Responding to Active Shooter Situations

We have seen multiple active shooter situations in the news lately. It can be unnerving for most of us. Among the first to respond to the scene are emergency medical service providers or EMS, and they have to be fully prepared to help the victims and stay safe at the same time. As you could guess, there are many obstacles these first responders will have to overcome to successfully accomplish their jobs. Here are just a few tips you should follow to help increase your response efforts and decrease risk during an active shooter situation.

Stay Safe

The Department of Homeland Security reports that most active shooter situations tend to last approximately ten to fifteen minutes. During this time it is of the utmost importance to consider your safety. As a first responder, you have to stay safe. Remember a wounded first responder is not only unable to tend to any of the victims but will also become a new victim. When an active shooter situation is taking place take cover or evacuate as necessary. If you are unclear on the location of the shooter, you should stay in place and barricade any windows or doors. Use whatever is available to hide and take cover until the scene is safe and secure.

Have an Emergency Action Plan

Unfortunately, having an Emergency Action Plan and training your staff how to safely and successfully respond to active shootings is a necessity these days. Some important factors your plan should include are:

• Detailed guidelines on how to interact and cooperate with police and other first responders at the scene.

• How to successfully and efficiently coordinate with local hospitals in order to quickly treat both critical and noncritical patients.

• Details on triage plans in case there is an extremely large number of wounded patients.

• A comprehensive plan for transportation of victims during an unorthodox transportation situation.

• A thorough list of all the medications and supplies needed to treat the wounded.

• An intensive guideline on proper reporting procedures to not only ensure proper patient care but also the health and safety of EMS workers.

Be Prepared and Plan Ahead

It is practically impossible to be prepared for an active shooter situation. However, by taking the necessary steps and planning ahead for the unthinkable, you could help accelerate treatment and save lives. There are a few steps you can take ahead of time, such as inventorying supplies and ensuring you have a well-stocked medical supply on hand. During these types of situations, you also need to remember that time is of the utmost importance. You want to get the victim removed from the scene and into the ambulance as fast as possible. A rigid stretcher could slow you down. To keep the flow of patients moving rapidly, you need to ensure you have a flexible stretcher, like the MegaMover, in your emergency medical kit.

MegaMovers are ideal for these types of emergency situations because they are:

• Small, compact and lightweight, which makes them easy to store, transport and use.

• Designed to move smoothly over the most difficult types of terrain.

• Perfect to move patients in small, confined spaces, over stairs or around any type of obstacles.

• Created from strong materials that can hold up to a thousand pounds.

• Ergonomically designed lifting to increase efficiency and safety.

• Made from strong, lightweight, non woven fabric, which makes it extremely adaptable and able to use in many different environments.

Responding to an active shooter situation can be extremely hectic. There are so many things that could and may happen. The key to successfully responding to these event relies on how well you have prepared and planned ahead. Remember to do your job but stay safe and alert for the unknown at all times. It will be stressful but staying up to date with all the proper procedures will help keep you safe and ensure you do your job as best as you can.