Active Shooter Response Plan Template

I. Introduction
Effective response to an Active Shooter event requires effective planning and role
reinforcement through training for personnel caught in the event, as well as for
leaders and managers coordinating the response to the event. Personnel in the
vicinity of an Active Shooter may need to evacuate or shelter in place depending
upon circumstances unique to that event. Organization leadership and managers
coordinating the response to an active shooter event need to be able to provide
effective direction to personnel in the vicinity of the Active Shooter, provide clear
situation information to first responders, and inform the public.

This Active Shooter Response Plan Template is designed to be a supplement to

the (Insert name of organization or facility) Emergency Plan (EP). The template
for this plan was developed by a working group comprised of Federal agencies,
law enforcement professionals and experts in emergency management operations.

II. Purpose
This Active Shooter Response Plan provides instructions and guidance to
effectively address the response of (Insert name of organization or facility) to an
Active Shooter incident. The Active Shooter Response Plan provides guidance for
developing and implementing procedures in response to an Active Shooter
incident.

This Active Shooter Response Plan was prepared by (Insert Name), (Insert name
of organization or facility) Security/Safety Director and (Insert Name), (Insert
name of County/City) Emergency Management Director on XX/XX/XX. This
document was prepared in coordination and cooperation with the following, and
they have signed-off with their concurrence:

Chief of Police __________________, & Staff _______________________ Police Department

Fire Chief ______________________, & Staff __________________________ Fire & Rescue
Sheriff ________________________, & Staff ______________________Co. Sheriffs Office
Emergency Management Director __________________________________________________
Emergency Medical Services Director _____________________________________________
State Highway Patrol Captain ______________________, & Staff_________________________
State Bureau of Investigation ______________________, & Staff_________________________
FBI Special Agent in Charge _______________________, & Staff________________________
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms _____________________________________________
Area Substance Abuse Council ______________________________________________________
Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standard Office ________________________________
Other if additional or different people, continue to list.

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III. Preparedness
An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to
kill people in a confined and populated place; in most cases, active shooters use
firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active
shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate
deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm
to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10-15 minutes,
before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both
mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

IV. Relevant Plans

This section provides an overview of the plans, policies, and guidance documents
that are applicable to the (Insert name of organization or facility). Plans may be
maintained by the County or City where the organization or facility resides.

A. (Insert name of organization or facility) Security and Safety Guideline

Reference Manual
Insert a brief description of the (Insert name of organization or facility)
owners Security and Safety Guideline Reference Manual

B. (Insert name of organization or facility) Emergency Action Plan

Insert a brief description of the (Insert name of organization or facility)
Emergency Plan.

C. (Insert name of organization or facility) Security & Safety Plan

Insert a brief description of the (Insert name of organization or facility)
Security & Safety Plan.

D. Other (as appropriate)

Reference other organization or facility plans.
Reference County Plans (including Mass Casualty Plan).
Reference City Plans.

V. Command Structure/Response Organization

The Command Structure/Response Organization for an Active Shooter incident
should mirror the normal Command Structure, as found in Section (Insert Section
Number) of the Emergency Action Plan.

The diagram below, which depicts the command structure/response organization,

is also included in the Emergency Plan.

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 Exhibit 1: Command Structure/Response Organization

Insert Command Structure/Response Organization Diagram

A. Jurisdiction and Liability

Identify laws, ordinances, and authorities that affect active shooter
response activities
Identify any issues of liability associated with active shooter response
activities

B. Direction, & Control Roles and Responsibilities

Define for each entity, designate & identify key personnel

C. Local, State & Federal Assistance Roles and Responsibilities

Define for each entity, designate & identify key personnel

D. Surrounding Industry/Private Sector Assistance Roles and

Responsibilities
Define for each entity, designate & identify key personnel

E. Local Transportation Structure Roles and Responsibilities

Define for each entity, designate & identify key personnel

VI. Pre-Incident Planning

Active shooter incidents often begin and conclude quickly, leaving facility
management and security officers little to no time to coordinate response
procedures with law enforcement and employees. Facility readiness requires that
managers develop and exercise response plans that apply general preparedness
and response protocols to specific types of emergencies and facility capabilities
(including security resources). Training and exercising the plan was a key finding
of experts and facility managers who participated in active shooter exercises,
allowing them to identify gaps, correct weaknesses, and validate their plan.

