My family and I were watching the news Saturday when the tragic story about the gunman that killed two people in a mall in Maryland came on. Of course it was troubling to watch, but sadly not unprecedented as we have seen too many similar stories in recent years. What was bizarre about the reporting of the story was that a so called expert (former Navy SEAL and FBI agent) was asked what people should do in such a situation. The expert was at a loss. He said normally he would advise “hold in place, but in this situation it clearly was not a good solution.” My wife was disturbed by the experts answer and asked me today what I thought she and the kids (all teenagers) should do if there is an “Active shooter” in the mall while they are shopping. First I reinforced to her the basics that should be followed anytime you are in the mall like paying attention to all of the exits, especially the emergency exits not normally used by the masses to enter and exit the stores or the mall. I reminded her about staying vigilant to the normal sights, sounds and smells so she could easily sense if something was out of place. Finally, I reminded her to establish a predetermined meeting place for her and the kids if they are separated and an emergency occurs in the mall. Then I got to the specifics of dealing with a gunman bent on shooting random people in the mall. When you hear the gunshots your first response must be to immediately ensure you are out of the line of fire. If you are in the open that means dropping to the floor and lying as flat as possible while you try to assess where the shots are coming from and how close the shooter is. If you determine it is safe to move, you should try to improve your position to one of cover and concealment. Cover means a place where bullets cannot penetrate such as pillars holding up the ceiling. Concealment is a place where you cannot be seen, but not bullet proof (such as behind a rack of clothes). The best position would provide both. The method of movement should be based upon the frequency, volume and closeness of the gunfire. Belly crawling might be necessary if bullets are flying close by. If the gunfire is not in the immediate area you can bound (short sprint) from position to position until you find a strong position to wait it out or until you can safely exit the mall. Avoid places where you can be trapped such as dressing rooms or rest rooms. You should also avoid running with the crowd. First the crowd will be heading for the familiar egress points which will create a choke point thereby creating a swell of people trying to squeeze out at once. Besides the strong possibility of being trampled if you fall or crushed against the doors, this large group of immobile people is a very attractive target for a shooter bent on dropping as many targets as possible. If you are not with the kids when the shooting starts, use your phone to communicate with them, to comfort them, give them direction and check their progress towards reaching the predetermined meeting place. Remind the kids to turn the ringer off just in case the shooter is near so they don’t give away their position. Everyone should have this discussion with their loved ones, not only in regards to an active shooter, but for various types of potential emergencies. You cannot wait until a crisis occurs to try and figure it out. You must plan and practice your responses to ensure the best chance of survival.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 05:30:14 +0000
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