Active Shooter Emergency Action Plan: Prevention & Response
Mass shootings are an alarming threat to modern workplaces, with incidents increasing by over 89% in the past five years. As these tragic events become more frequent, a robust active shooter response plan is vital.
Active shooter situations are a nightmare scenario—yet the threat is alarmingly real. Between 2019 and 2023, active shooter incidents in the U.S. surged by 89% compared to the prior five years. Preparing for the unthinkable is no longer optional—employers need a well-structured emergency action plan to safeguard their employees and ensure their business is ready to respond.
If an active shooter targets your company and you’re unprepared, employees may struggle to determine the best actions, and every wasted moment is critical. Uncertainty can jeopardize safety and increase the risk to lives. This is not to mention the operational disruption that leads to financial and reputational damage.
A well-designed emergency plan empowers your team to respond quickly and confidently, even in an unexpected and overwhelming crisis.
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Active Shooter Preparedness: Addressing Critical Risks to Your Business
Active shooter incidents result in tragic loss of life and emotional trauma for survivors. While these human costs come first, businesses must consider broader implications. Specifically, active shooter incident management covers four affected areas of business: people, operations, finances, and reputation.
| People | Operations | Finances | Reputation |
 |  |  |  |
Immediate and long-term impacts on employees and families:
| Disruptions to regular business activities:
| Direct and indirect costs from the incident:
| Long-term damage to the company’s public image:
|
Understanding the human, operational, financial, and reputational impacts is essential. Equally important is addressing the legal and regulatory requirements your business must meet to ensure compliance and readiness.
Legal and regulatory frameworks for active shooter preparedness
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not have dedicated regulations addressing active shooter situations. However, the responsibility to prepare for and manage such incidents falls under the broader framework of OSHA’s General Duty Clause.
This clause mandates that employers provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that could cause severe injury or death. Workplace violence, including active shooter events, is considered a potential hazard if the risk is known or foreseeable.
Under the GDC, employers are expected to take reasonable steps to address any credible threats of violence, including developing comprehensive safety protocols, such as emergency action plans, and training employees to respond effectively during an active shooter event.
In addition, several states have laws that assign specific duties to employers regarding workplace shootings. Here are a few of the more well-known:
- California: Under the Workplace Violence Prevention Act, employers must implement a violence prevention plan, provide active shooter training, and maintain incident logs.
- Florida: Employers must create emergency action plans and conduct drills under the Active Assailant Response Policy.
- Texas: Under Chapter 331 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, healthcare employers must develop violence prevention policies, including training and risk assessments.
- Illinois: The Workplace Violence Prevention Act mandates employers implement violence prevention programs and conduct regular employee training.
- New York: Employers must establish workplace violence prevention programs, including risk assessments and mandatory training.
Many states also have specific laws for certain professions, such as healthcare, or provisions for protection through restraining orders related to workplace violence. To ensure preparedness, employers should evaluate compliance with these laws and refine their response strategies accordingly.
The Components of an Active Shooter Emergency Action Plan
An active shooter emergency action plan contains all the core elements of any disaster response plan, specifically adapted to address this increasingly common threat. These components include:
- Prevention and preparedness: Identify potential threats and ensure employees recognize vital indicators that may foreshadow an active shooter situation.
- Training and drills: Regular training should cover various active shooter scenarios, including identifying hiding places and locating the source of noise from the assailant.
- Roles and responsibilities: Designate key personnel to coordinate the response, ensuring they can work with the police department and local law enforcement.
- Effective response strategies: Employees must be trained to react to imminent danger by following the Run, Hide, Fight protocol and knowing when to use a cell phone to call for help.
Addressing these areas ensures employees are prepared to respond effectively during an active shooter event and supports post-incident recovery and business continuity efforts.
Prevention and preparedness
One thing most active shooter situations have in common is that the perpetrator exhibited red-flag behaviors before the incident. For example, in the 2018 Parkland shooting, the gunman had a history of making violent threats and displaying disturbing behavior on social media. In the 2021 Indianapolis FedEx shooting, the perpetrator’s mother had warned local law enforcement about his mental health struggles before the attack. Similarly, the gunman in the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting had posted a racist manifesto online before the incident.