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 A. Develop Response Plans and Procedures
Implement a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan that includes
incidents beyond an environmental emergency, such as active shooter or
suspicious package.
Review and update the facilitys Emergency Action Plan with assistance
from law enforcement and emergency responders.
Establish communication procedures for employees to report signs, flags,
and threats of workplace violence.
Establish alternative methods of communication with employees during
an incidentincluding emergency notification system, e-mail, phone,
cell phone, text message, and loudspeaker announcements.
Determine how to estimate the impact of an incident on facility
operations and communicate that to customers, the public, and law
enforcement.
Communicate with emergency responders to manage facility
expectations of response capabilities.

B. Employee Training and Awareness

Training captures the development of skills and/or understanding through
procedurally defined learning activities focused on a specific application.
This component combines the types of training and exercises and the
types of personnel trained.
Train all employees on general emergency plans and those designed for
specific scenarios.
Train security personnel in providing guidance to employees in each
scenario.

C. Prepare for an Incident

Management:
o Learn how to recognize potential workplace violence and
suspicious behavior.
o Identify the location of the nearest exits, emergency call boxes,
potential safe harbors, emergency response kits, and
decontamination sites.
Employees:
o Become familiar with emergency procedures and regularly
review checklists or materials provided on emergency
procedures.
o Identify who to call to report an incident and what information to
provide about the situation.

D. Exercise Emergency Action Plans Regularly and Repeatedly

Schedule regular drills, tabletop and functional exercises.
Assess gaps in plans, exercises and training.

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 E. Establish a Relationship with Emergency Responders
Involve emergency services responders from multiple agencies in facility
training and exercises.
Jointly map out incident management procedures and pre-identify a
common, secure radio communication channel.
Invite all emergency services responders to tour your site and provide
details about the facility that will help responders to adjust their protocols
if necessary.
Gain a better understanding and awareness of the complexities involved
in an integrated response to an incident, including law enforcement
procedures and capabilities and the steps to preserving a crime scene.
Educate law enforcement on the impact of a crime scene on business
operations and restoration.

VII. Incident Response Considerations

Active shooter incidents often begin and conclude quickly, and the incident may
be at any location in the organization or facility. This leaves facility management
and security officers no time to coordinate response procedures with law
enforcement and employees. The response to a specific incident will depend on
the circumstances unique to that incident. However, there are general procedures
that apply to all active shooter incidents.

A. Employees:
Report the incident:
o If possible, call 911 or facility/organizational security _________
Evacuate if possible
o Determine an escape route based on where an active shooter may
be located.
o Leave your belongings behind. Keep your hands empty and visible
at all times.
o Help others evacuate, if possible, but do not attempt to move the
wounded. Evacuate even if others do not agree to follow.
o Move quickly to a safe place far from the shooter and take cover.
Remain there until police arrive and give instructions.
o Remain calm. Avoid screaming or yelling as you evacuate.
o Follow all instructions of law enforcement.

Shelter if necessary
o Go to the nearest room or office and lock the door(s). If the door
does not lock, wedge the door shut or use heavy furniture to
barricade it.
o Identify an escape route in the event you are directed to evacuate.
o Close blinds, turn off lights, and cover windows.

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 o Silence all noise, including cell phones, radios, and computers.
Have one person call 911, if it is safe to do so. Be prepared
to answer the dispatchers questions.
o If it is not safe to talk, keep the phone on so it can be monitored by
the dispatcher.
o Stay out of sight and take cover behind large, thick items or
furniture.
o Do not open the door until the person can provide an identification
badge.
o Remain under cover until law enforcement advises it is safe to
evacuate.
Positively verify the identity of law enforcement as an
unfamiliar voice may be the shooter attempting to lure
victims from a safe place.
Take action, if you must
o If there is no opportunity for escape or hiding, as a last resort, and
only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt
and/or incapacitate the active shooter.

