SCHOOL SHOOTINGS - ARE YOU PREPARED?

Proven Solutions to Preventable Tragedies

Hundreds of students have been killed in school related shootings and many more have suffered the devastating results of such tragedies. Recent surveys show that the nationwide trend of school shooting has increased students and parental fears.

The recent tragedy at Virginia TEC is a sad reminder of the lack of individual and institutional preparedness for such threats.

By combining years of experience in fighting terrorism and training First Responders with extensive research of Active Shooter incidents our team has developed the most comprehensive school violence intervention program of its kind.

Our program promotes cooperation between law enforcement and schools, and offers TWO key training components for On Location Responders and for First Responders.

First Responder Training

The inside of a crowded school is one of the most challenging environments in which an officer can be called upon to operate. Unknown structures, multiple doors, extremely crowded lines of fire, panic-stricken bystanders, difficult approach and the possibility of suspects hiding within makes response to a school shooting a complex task. Standard police tactics used for “Barricaded Suspects” will fail when applied against an “Active Shooter” bent on self-destruction. To prepare for these attacks progressive law enforcement agencies must train their First Responders in tactics specifically developed for the highly dynamic Active Shooter situation.

The program teaches law enforcement personnel the following:

•	De-escalation and negotiation strategies
•	Field interrogation for real time intelligence
•	Threat recognition and weapons perception
•	Identification of hostile pretenders in a crowd
•	Immediate threat concepts and target isolation
•	Expedient deployment and crisis team formation
•	Rescue planning and time based tactical modeling
•	Crowd penetration and safe selective shooting tactics

On Location Responder Training

Studies show that by the time the First Responders becomes involved, most casualties have already occurred. Relaying solely on the response of law enforcement during active shooter situations is both irresponsible and unrealistic. To manage these threats effectively, immediate intervention by the On-Location Responders is crucial.

Unlike most advice on school violence, which focuses on preventative measures and the psychological motives behind the attacks, our program explicitly addresses reality based solutions and responses for personal safety.

The program teaches school staff and students the following:

•	Simple step-by-step crisis intervention and personal preservation plans that work.
•	Tested immediate action drills that greatly increase survivability and reduce casualties.
•	Proven survival measures that anyone can use to collectively evade or resist an aggressor in a confined space.
•	Safe evacuation and reunification strategies that help First Responders better manage Active Shooter threats.

The program is cost effective and thoroughly documented and is ready to be taught as part of any school curriculum. We strongly believe that the implemented of this program as a National School Safety Standard would greatly benefit the public safety.

If this program had been adopted at Virginia TEC, the tragedy could have been avoided and the number of casualties significantly reduced.