“Run, Hide, Fight” – “Surviving An Active Shooter Event”

As much as it pains us all to think about this happening to us, workers need to be informed and taught what to do if this “unfortunate” type of violence ever happens in their workplace.

A new public service announcement in Houston features three strategies to practice in case of a workplace shooting in one of the first safety videos produced as a precaution against active shooters in the wake of the horrific movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., 10 days ago. Produced by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event,” is a six-minute video released last week that promotes tips on how to survive a shooting inside the workplace.

“If you are ever to find yourself in the middle of an active shooter event, your survival may depend on whether or not you have a plan,” the narrator says in the video. “The plan doesn’t have to be complicated.”

The video opens with an active shooter beginning to shoot at random employees at a workplace. During the course of the public service announcement, three safety options are presented – run, hide and fight. The video suggests running to be the first option, followed by hiding. Fighting should be considered a “last resort,” according to the narrator.

“Your actions can make a difference for your safety and survival,” the narrator says in the video. “Be aware and be prepared.”

The video is a part of the Ready Houston initiative focusing on regional disaster preparedness, according to Talking Points Memo. The public service announcement has been funded by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Regional Catastrophic Planning Initiative, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The video’s production was not in lieu of the Aurora shooting. The Chronicle reports that filming had wrapped up two weeks prior to the July 20 theater shooting.

“We didn’t release it at the time because we didn’t know it was relevant,” Dennis Storemski, head of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security Department, told the Houston Chronicle. “Now it is.”

Source: Houston Chronicle