Active Shooter: Run, Hide, Fight
An active shooter incident is rare, but it is fast and violent, and the first minutes matter. Having thought about what you would do beforehand improves your chances. Government safety agencies teach three options: Run, Hide, Fight. This page gives general guidance. Follow your workplace plan and instructions from law enforcement.
- All Workers
- Supervisors
- Retail & Service Workers
- Building Managers
Run
- If there is a safe path, get out. Know the nearest exits in every place you work.
- Leave your belongings behind and keep moving. Don't stop to gather things or to argue.
- Help others escape if you can, but don't let others slow you if they won't come. Warn people to stay away.
- Keep your hands visible and empty as you move out, and follow police instructions. Responding officers don't know who the shooter is.
- Once out, get far away, use cover and call 911 when safe. Don't go back in. Stop others from entering.
- Take cover if you can't leave the area. Buildings, walls and vehicles offer cover but not always concealment.
Hide
If you can't safely run, find a place to hide where the shooter is less likely to find you.
- Choose a room that can be locked or barricaded, out of the shooter's view, with thick walls if possible, and few windows.
- Lock the door and barricade it with heavy furniture. Cover door windows and turn off the lights.
- Silence your phone (including vibrate) and any alarms or radios. Be quiet.
- Hide behind large objects, and get low. Spread out in the room so one shot can't hit everyone.
- Call or text 911 if you can do so safely. If you can't speak, leave the line open so dispatchers can hear.
- Don't open the door for anyone you can't verify, and wait for law enforcement to give an all-clear. Officers may ask you to leave with your hands up.
Fight
- As a last resort, and only if your life is in immediate danger, act as aggressively as you can against the shooter: yell, throw objects, use improvised weapons such as fire extinguishers, chairs or heavy tools, and commit to your actions.
- Working together with others improves the chances. Aim to disrupt and incapacitate the shooter, and then escape.
- Don't give up. Your goal is to survive.
When police arrive
- Stay calm and follow all instructions. Put down items, raise your hands with fingers spread and keep them visible at all times.
- Don't make quick movements, point, scream or run toward officers. Avoid holding anything in your hands.
- Don't stop to help the injured as you exit. Officers will move past you to find the threat. Rescue teams will follow to care for the injured.
- Move in the direction officers point, and expect to be searched and held in a safe area for questioning.
Information to give 911
- Your location: address, floor, room.
- Number and description of shooters, and what they're carrying and wearing.
- Where the shooter is and which way they're moving.
- Number and condition of injured people and any hostages.
- Stay on the line unless it's unsafe. See Calling 911 & Giving Your Location.
Helping the injured
- Only help when it's safe and the threat has passed or you're in a secure place. Check for danger first.
- Control severe bleeding: apply firm direct pressure, pack deep wounds with gauze, and use a tourniquet for severe limb bleeding. The “Stop the Bleed” program teaches this. See Bleeding Control.
- Treat for shock and check breathing. Start CPR if trained. See Shock and CPR & AED.
- Tell responders what you did and where injured people are. Don't move seriously injured people unless there is immediate danger.
Prepare before it happens
- Know the exits, stairwells, hiding places and locks at your workplace. Think through what you would do from different places such as the lobby, break room and warehouse.
- Employers should have an emergency action plan that includes active shooter response, alert and notification methods, and training and drills with local law enforcement. See Emergency Action Plans and Evacuation Headcounts.
- Train workers in Run, Hide, Fight, first aid and Stop the Bleed, and put bleeding control kits and AEDs where they're easy to reach.
- Know the warning signs of violence and have a way to report concerns, threats and troubling behavior. Many attackers show warning signs. See Workplace Violence.
- Plan for people who need assistance, such as workers with disabilities and visitors.
- Have a family reunification and communication plan after an event.
After the event
- Expect strong reactions: fear, anger, guilt, sleep problems and anxiety are normal. Seek support early. See Post-Incident Stress. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text.
- Employers should provide counseling, time off and communication, and cooperate with investigations. Review the plan afterward and fix gaps. See Incident Investigation.
- Report as required to OSHA for fatalities and hospitalizations. See Recordkeeping & Reporting.
Active shooter checklist
- I know the exits and hiding places where I work
- I know Run, Hide, Fight and keep my hands visible when police arrive
- I know how to call 911 quietly and what to tell dispatchers
- My workplace has a plan, drills, bleeding control kits and an AED
- I know where to get support after an incident
Standards & references
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