Shots Fired!
February 14, 2024, will be a day that many remember. It was more than just Valentine’s Day. It was the day that Kansas City got to celebrate their Super bowl champions, the Chiefs with a parade through the downtown. Unfortunately, the parade ended in tragedy, as shots rang out, killing 1 and injuring more than 20 people. You can watch a report on the horrific events of the day here:
The Sunday before, on February 11, during a church service in Lakewood, Texas, there was another shooting that injured two. You can learn more about it here by watching the video:
A celebratory parade with tens of thousands in attendance; what was supposed to be a peaceful service at a “megachurch” with thousands in attendance. Instead, there was a shooting. In both events, there was violence and pain. And shootings don’t just happen at parades or churches. In 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 849 workplace fatalities attributed to violence.
What do you do when faced with this predicament? What do you do when you can’t, as the safety experts often tell us, run, hide, or fight to escape gun fire?
First, you prepare before something bad can happen. Make it a good habit to, no matter where you are or what you are doing, ask yourself this question: “If something bad were to happen right now, what would I do or where would I go?” Think about the “what if’s” and develop plans for you, your family, your coworkers, and/or the people around you.
If you listened to the video we provided, the police told the Kansas City crowd to do the next best thing to hiding. They were yelling to the crowd to “get down.” Essentially, to get down as low as you could is close to hiding. If you can’t run away, then make yourself as small of a target as possible. Get out of the line of fire. One man in the video said he dropped to the ground, covering his son, hiding the boy.
What about in the church? Do the same thing. Get down. If possible, get under a chair or bench. Get out of the line of fire. Try to get on your phone to notify law enforcement of the situation. If you can see what is happening be prepared to provide the location, a description of the shooter, and answer questions to give the responders as much information as possible.
How can you prepare for an active shooter scenario at work?There are some methods you can try, such as increasing security at entrance points to your workplace, increasing lighting, training employees to be vigilant. Learn the warning signs that someone could turn violent. The Department of Homeland Security offers some assistance.
Weekly Discussion Challenge:
While you are working today, if you heard gunshots, what would you do? How would you alert law enforcement?
