Police say people under attack need survivor's mindset
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Lt. Ian Cry with the University of Massachusetts Police leads an "active threat" workshop at the school's police headquarters on Thursday evening.
AMHERST - Ronnie Booxbaum said she felt unsafe running an afterschool program at the Pepin School in Easthampton even before the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month.
She grew even more concerned afterward because the school is not locked when the school day ends, people are coming and going all the time and there are nine doors in the building.
She along with about three dozen educators, police and others from as far as Cummington attended an active threat response training program offered Thursday by University of Massachusetts police to learn what they could about countering someone like the 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who killed 20 children and six adults last month.
Police offered the training they have given to about 5,000 over the last few years as a way to reach out to the community and to get people thinking in advance about how they would respond.
“It’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen but when,” said officer Mark Whelihan. “We want people to be ready. We want (to see) a survival mindset.”
There is no one answer of what to do in such a case but people need to be prepared because in most cases police will not get to a site in time to prevent deaths.
“Time is not on our side, we need to bridge that gap,” said Lt. Ian Cyr, a detective in the department.
To get into a survival mindset means imagining how to react if there was an active shooter. Sometimes it might mean hiding and barricading in a safe place, sometimes fleeing and sometimes it might mean fighting back if that’s the last option. “Each situation will dictate what your responses will be,” Whelihan said.
Whelihan suggested people take a look at their schools and buildings and scope out good places to hide such as a janitor’s closet they might not have noticed before. Also look at how the doors open - do they open out or in and do they lock from the inside or outside. Look at what could be used to barricade the door if needed.
They showed statistics of what happened at Virginia Tech in which 33 were killed with passive versus proactive responses.
Of the 14 who stayed down in one room, 10 were killed and two wounded. In another where the dozen barricaded the door, no one was killed or injured.
In another room, 19 were present the professor told them to break the window and jump. Two were killed in that room and three wounded.
If fleeing or hiding is not an option, throwing something at the shooter will distract and confuse him (most shooters are male.)
One teacher had said that he has canned goods in his closet that his students know could be used to throw. Police suggested also using bug spray or a fire extinguisher or throwing a chair.
“Stand up, be strong,” said UMass Police Chief John Horvath. “Mindset is very important.”
When police do respond, people should know that police don’t know who is a threat and who is not so show them your hands, submit to what they’re asking.
Sunderland Elementary School Principal Timothy Merritt said they have lock down drills at school but he’s aware “that best practices change.” He was at the workshop because he “wanted to get some good advice that’s current.” He said they were on the phone with local and state police right after the Sandy Hook shootings but “we’ll take extra advice.
He said, “It’s disturbing to think about the event (at Sandy Hook.)” But he said, “We love being in school. It’s the best part of the day.”
Horvath said they will offer the workshop again; he wants people to see his department is a community resource.
The program “was so helpful,” Booxbaum said. She learned “You can fight not hide.” She liked the idea of using canned goods or bug spray as weapons if need be. She also made connections with the state police who will connect her to the Easthampton police resource officer to talk about improved safety.
Tips from police
- Trust your instincts.
- Evacuate if possible to a safe location outside the building or shelter in place, block and lock doors.
- Call police and tell them what’s happening.
- Turn cell phone to silent or vibrate mode.
- Breathe to mange fear – focus your mind.
- Plan to survive.
- Prepare to attack the threat as a last resort.
- Stay where you are until police arrive.
- Obey all police commands.
- Remain calm, follow police directions.