Andrea Unzaga-Burgos/ Contributing Writer
“In any decisive moment, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
The great thing about presidential quotes is that they remain timeless regardless of whose administration we are under.
Local businesses, government agencies, schools, universities and social institutions all over the country have implemented active shooter training programs into their communities.
A few FIU students without active shooter training said they would either panic and freeze,
resort to outdated methods of training learned from primary school or belong to the group of outliers that can think on their feet in times of panic.
The threat of an active shooter attacking your institution of learning, concert night out with friends or place of worship is still rare but has become too real to ignore. The number of mass
shootings per year have alarmingly increased since 2007.
I’ve come across videos and blog posts by helicopter moms claiming active shooter drills should be nixed from schools indefinitely. Apparently, preparing children with a plan that increases their chances of survival in life-threatening situations is traumatizing an entire generation.
We as a society cannot seem to stop breeding sociopaths who commit mass shootings.
It pains me to see a child scared and in tears, but a child laying lifeless in a pool of blood brings me to my knees.
The thing about active shooter training is that it’s unconditional. Because we know history repeats itself, we know a recurrence of a traumatic event is likely. So we must anticipate the act and learn from the mistakes of those that came before us.
40 states, including Florida, require individual K-12 schools to perform exercises or drills to test their emergency plans, according to a 2016 report from the Government Accountability Office.
Churches, hospitals, airports and companies around the nation hold drills for their communities as well since they realize there is no time to sit around, not knowing what
to do if you’re ever confronted with someone full of revenge, dead set on taking the lives of you and your colleagues.
No one turns away from fire drills because we are aware that they happen and it’s important to take the necessary safety precautions.
Active shooter training is no different.
If there is no set of procedures in place to maintain order in times of panic, there will be chaos.
This is clearly represented by Dwight Schrute in an episode of the mockumentary “The Office” during a fire simulation to test their emergency preparedness.
When you find yourself in a situation of panic, it’s common to experience racing thoughts and make poor decisions as a result.
The first five minutes are crucial in any emergency.
There is no time for disorientation.
Once disaster strikes, if you have not been trained properly before, you’ll become a deer in headlights and every second that goes by is a second wasted betting against your life.
If you are aware of the safety steps, you will know what to do.
Training specialists and security companies like the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate training institute and Guardian Defense provide special programs and local introductory lessons on the actions that should be taken when confronted by an active shooter; as well as indicators of how to manage violence in social situations.
“Active shooter incidents, in many cases, have no pattern or method to the selection of victims, which results in an unpredictable and evolving situation,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Though we’ve been taught to hide under our desks in the past, which is still one of many actions DHS advises you to take, they also agree that “in the midst of the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident.”
Despite the fact that I’ve never taken part in an FIU administered fire drill, I know what to do because I’ve participated in a drill before.
The FIU students I’ve spoken to have never taken active shooter training on campus because we don’t offer it.
But if the incident were to occur, they would, by majority, recall elementary school drills and resort to the outdated and infantile methods they were taught.
The danger here is that these are different times and we are not elementary school children.
The updated set of rules to remember in seminars taught by Law Enforcement and
shooter training specialists is “Run, Hide, Fight.”
The complication with active shooter training drills sits with timing and execution but should be required of all FIU students.
The DHS aims to enhance preparedness through a “whole community” approach by providing a variety of no-cost resources to the public and private sector in hopes to enhance preparedness and response to an active shooter incident, according to their website.
I believe, just as all incoming freshman are required to take the Haven Sexual Assault prevention training, the FIU department of student affairs should demand mandatory attendance to local or virtual active shooter training of new students as well.
Schools are considered to be safe havens and continue to be with the presence of the FIU Police Department on both campuses.
Having a uniform protocol set in place and knowing the most effective ways to respond in emergency situations increase the collective sense of security in times of panic, help us manage threats to our personal harmony, and maintain peace and order on campus.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
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