While there are no clear-cut indicators that someone might commit such an act, organizations should focus on recognizing warning signs and improving workplace security. Here are some common indicators drawn from attacks of the past:
- Police officers or other authority figures may have had prior altercations with the employee.
- Event leaking is a common pre-incident behavior where employees make direct or implied threats or unsettling comments about harming others.
- An employee may express unusual interest in violent incidents or weapons, including discussing recent handgun or shotgun purchases.
- A typically calm employee may become aggressive, unpredictable, or withdrawn from social interactions and team activities.
- Grievances or ongoing conflicts with coworkers or supervisors may escalate into expressions of revenge and could indicate imminent danger.
- The employee may post concerning or violent content on social media, sometimes using it to share manifestos or plans.
- Significant personal issues, like job loss or divorce, often immediately precede an attack.
Behaviors like these should be reported, so organizations need an accessible, anonymous reported system for employees. You can encourage employees to come forward with concerns by giving clear explanations of the process and reassurance that you will take reports seriously.
However, even the best preparedness plan can’t stop every attack. That’s why the workplace must be ready for the worst-case scenario. Preparedness starts with a physical threat assessment of the site. Check for:
- Points of entry that can be secured or controlled
- Areas where employees can shelter safely during an attack
- Visibility and access to potential hiding places
- Access to emergency exits and escape routes
- Communication systems available for real-time alerts when cell phones are inaccessible
- Weaknesses in building security, such as broken locks or unmonitored entrances
Site hardening, which involves strengthening physical security measures to address vulnerabilities, should follow any threat assessment to fix weaknesses in the workplace. This may include implementing controlled access, hiring security personnel, and using badge systems for entry. Doors should be reinforced with manual locks, and solid external doors should be installed to block a shooter’s view and prevent easy access. Additionally, it’s crucial to identify internal shelter spaces where employees can safely take cover during an incident.
A well-designed evacuation plan drives a quick, organized response in an emergency. It should outline primary and secondary escape routes accessible to all employees, including those with disabilities. Clear signage should direct employees to the nearest exits, and all staff should be informed of these routes so they know where to go in an emergency.
Training and drills
At least two-thirds of active shooter incidents are over before law enforcement arrives. How your workers behave during that dangerous time will do far more to ensure their safety than the response teams that follow. That’s why consistent training is crucial. Teaching employees simple, easy-to-follow strategies, such as the Run, Hide, Fight approach, can help them build the muscle memory needed to react to extreme stress.
Chris Nelson, Senior Vice President and Head of Asset Protection at Gap, Inc., shared his insights on The Employee Safety Podcast. With extensive experience handling safety in the retail industry—a sector facing increasing pressures from active shooter threats—his perspective on the importance of training is particularly valuable. Nelson explains, “We’re mapping out in their brain what their response is because when these things happen, it’s super stressful, and your brain starts to shut down.” Nelson’s perspective reinforces the importance of realistic, hands-on training to help employees react effectively in critical moments.
Conducting drills at least twice a year is essential to this preparation. Whether through tactical simulations, lockdown drills, or tabletop exercises, these trainings help employees understand how to act in various situations. Employees need training to recognize the active shooter’s location through the source of the noise and know when to take action to escape or protect themselves. Engaging leadership in these drills reinforces their importance and ensures that every level of the organization is involved in the response plan.
Additionally, companies should incorporate first aid training as part of their active shooter preparedness. Ensuring employees are equipped to assist injured persons before first responders arrive can make a critical difference in saving lives.
Roles and responsibilities in active shooter response
Before creating an active shooter plan, you must lay some groundwork with critical stakeholders. It’s essential to designate people within your company to direct the effort. Your employee safety team needs to complete several vital functions, including:
- Leadership: A designated director of emergency management
- Training: Experts who can help prepare employees for active shooter incidents and develop training videos to enhance understanding
- Communication: Person(s) in charge of handling the mass emergency notification software and disseminating information to subscribers about the situation, including details on the active shooter’s location for shelter/evacuation decisions
- Monitoring/Reporting: A team to actively monitor and escalate reports from law enforcement, open source intelligence, and media, as well as keep safety leaders informed throughout the event
- Site Security: The team responsible for securing the workplace and addressing vulnerabilities
If your company does not already have a full-time emergency management or business continuity role, now is the time to establish this leadership. This person will coordinate all emergency operations plans, including your active shooter response plan. Depending on the company’s size, the responsibilities listed above might fall on one person’s shoulders or be dispersed across separate roles or departments.
