Preparing for the Worst

The FBI defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Globally, these incidents typically occur in educational environments, places of business and other open spaces.

With these acts of violence on an upward trajectory, it is imperative for business leaders to take every measure possible to adequately prevent and respond to active shootings when they occur. This requires them to familiarize themselves and their employees with behavioral identifiers and preparation tactics, in addition to procedures to follow in the event of violence.

Understanding the identifiers

Most active shooter incidents can be classified by three key indicators:

1. The perpetrator uses a firearm to kill or attempt to kill individuals in a populated area.
2. Victim selection does not follow a specific pattern and targeting is random.
3. The shooting cannot be connected to a separate or more targeted event like gang activity or domestic violence.

Historically, most active shootings end before first responders arrive on the scene. This means ample preparation via developing procedures for prevention, response and recovery is the first line of defense against these events.

There are steps business leaders should take to ensure their organization is prepared and equipped to respond to acts of violence, no matter where they are located. These include providing employees with training on the warning signs that can lead to violence, establishing and maintaining an accessible and reliable reporting system, and developing procedures for intervention and response.

 

Behavioral warning signs

While there is no surefire way to predict whether someone will escalate to mass violence, there are several behavioral warning signs common among perpetrators. These behaviors are typically noticeable to friends and coworkers and will increase in severity as the individual considers resorting to violence. When employees are familiar with these warning signs, they can raise red flags and intervene before their behavior intensifies.

Common factors that precede violent thoughts or behavior include, but are by no means limited to:

• Health concerns
• Financial woes
• Strain in personal relationships
• Loss of loved ones or community

As these factors worsen and frustration grows, individuals may begin to exhibit behavior like paranoia and violent speech. Managers and coworkers alike need to be on the lookout for indicators like increased absenteeism, disproportionate reactions to changes around the office, and intense or unjustified anger.

Business leaders and supervisors must be educated on identifying this type of behavior at its earliest stages so they can provide the employee in question with the attention and resources they need to deescalate.

Active shooting prevention

Understanding what behavioral warning signs to look for is only the first step. Once employees and managers know what to look for, they must have the ability to flag this behavior to the proper authorities, whether that is someone within the organization or external officials like law enforcement.

This can be achieved via a reliable reporting system. Employees should have the chance to share concerns about anyone in their workplace – whether a coworker, manager, customer or visitor – without fear of retribution. Tip lines and HR reporting systems have traditionally served this purpose, but in today’s digital world many organizations are turning to mobile risk management platforms that can be accessed with a smartphone.

Such systems provide visibility into potential employee crises, suspicious activity, and other health and safety concerns like facilities hazards. When employees can raise the red flag about troubling behavior early on, it enables business leaders to intervene before that behavior has the chance to escalate. Organizations should consider assembling a threat management team that is responsible for addressing such concerns. This team might comprise a chief security officer, general counsel and human resources leaders, and should be poised to evaluate employee reports and intervene when they deem necessary.

If budget and staffing allow, including an insider threat analyst or mental health counselor on the threat management team will supplement efforts to assess workplace risk and establish comprehensive policies for the organization at large. Once potential threats have been flagged, it is time for intervention, which should be tailored to each case individually. Examples include:

• Employee interviews

• Mental health counseling

• Administrative action

• Involving law enforcement

The threat management team should evaluate all these strategies, both passive and active, when determining how to intervene when employee behavior becomes a concern.

Safety during violent events

Becoming familiar with behavioral warning signs and having the ability to anonymously report concerns is key to preventing the escalation of violence. But intervention is not always possible or effective, which means workplaces need procedures in place if an active shooting unfolds.

Such policies should include:

• Emergency communication and reporting plan: Who is responsible for alerting employees about the situation? Who is responsible for contacting law enforcement?

• Evacuation plan: Employees need guidance on how to safely evacuate the building via primary and secondary evacuation routes. Include designated assembly points outside the building where they should gather once safely outside.

• Hideout and lockdown procedures: When and how should employees conceal themselves if evacuation is not possible? What safe areas exist inside the building? What doors need to be locked or barricaded? Who is responsible for doing so?

• Response procedures: Should employees encounter the shooter, they need guidance on how to react.

• Post-incident support: After the violence has ceased, provide workers with instructions on how to use support resources like counseling services or employee assistance programs. Encourage them to take advantage of this support should they suffer trauma and distress.

Another useful way to keep employees informed and safe during a violent incident is by deploying an emergency mass notification system (EMNS). These platforms enable employers to broadcast immediate safety information to their employee base via rapid multichannel messaging.

Should an active shooting begin to unfold in the workplace, an EMNS platform gives leaders the power to send emergency alerts directly to their staff members’ mobile devices. With the touch of a button, leaders can remind staff of relevant safety protocols and issue the all-clear once the threat has resolved.

This tech should especially be leveraged to provide follow-up information when an alert is based on a report submitted by an employee. This will demonstrate a commitment to taking employee concerns seriously and encourage other workers to utilize the reporting system.

Holistic training

The most effective tool employers have in their arsenal is comprehensive safety training. It is not enough to educate staff on how to react when an incident occurs; leaders and peers need to know how to identify the signs of potential violent behavior so they can stop it in its tracks.

Organizations should invest in training solutions that offer holistic courses on identifying, responding to and recovering from violent behavior like active shootings. The right solution will feature interactive courses that educate employees on the various types of targeted violence, behavioral traits and indicators, and how to respond during and after an incident. These courses should enable employees to:

• Understand active shooter and threat profiles
• Prepare for situations of targeted violence
• Evaluate options for dealing with an active shooter or threat
• Properly interact with law enforcement during and after the incident

When employees know exactly what their responsibilities are during a violent event, it will increase their chances of survival and minimize chaos and confusion during the incident. Furthermore, providing employees with ongoing access to safety policies and running refresher drills will keep procedures top of mind.

Be sure to clearly outline how employees can take advantage of resources like mental health counseling after the fact. Recovering from violence is already a difficult and lengthy process; employees should not have to worry about accessing support.

A global imperative

With active shooting incidents on the rise in the United States, some states are taking steps to mandate workplace violence prevention. A new labor code in the state requires nearly all California-based employers to develop, implement and enforce a written prevention plan for workplace violence and provide employees with annual training to refresh them on said plan.

But preventing workplace violence is not only a concern for U.S.-based employers. There are regulations in different regions across the globe aimed at keeping employees safe from harm. Examples include:

• Australia: Work Health and Safety Act 2011 No 10

• European Union: Directive 89/391/EEC - OSH “Framework Directive”

• Japan: Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA)

• United Kingdom: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

No matter where employers are located, it is their mandated and moral responsibility to protect their employees from violence in the workplace. By investing in training solutions that both enable staff to identify and report on troubling behavior and understand how to respond during and after an active shooting incident, organizations can equip their employees with the resources and knowledge they need to survive.