“Five Outs”

Just thought I’d pass this one on, Seems that Penn State is producing a little video about safety in a School Shooting.

This is why the Penn State Human Resource Development Center (HRDC), along with University Police and the Penn State Risk Management Office, has created an hour-long program that provides people with instructions and options in case an active shooter was to ever open fire on campus. “Five OUTS: Surviving an Active Shooter” was designed to create awareness, to encourage our campus to support safety….

1. GET OUT of the area to somewhere safe. Leave the room and go in the opposite direction from any shooter.
2. CALL OUT to 911. Give as many details about what you saw or heard and your current location. Do not assume that someone else has called – you may have new information for the police.
3. HIDE OUT. If you can not leave, turn out the lights of the room you are in, and hide until help arrives. Avoid hallways, turn your cell phone on silent, and remain as quiet as possible.
4. KEEP OUT. Lock, block, or barricade the door with any available furniture.
5. TAKE OUT. This is a last resort when you have no other option, this is the life or death situation. Attempt to take out the shooter however you can.

Well since they analyzed the Virginia Tech shooting, and there’s a LOT of information on that day freely available, let’s have a look:

#1. The shooter chained the exit doors to the hall. There was no way for the police to easily get in, no way for victims to easily get out. Some people did manage to escape injury by exiting from windows. Good advice, but depending on the situation it may not be possible.
#2. 911 was called by many people that day, including Collin Goddard who was shot. I would only call 911 if you have some time on your hands. You probably won’t if a spree shooting is going on around you.
#3. Many people hid that day, including Collin Goddard, who was shot. Think of a classroom or an office or other such area where a shooter may be. How good a hiding place can you find? We’re not talking Die Hard here, you won’t be able to sneak into an air duct or atop an elevator. Somebody looking to kill people WILL look under desks and in closets. Reminds me of my favorite Jeff Cooper quote: “An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is
not overcome by fleeing from it.” If you do hide from an shooter, anybody else who also doesn’t hide may be shot in your place. If you’re lucky the shooter will move on or die before they find you….but a lot of people were found and shot. Not a good option, unless you are using concealment and cover for an ambush….more on that later.
#4. This is good. Just like the blocking of doors allowed the shooter some time before Police entered the building, barricades and locked doors can help you. Help, not save. Dr. Liviu Librescu was shot through a barricaded door, but his selfless act did give much of his class time to jump from the window.

#5. This is frankly the best option if you can’t get to #1. All of the other methods have severe flaws, and are very passive in nature. If somebody is out to kill you KILL THEM BACK! The shooter at VT reloaded several times. That’s a moment when he could have easily become overwhelmed. This was exactly what stopped the Tuscon Shooting.

Of course #5 would be a whole lot better if the good guys were allowed guns when on campus….one wonders, if Cho shot himself as soon as the Police entered the building, even with ammo still on his person, what would he have done if he knew some students and teachers may have had guns in the building he locked himself into?

Be Safe People!