Following another active shooter incident – this time in Annapolis, Maryland, where five people were killed – I feel compelled to address what I view as problematic tactical guidance being provided to the American public regarding active shooter survival.
Reporter Phil Davis, who experienced the Annapolis shooting firsthand, shared: "As much as I'm going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don't know until you're there and you feel helpless."
His account challenges the conventional wisdom of hiding as a survival strategy. And he is right.
Hiding under a desk is not a tactical plan that helps anyone, except the shooter.
When I ask active shooter prevention instructors whether they would tell their own family members to hide under a desk, they unanimously refuse. Yet these same professionals recommend this approach to the general public. The contradiction is staggering.
Rather than passive hiding, I advocate for proactive decision-making based on individual circumstances and proximity to the threat. Situational awareness that honors your survival instincts. Non-linear responses that are not limited to preset sequences. Room-based protection with locked doors combined with preparation to run or fight.
Guidance on critical decision-making must begin with championing an individual's innate desire to survive. We should be empowering people, not teaching them to be helpless.
I acknowledge that special populations – small children, the elderly, and infirm individuals – require tailored guidance distinct from general population recommendations. One size does not fit all.
I am inspired by people like James Shaw Jr., who actively fought back during a Waffle House shooting. His decisive action saved lives. He is an example of empowered survival through action, not passivity.
My mission in security is empowering others to become active participants in their own survival through intelligent tactical guidance. Not victims waiting to be rescued.