and personal life. All employees should at least be offered the awareness level training. It is the company's responsibility to provide a safe work environment for all of its employees.
