Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. While an active shooter scenario may unfold in various locations, public and government settings are particular targets.
In a special deep-dive session at MACo’s Winter Conference today, Deputy First Class Wehrle of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office shared the best way to prepare for the worst-case scenario of an active shooter incident.
The Honorable James “Capt Jim” McMahan, Jr., Council Member, Harford County moderated the session. In introducing Wehrle, McMahan compared him to an Army Ranger or Navy Seal, stating,
The world has changed such that the thin blue line in your community must be trained to deal with any sort of situation. – Capt’n Jim McMahan
Wehrle’s presentation included national statistics from the FBI and specific response technics based on the most recent data and law enforcement studies. As described by Wehrle,
- Run. Even if you have to run past a shooter, this is your best chance of survival during an active shooter incident.
- Hide. If you cannot run, hide, and use every means possible to delay the suspect from finding you.
- Fight! If necessary, cooperate with those with you to swarm your assailant.