Effective response strategies
Response strategies focus on making critical decisions during an attack. Employees need to protect themselves in the moment and know how to react once the attacker is gone, but they are still inside the building. Returning to the Run, Hide, Fight framework is essential during these first critical moments, helping employees decide when to evacuate or shelter in place.
Run, Hide, Fight
The Run, Hide, Fight approach has faced controversy, especially in schools, due to concerns that teaching children to fight attackers may put them at greater risk. However, for adults, the FBI supports this method as a practical way to reduce casualties during an active shooter event.
- Run: If possible, escape immediately. Use predefined routes, avoid hallways, and keep your hands visible to signal you are not a threat. Alert others on the way out.
- Hide: If running isn’t safe, lock and barricade doors. Stay quiet, turn off lights, and hide behind cover to avoid the active shooter’s view.
- Fight: If confronted directly, use anything nearby (e.g., chairs, fire extinguishers) to disable the attacker or throw things to distract them. The goal is to create enough disruption to escape or disarm the threat.
Evacuate or shelter?
In an active shooter situation, employees must quickly assess whether to evacuate or shelter in place. Using the Run, Hide, Fight framework can help guide this decision by determining whether it’s safe to move or if staying put is the best option. Once the decision is made, follow these step-by-step actions to ensure safety:
| Evacuate | Shelter |
|
|
Employees should be familiar with both evacuation routes and shelter locations. Plans must also accommodate individuals with disabilities, ensuring they have clear, accessible shelter areas or help with evacuation if necessary.
Post-Incident Recovery and Business Continuity
In the immediate aftermath of an active shooter incident, your employees’ safety and well-being must come first. Quickly addressing physical injuries with on-site medical care is essential. Companies should ensure:
- First aid supplies are accessible, and employees are trained in basic medical response to assist before emergency responders arrive.
- Workers’ compensation and other insurance claims are prepared to cover medical costs for wounded people.
- Emotional support through trauma counseling and Employee Assistance Programs is available to help employees process the event’s emotional toll.
- Flexible leave options allow adequate time for recovery.
Business continuity and recovery
Once immediate human needs are met, the focus should shift to business continuity. A solid plan must guide the recovery process, covering:
- Damage assessment and steps to bring critical systems back online.
- Clear communication with employees and stakeholders to maintain transparency about recovery progress.
- Financial assistance for those affected, ensuring a structured recovery process that stabilizes operations.
Rebuilding trust and morale is critical. Open communication about the company’s recovery efforts and support, such as financial assistance, helps restore confidence among employees and stakeholders. The company fosters a supportive work environment by prioritizing well-being and creating a safe place for employees, reassuring everyone that recovery is the focus.
After-action reviews
An after-action review provides a structured way to evaluate how the incident was handled once the recovery phase begins. This process highlights strengths and weaknesses in the response, allowing the company to update the emergency action plan for improvements.
The review should address every aspect of the response, from the initial actions taken when the threat was first identified, such as how quickly employees reacted to evacuation or lockdown procedures, to the effectiveness of communication systems in relaying real-time updates. It should also evaluate how well resources were allocated during the incident and assess any challenges faced during the coordination with law enforcement or emergency services. This review makes up an after-action report to disseminate as needed.
Long-term recovery efforts—including employee support, facility restoration, and operational restoration—should also be examined to identify gaps and improve disaster recovery for future incidents. Throughout the review, clear communication is vital to prevent the spread of misinformation and keep employees and stakeholders fully informed of their roles, responsibilities, and the next steps in the recovery process.
Active Shooter Response in Comprehensive Risk Management
Integrate your company’s active shooter response plan into your broader emergency preparedness and risk management strategy. Aligning it with health, safety, and business continuity ensures a well-rounded approach to protecting employees and maintaining operations. This is particularly urgent, as active shooter incidents have become deadlier, with a 75% increase in casualties over the past five years.
Regularly reviewing and updating your emergency action plans is essential for managing these heightened risks. After-action reviews and continuous improvements will help safeguard employees and keep your business resilient despite growing threats.
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