Respond Appropriately When Law Enforcement Arrives

o Remain calm and follow officers instructions.
o Raise your hands, spread your fingers, and keep hands visible at all
times.
o Do not run when police enter the vicinity. Drop to the floor, if you
are told to do so, or move calmly out of the area or building.
o Do not make quick moves toward officers or hold on to them for
safety.
o Avoid pointing, screaming, or yelling.
o Do not stop officers to ask for help or directions. Evacuate the
building in the direction the officers arrived while keeping your
hands above your head.
o For your own safety, do not get upset or argue if an officer
questions whether you are a shooter or a victim. Do not resist, even
if you are handcuffed and searched.

B. Facility Management and Security:

Control Access and Account for Personnel
o Do personnel have the ability to remotely lock buildings or
deactivate card readers? How does that impact the need to account
for employees?
o How will management notify employees of the situation and its
location?
o How will personnel allow site and building access to emergency
responders?
o Account for full-time, part-time, and contract employees

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 Obtain the visitor log
Identify employees and visitors who are onsite
Identify employees and visitor locations

Assist Emergency Responders

o Use security technology, such as closed circuit television, to assist
law enforcement in locating the victims and shooter(s)
o Provide site and building maps
o Provide facility access to emergency responders
o Ensure critical phone calls get through to security personnel
o Provide extra radios for emergency responders
o Ensure incoming emergency response personnel know where to
stage
o Ensure emergency responders are aware of any safety concerns as
they enter process areas

Manage the Perimeter

o Assist law enforcement in establishing a secure perimeter
o Control or prevent the entrance of the media
Establish a media center
o Establish a safe location to stage evacuees

Identifying Secondary Impacts

o Identify additional shooters or other threats
o Determine if the shooter has knowledge of the facility or its
operations
o If necessary, execute safe shutdown procedures

C. Communication Information
This section outlines the communication equipment, systems, and terminology
used at the (Insert name of organization or facility) for communication among
all personnel (i.e., local law enforcement, fire department, Emergency
Management Agency, media, facility security, etc.).
Identify the systems used for communication among all personnel
(i.e., venue personnel, facility security), and emergency response
personnel (i.e., local police, fire department, etc.).
Identify the channel(s) that are used for communicating among
what particular groups.
Identify the equipment used.
Identify the terminology used to communicate between the different
personnel at the organization or facility.

D. Warnings, Messages and Signage

In order to notify employees and visitors of the events happening at the (Insert
name of organization or facility), Emergency Notification Messages need to

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 be pre-scripted. This section includes information related to how messages
will reach the employees and visitors, including sample Emergency
Notifications, location and method of communicating warnings and messages,
number and location of sirens, and lighting.
Describe the procedures for making Emergency Notifications.
Describe the procedure for broadcasting different messages to
different areas of the organization or facility.
Describe the decision process to determine what
announcement/message to provide to employees and visitors.

Emergency Notification Message

A sample announcement could be:

Ladies and Gentlemen, we regret interrupting the event. There is no

cause for alarm, but we have received information that necessitates that
we gradually clear the stadium in __________ area. This is for your
safety. As soon as we conclude our investigation of the situation, this
event will continue. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please
follow the directions of the stadium personnel who will direct you
through to the exits most convenient to your location.

Communication of Warnings
List information about how warnings are communicated to employees
and visitors.
Describe how messages reach employees and visitors.
Include: cell phone text messages, public address systems,
computer messaging, audible alarms, etc.

Other

E. Physical Resources
This section outlines the process for determining the necessary supplies,
resources and equipment that should be available and readily accessible for
utilization during an active shooter event.
Prepare a needs assessment regarding the equipment and
resources that might be required to deal with an active shooter
event.
Prepare necessary documentation (i.e., directives, orders, guides,
MOUs) to execute an incident response.

