Nearly 200 local employees and security staff recently underwent a two-hour training in dealing with active shooter incidents as part of a program put on by Gateway to L.A. and the Los Angeles Police Department.
The training focused on the mantra: “Run, Hide, Fight” and stressed that there are many simple strategies to keep yourself and others safe in the case of an active shooter similar to the recent attacks in San Bernardino and Brussels.
“In an era when senseless killing seems to be far too common, training like this is critical,” said LAPD Pacific Area Captain Nicole Alberca. “The principles we teach those who attend might save their life.”
Among the concepts is the initial effort to run and to escape the area where an active shooter may be. Too many people fair to plan an escape route when they visit a theater, concert or other event that could be a target of an attack.
When escaping from the area is impossible, the training suggests that people hide in an area outside of the shooter’s view, lock the door or block the entry to the hiding place and turn off cell phones to avoid being detected.
Finally, if escape and hiding is not possible, participants in the training were instructed to fight in an effort to incapacitate the shooter.
Trainees also received details about how to act when law enforcement arrives at the scene and what information to provide to 911 operators.
“We felt this type of training was an essential part of being prepared,” said Laurie Hughes, Executive Director of Gateway to L.A. “We work regularly with the local security teams at our member hotels and office buildings as well as with law enforcement, so this type of joint effort was a natural extension of that cooperation.”
The training was a first for Gateway to L.A., but LAPD offers similar training through its local police stations or by calling the LAPD West Bureau Training Coordinator at (213) 473-0276.
