What Every Mover Should Know to Prevent and Respond to an Active Shooter Incident
By Casey Myers
Champion Risk & Insurance Services welcomes the opportunity to provide you with important information about insurance coverage and issues that can help you mitigate risk for your business. As a follow up to last month’s article about preparing for an active shooter incident, this month’s article is about preventing and responding to these events. Please contact Casey Myers with your questions about any insurance-related matters.
According to the FBI, the number of active shooter incidents increased by 96.8% between 2017 (31 incidents) and 2021 (61 incidents). They have also grown in severity, with 3 out of the 5 deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history occurring in the past decade.
Active shooter incidents carry various consequences and have lasting effects on people and the places they happen. Often, there are fatalities, serious injuries and prolonged trauma. As a business leader, it is essential that you understand active shooter incidents and how to protect your employees, customers and property.
Commonly Targeted Locations
According to recent data from the FBI, these organizations are the most common targets for active shooter events:
- Commerce/retail (52.4%)
- Government (4.9%)
- Education (3.3%)
- Religious organizations (1.6%)
- Health care (1.6%)
In addition, 33.1% of active shooter cases occur in open spaces.
Impact on Organizations
If there is an active shooter incident, your organization may incur costs for medical and funeral bills for victims, workers’ compensation claims, on-site counseling services and business interruptions.
Since active shooters are considered a, “recognized hazard,” you may also be cited for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s general duty clause if safety protocols are not in place.
Prevention and Response Measures
Develop effective prevention and response measures for your business, including:
- Implementing proper security protocols by conducting a threat assessment.
- Monitoring applicable parties including employees and customers for potentially dangerous or violent behaviors on-site.
- Educating employees about responding to workplace violence with routine training, including ways they can protect themselves and others from harm amid active shooter incidents.
- Establishing an emergency action plan (EAP). OSHA requires employers to have documented EAPs that outline specific actions amid various workplace emergencies.
- Reach out to law enforcement for additional guidance and work with legal counsel to discuss any applicable regulatory requirements regarding active shooting preparedness.