To Implement – The Active Shooter protocol will be implemented when a person or persons enter our building or grounds armed with a firearm with the intent to do harm or threatening to do harm to those present or is actively shooting.
- If an armed intruder enters our building the first response will be to protect as many of our patients, visitors and staff as possible. At the same time we will summon help from internal and external resources.
- Your personal response may need to be made in a hurry. Difficult decisions will need to be acted on quickly. Make the best response decisions you can and try to limit the harm inflected on yourself and those around you.
Notification by observing person/employee
- Make the best decision you can as to order of notifications
- Call “6” (if in a hospital building or a building attached to the hospital)
- Call 9-911 (Medical Center) or 911 if not connected to the switch board
- Notify your Manager or Supervisor, if possible
- Provide this information:
- The 911 Call say: “This is Bryan Medical Center (give location, plus area) we have an armed intruder in the building, gunshots (not) fired.”
- The “6” Call say: ”We have an Active Shooter in the building (provide area), gunshots (not) fired.”
- If possible provide a description of the person(s) and their location
Announcement
- The Telecommunications Operator will announce three times: “Active Shooter + Location + Do not go near this area, leave the building if safe to do so”.
Personal Response, follow this as a guide; your response may vary depending on the circumstances.
Remember ADD, it may add to your chances for survival
A – Avoid, the goal is to completely stay away from the armed intruder
- Do NOT respond to the area of the armed intruder
- Leave the armed intruders area
- Help visitors and patients to safe areas
- Leave the building if possible, unless involved in patient care
D – Deny Access, the goal is to keep the armed intruder moving and not finding victims
- Move into a room with a locked door
- Lock your door, turn off lights, make no noise
- Barricade doors, make entry as difficult as possible
- Patient care areas;
- Block or lock entry doors, including stairwells
- Close patient doors
- Stay out of hallways as much as possible
- If possible place one person in each occupied patient room, close door and block it with everything available
- Do not come out until the all clear is announced
D – Defend, the goal is to survive a face to face encounter with an armed intruder
- If you cannot avoid or deny access, you may have few options, and may include:
- Play dead among the other victims
- Fight back; this is very dangerous and may be your last option
- Use anything handy as a weapon (fire extinguisher, piece of a file cabinet, pen, letter opener, stapler etc.)
- Follow their directions
- Make your decision based on what you think is best for the circumstances you are in.
- At this point we can only provide suggestions, you will need to do what you think is best
Personal Response to police
- The police may not know who is the armed intruder so be prepared to be treated as a suspect until things are sorted out
- Raise your hands, keep your hands in view
- Do not brandish weapons when encountering police or exiting the building
- Ensure that you do not appear to be a threat
- Follow directions
- Provide as much information as possible