Emergency Protocol for an Active Shooter Course

Lesson 1 • Survival Mindset and Mental Readiness

Introduces the psychological framework needed to act decisively under extreme stress. Connects mental preparation directly to faster, more effective physical response.

Lesson 2 • Defining the Active Shooter Threat

Establishes a precise operational definition of an active shooter event and distinguishes it from other violent incidents. Grounds all subsequent protocol training in shared terminology.

Lesson 3 • Statistical Context and Incident Trends

Presents data on incident frequency, duration, and outcomes to calibrate realistic threat perception. Supports evidence-based protocol design covered in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Mapping Exits and Escape Routes

Guides students through systematic exit identification and route prioritisation in any building. Directly feeds the evacuation planning covered in the next section.

Lesson 2 • Workplace and Venue Pre-Planning

Applies environmental assessment skills to create written pre-plans for specific locations. Produces a tangible deliverable students can implement immediately.

Lesson 3 • Situational Awareness Fundamentals

Teaches continuous environmental scanning and threat-cue recognition as daily habits. Provides the perceptual foundation for all pre-planning activities.

Lesson 4 • Adapting Plans to Dynamic Environments

Addresses how to reassess and adapt pre-plans when layouts change or new environments are encountered. Builds the flexible thinking required in advanced scenario chapters.

Lesson 1 • Transitioning Between Options

Examines how and when to shift from one option to another as conditions change during an incident. Prepares students for dynamic, evolving scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Hide: Shelter-in-Place Techniques

Teaches room selection, barricading methods, and communication silence during lockdown. Builds the skills needed when evacuation is not possible.

Lesson 3 • Framework Overview and Decision Logic

Introduces the run-hide-fight model as a prioritised decision tree, not a rigid sequence. Establishes the situational factors that drive option selection.

Lesson 4 • Run: Evacuation Principles and Execution

Covers the conditions favouring evacuation and the techniques for executing a fast, safe exit. Directly prepares students for the evacuation drills in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Digital and Silent Communication Tools

Explores text messaging, apps, and silent signalling methods when voice communication is dangerous. Prepares students for hide scenarios where noise must be minimised.

Lesson 2 • Internal Alert and Notification Systems

Covers organisational alert mechanisms, code words, and mass notification tools used to warn occupants. Establishes the communication baseline for all response coordination.

Lesson 3 • Calling Emergency Services Effectively

Trains students to deliver accurate, concise 911 reports under stress using a structured format. Directly improves law enforcement response speed and accuracy.

Lesson 4 • Coordinating with People Nearby

Teaches verbal and non-verbal coordination techniques for guiding groups during an active event. Connects to the group action tactics introduced in the fight section.

Lesson 1 • Survivor Behaviour During Officer Entry

Specifies the exact behaviours officers expect from survivors to avoid being misidentified as a threat. Directly reduces the risk of accidental harm during the rescue phase.

Lesson 2 • Providing Information to Responders

Trains students to deliver actionable intelligence about attacker location, appearance, and victim positions. Accurate reports accelerate threat neutralisation and medical response.

Lesson 3 • Law Enforcement Tactical Response Overview

Explains the contact team, rescue task force, and casualty collection point model used by responding officers. Sets accurate expectations for what officers will and will not do on arrival.

Lesson 1 • Airway Management and Chest Wounds

Covers recovery position, airway clearing, and chest seal application for penetrating thoracic injuries. Extends haemorrhage control skills to respiratory emergencies.

Lesson 2 • The Threat-Cause-of-Death Framework

Introduces the preventable death model showing that uncontrolled bleeding is the leading survivable cause of death in shootings. Motivates the medical skills taught throughout this chapter.

Lesson 3 • Tourniquet Application Techniques

Provides step-by-step instruction on applying commercial and improvised tourniquets to extremity wounds. Builds the primary haemorrhage control skill used in all scenario exercises.

Lesson 4 • Wound Packing and Pressure Dressings

Teaches junctional and torso wound packing with haemostatic gauze and pressure dressings. Addresses wounds where tourniquets cannot be applied.

Lesson 1 • Threat Assessment Team Structure

Defines the roles, membership, and operating procedures of an organisational threat assessment team. Embeds proactive threat identification into the protocol architecture.

Lesson 2 • Writing the Emergency Action Plan

Guides students through drafting each required section of a written emergency action plan. Produces the core protocol document used in drills and audits.

Lesson 3 • Training and Drill Programme Design

Covers how to schedule, execute, and evaluate tabletop and live-action drills for all staff levels. Connects written protocols to practised, muscle-memory responses.

Lesson 4 • Plan Maintenance and Continuous Improvement

Establishes review cycles, incident-triggered updates, and benchmarking against current best practices. Ensures the protocol remains effective as threats and environments evolve.

Lesson 1 • Multi-Zone and Multi-Attacker Scenario

Introduces simultaneous threats in multiple areas to stress coordination and option-switching skills. Builds on single-location competency to address more complex real-world incidents.

Lesson 2 • Stress Inoculation and Performance Under Pressure

Uses controlled stressors such as noise, time pressure, and incomplete information to build stress tolerance. Directly improves real-incident performance by reducing cognitive freeze.

Lesson 3 • After-Action Review and Skill Certification

Structures the debrief process to extract lessons, correct errors, and certify demonstrated competencies. Closes the training loop and prepares students to train others.

Lesson 4 • Single-Location Workplace Scenario

Runs a full-cycle active shooter scenario set in a standard office or facility environment. Tests evacuation, shelter, communication, and medical skills in an integrated sequence.