There was a time when active shooters were a rare occurrence. No more. As Tony Casper explained in IREM’s riveting Accelerator webinar, “Active Shooter Events: The Cost and How to Mitigate Loss Through Preparation,” they are actually on the rise, with 280 “active aggressor” events taking place from 2000 to 2017. The cost: 2,351 casualties wounded or killed.
Casper knows whereof he speaks. The chief executive officer of Safe Passage Consulting in partnership with consultant Dustin Randall thwarted 18 such attacks in the Columbus, Ohio area last year alone.
In a webinar that was often chilling but timely and necessary, he reviewed events going as far back as 1903, in such places as Kansas, Las Vegas, Virginia Tech and Columbine, Co. Casper compared the profiles of these events, and provided a breakdown of where such current crises are most likely to occur, with businesses leading the way at 45 percent of all shooter activity.
He also provided a plan of action, stressing several times in the course of the webinar—now available on demand—that outside of trusting in luck, training and preparation are the only keys to survival, and vital to protecting against losses—both human and financial. His plan of action essentially forms the core ingredients of a preparedness strategy that property managers can—and should—share with their occupants.
Interestingly, Casper took issue with the FBI’s essential active shooter strategy, encapsulated in the phrase “Run, Hide, Fight,” and he explained the life-saving nuances of his preferred “Get Out, Barricade, Take Action” approach.
Casper also tackled these other topics:
- The dollar cost of reparation after an incident.
- The importance of mental scripting.
- What to do when the police appear on the scene.
- How surprisingly easy it is to disarm an automatic pistol.
More about these issues can be learned in the tough but intriguing on-demand Active Shooter Accelerator that gives attendees plenty to think about.
About the Author
John Salustri is editor-in-chief of Salustri Content Solutions, Inc., a consultancy focused on enhancing the web and print content of clients around the nation. He is a regular contributor to JPM Magazine and a frequent blogger for IREM. Prior to launching SCS, John was founding editor of GlobeSt.com.