Active Shooter Planning and Response in a Healthcare Setting

Federal Bureau of Investigation

April 17, 2015

During an active shooter situation, the natural human reaction is to be startled, feel fear and anxiety, and even experience initial disbelief. You can expect to hear noise from alarms, gunfire and explosions, and people shouting and screaming. Training provides the means to regain you composure, recall at least some of what you have learned, and commit to action. We know a trained individual will more likely respond according to the training received and will not descend into denial, while the untrained will more likely not respond appropriately, descend into denial and helplessness, and will usually become part of the problem. There are several sets of planning guidance that have been developed for active shooter incidents for organizations such as schools, government and business office settings.

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