Training Employees to Be First Line of Defense Against Active Shooters


To respond to an active shooter incident, it takes law enforcement, on average, seven to 10 minutes. It takes active shooters, on average, three to five minutes to accomplish what they intend. “It’s over before the cops get there,” so who, realistically, will be the first responders, asks Force Training Institute’s lead instructor Jeremiah Hart? Employees. That’s why they need training and more training, said Hart. “You need to have a plan and practice the plan. Planning to have a plan—is not a plan.” Employees need to recognize the sound of gunfire, because very few people do. “See Something, Say Something” is a good mantra, but employees clearly need to know “what to see and who to tell,” he said. In addition, employees also need to practice “Hear Something, Say Something.” Freezing up during active shooter incidents is a normal, and very common, reaction, but with training, employees can learn to run and help others who may freeze. During a crisis, people don’t rise to expectations, but fall to the level of their training, he emphasized. He advocates the “Run, Fight, Hide” approach. Teaching employees what to say when calling 911 during an active shooter episode is also vital.


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Psychological Fitness for Duty – When and How to Evaluate Employees


When an employer becomes concerned that an employee may be incapable of performing his or her job, one response is formal evaluation of that employee’s “fitness for duty” (FFD). Although most cover physical abilities, referrals are also made for psychological FFD evaluations, to determine whether an employee has a psychological impairment that makes him or her unable to perform effectively and safely. These may be triggered when an employee is exhibiting signs of psychological or emotional stress, including those that manifest in hostile or threatening behaviors, or in other behaviors that lead co-workers, or the employer, to be concerned for their safety. Practicing psychologists and psychiatrists have developed fairly standardized approaches to these evaluations, and to procedures for employer referrals and responses to the results of evaluations. However, FFD evaluations impinge on the target employee’s expectations of privacy and right to be free from possible disability-based discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows FFD referrals only when there is an “objective and reasonable” basis for concerns about the employee’s effective ness or safety, derived not just from speculation about the employee’s state of mind, but from direct observations, credible third-party reporting, or other reliable evidence.


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Don't Go it Alone in a Corporate Crisis Crisis requires a team approach. Success in a crisis hinges on leadership and decision-making but those decisions are best when informed by trusted advisors and implemented by capable people. To be an effective leader, one needs the support of a good crisis management team. The importance of a strong support team becomes important when you consider the three phases of decision making in a crisis. 1. Information collection and analysis. An organization that can quickly gather and analyze information about the crisis and display it in a way that can be readily used by decision makers has a distinct advantage. 2. Decision- making. Once crisis leaders feel they have enough information, they begin the process of considering options and developing an action plan. 3. Having a sound plan is meaningless if it cannot be implemented.


This will require support staff to obtain resources, direct the operations of employees, and communicate with customers and vendors. A crisis management team should be comprised of the people you trust and rely on for normal operations and problem solving. Augment that core group with the additional staff and skills you need as a crisis escalates and you significantly improve your ability to manage crisis.


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The 'Shy Kid in the Corner' Charged in Franklin Regional Knife Attack


He always seemed to be "the shy kid in the corner," a classmate said. Hours after a startling and savage attack that left 21 students and a security guard wounded, that was the picture that began to emerge of 16-year-old Alex Hribal, a sophomore at Franklin Regional High School. Armed with two 8-inch knives, he is accused of stabbing and slashing his way through a crowded hallway in an assault that was labeled "bizarre" by both a prosecutor and his own lawyer. Alex's lawyer, Patrick Thomassey, said he had spoken to his parents about an hour before his arraignment. "They did not foresee this coming. They expressed absolute horror," Thomassey said, adding that the family's thoughts were with the victims. Thomassey said the teenager was not a loner nor was he aware of any instances of bullying that would have provoked the attack. Mary Margaret Kerr, chair of administrative and policy studies and a professor of psychology in education and psychiatry, said it can be difficult for schools to predict violent behavior in students. She said standard psychological tests haven't been successful in predicting targeted violence in schools, adding that many school attackers had no histories of mental disorders.


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