F. Activation, Staging, and Mobilization

The organization or facility Emergency Plan should contain guidance and
procedures for the activation and mobilization of staging areas associated with
an emergency. There should be separate staging areas for emergency
responders and evacuees or victims of the active shooter incident. Information

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 should be provided on the preplanned location(s), personnel, equipment (i.e.,
decontamination, air monitoring), and other resources needed for activating,
operating and demobilizing a staging area.

G. Mass Care and Family Assistance

The organization or facility Emergency Plan should contain guidance and
procedures for Mass Care/Family Assistance (a scalable Emergency Support
Function 6) once the evacuees or victims have been transported to staging
area(s). Health and medical support for the evacuation of casualties should
encompass the organic medical response assets of the organization or facility,
in addition to incorporating the local Emergency Management Services
(EMS) authorities Mass Casualty Plan.

H. Health and Medical Support

The organization or facility Emergency Plan should contain guidance and
procedures to address health and medical support needed at the staging areas
during an emergency incident. The organization or facility should participate
in the local communitys Mass Casualty Plan through mutual aid agreements
between the organization, local EMS and local hospitals, and home care
agencies that comprise the community Mass Casualty Plan.
Develop mutual aid agreements
Participate in community Mass Casualty Plan

I. Incident Recovery Considerations

Address Victims and Families
o Established a family hotline
o Assist with victim identification
Gather information related to victim identities, extent of
injuries, and what hospitals are being utilized
o Notify the family members
Use personnel who are specifically trained for this
responsibility
o Procure counselors for employees and families
o Develop an action plan to handle concerns about returning to work

Communicate Internally
o Develop instructions for management to give to employees
o Develop a plan for communicating the information
Consider if employees should return to their homes, remain
onsite at a specified location, go to another site, etc.
o Determine how facility personnel will communicate with families

Communicate Externally
o Identify the designated official for responding to media inquiries

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 o Determine what information and details facility personnel will
provide to the media that will ease community concerns without
inciting panic or hindering the investigation

Continue Business Operations

o Implement business recovery/continuity plans
o Make re-entry decisions after site is released by law enforcement
o Provide safety and security debriefings
o Fill positions of deceased and injured employees
o Take actions to ensure employees feel safe
o Determine how the facility will continue operating with limited
production or with certain areas of the facility designated a crime
scene
o Determine how the stage of the facilityshutdown, idle,
restorationaffects protocols

VIII. Post Incident Review/After Action Review Process

This section provides on an overview of the After Action Review (AAR) Process.
An AAR should be conducted immediately following an exercise or event and
should involve representatives from each participating agency. This should
include information on the major events, all lessons learned, and review any new
initiatives developed or identified during the exercise or event. The AAR should
also include a discussion of all techniques, tactics, and procedures utilized during
the exercise/event to include what went right and what went wrong. It should
identify any issues and the consequences resulting from the potential outcomes of
those issues. Following the AAR meetings and discussion, an After Action
Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) should be written which identifies areas that
require improvements, the actions required, the timelines for implementing those
improvements, and the organization and party responsible for this action. The
AAR/IP should be shared with all stakeholders, and used to further define the
plans and procedures related to events at the stadium.

IX. Program and Plan Maintenance

The Active Shooter Response Plan will be maintained, reviewed, and updated
following the Emergency Plans preparedness cycle that includes planning,
training, exercising/responding, evaluating and mitigating. All stakeholders
should participate in each phase of this cycle to ensure that the plan reflects the
current operational strategies, organizational structures, and methodologies
utilized by response personnel. Following each event, training, or incident, an
evaluation of all response actions and in-place mitigation measures should be
performed. This will allow for the identification of areas to be sustained,
improved, or added to enhance the organization or facility overall preparedness.

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 This section provides an overview of how to utilize the preparedness cycle for
maintenance of the Active Shooter Response Plan.

A. Program Maintenance
List the annual training, exercises, and drill plan.

B. Plan Maintenance and Revision

List the maintenance and revision plans.

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