Active shooter training
Active shooter training addresses the threat of an active shooter by providing awareness, preparation, prevention, and response methods.
Organizations such as businesses, places of worship or education, choose to sponsor active shooter training in light of a concern that as of 2013, 66.9% of active shooter incidents ended before police arrival in the United States. The Department of Justice says they remain "committed to assist training for better prevention, response, and recovery practices involving active shooter incidents" and they encourage training for civilians as well as first responders.
Although training is currently optional, businesses and organizations are beginning to face citations due to non-compliance with OSHA's guidelines regarding Workplace Violence.
The FBI further stresses that civilian training and exercises should include: ‘an understanding of the threats faced and also the risks and options available in active shooter incidents.
Legal/government requirements
In the United States, OSHA has made recommendations for businesses when it comes to active shooting and the workplace. Their guidelines within certain organizations also extend to building securities and facilities structures, as well as properly implemented active shooter preparation training. Lawmakers have also held organizations accountable for not having appropriate training or other protocols in place, citing OSHA's general duty clause. In 2017, the Department of Labor published the new “Enforcement Procedures and Scheduling for Occupational Exposure to Workplace Violence” which provides policy guidance and procedures to be followed when issuing citations related to workplace violence.Given these changes, active shooter response training is quickly becoming a standard across America. Current active shooter training methods range from books to videos to multi-day on-site courses, but not all fall under OSHA's guidelines or judges approvals.
Types of training
Much analysis has been done on the techniques and methods active shooters. In response to the data, some training programs include a focus on medical response for civilians, whereas other training programs place their attention on prevention, self defense, security of the building, escape during the event, psychology or physical escape. Common ideologies frequently taught are “Run/Hide/Fight” as put forth by the Department of Homeland Security, as well as “Avoid, Deny, Defend” which was developed by the ALERRT center at Texas State University. There are differing viewpoints on the effectiveness of certain concepts, and the standards are constantly being updated with new data and methods.Training for law enforcement
Many training programs focus on a particular group or groups of people. ALERRT in conjunction with CRASE, and FLETC are examples of Federal- and State-level training, intended to help first responders and federal agents know how to respond to an active shooting. Other local agencies are also joining the fight and instituting their own form of training.Training for organizations
Active shooter response training should not be confused with speech seminars, continuing education courses, or requesting a visit from local law enforcement. The FBI stresses the importance that training and exercises for citizens include an understanding of the threats faced and also the risks and options available in active shooter incidents. Private programs are available to organizations, businesses, schools which provide training in how to respond to or prepare for an active shooter.Active shooter response training has become an increasingly demanded service, directly proportional to the increase in active shooting events in the United States, as well as to the continuing changes in laws, litigation, and OSHA requirements. There are unfortunately few active shooter training programs available to the public to match the need, and not all agree on what are the correct methods for addressing the issue. The hope among many is that more training programs will continue to become available, and the FBI urges everyone to receive proper training. The FBI has stated:
Recognizing the increased active shooter threat and the swiftness with which active shooter incidents unfold, study results support the importance of training and exercises— not only for law enforcement but also for citizens...even when law enforcement was present or able to respond within minutes, civilians often had to make life and death decisions, and therefore, should be engaged in training and discussions on decisions they may face.
Training and insurance
FBI study results reveal that as of 2013, 45.6% of incidents occurred in areas of commerce, including those open and closed to pedestrian traffic. The second-largest area for incidents was places of education at 24.4%. From 2013-2018, the trends have remained similar, with more events occurring at places of business. Demand for a new active shooter insurance has increased, with some policies now offering discounts to those organizations who have received prior and qualifying active shooter training. Some schools and organizations are already spending millions on active shooter insurance, as it is becoming a growing necessity.Controversy
Risks vs. Benefits
Those who plan training programs determine what should be conveyed in the drills, or if there should be drills at all.In the United States, there has been some controversy over the effectiveness of active shooter training programs. Organizations disagree whether teaching youth to "fight" the active shooter is dangerous or effective. While the U.S. Department of Education doesn't recommend that students try to fight an active shooter, the FBI senior executive in charge of its active shooter initiative believes that fighting is often an unfortunate necessity and points out that individuals can at least train to fight.
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida raised the question of whether training programs can accidentally yield strategic information to would-be shooters. Like most U.S. states, Florida requires schools to test their plans with drills. The shooter, a former student, may have been familiar with the school's drills and emergency plans regarding active shootings; some alleged that he used the information to increase total casualties. The school had indeed received active shooter training before the actual shooting occurred, and the 2018 shooting in Parkland was the deadliest school place shooting in the United States since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
There is a movement among national teacher organizations to end these drills. One such voice is the Massachusetts Teachers Association labor union. Merrie Najimy, the head of the MTA, said in 2020 that the drills are "scary" and "stressful" for students and that "lockdown is just a narrow and fear-based view of how to address a serious problem. It doesn't get at the root causes." Some believe the drills and training programs are too traumatic for the students and that the training is more harmful—emotionally and mentally—than beneficial.
Effectiveness & Qualifications
Other controversies arise over the effectiveness of certain programs or the qualifications and tactics used by those teaching them. For instance, some trainers focus solely on the training acronyms and directions, no matter the situation. Others deem this type of training as ineffective and are instead advocating for a scenario-based training protocol.Some training programs are created by police, school resource officers, or SWAT, while others are created by current or former military, Special Operations, psychologists, Federal agents, or more. Some citizens and other professionals express concern that first responders do not have the appropriate credentials to direct an active shooter response training program for civilians. The expressed concern is that some first responders are not adequately trained in active shootings and either haven't received, are currently receiving or only recently received their own training through the ALERRT program--thereby representing inadequate qualifications or experience to be training others. The FBI indicates that some officers and agents are under-experienced and under-educated in how to handle active shootings, even as a first responder. Broward County Sheriff's Office, for example, also received widespread criticism for their handling of the Stoneman Douglas school shooting as first responders. The public outcry was focused on the inadequacies of first responders in addressing active shootings at all.