Morning, everyone.
It’s been a tragedy-ridden week(s).
I believe that it is a basic human need, and right, to live in safety. Unfortunately, there are areas all over the world where people do not live in safe conditions. In the U.S., is very hard to feel safe when near-daily mass shootings constantly remind you that you are not, in fact, safe from gun violence. No child should have to grow up contemplating the very real possibility that they and their classmates will be shot at school. But tragically, that is where we are.
If you live in the United States, you need to know what to do if you end up in a situation where there’s an active shooter. Hopefully, your employer, school, or group residence will train you on preparing for these incidents. But shootings can and do unfortunately happen everywhere - as we know all too well from recent and not-so-recent tragedies, it could happen at work or school, but it could also happen in the grocery store, the library, or at the park. Advocate to be trained by the organizations or institutions that you’re involved with, but don’t wait for them - you can do your own training and help your children prepare, as well. This leads us to the government information resource this week.
CISA Active Shooter Preparedness Resources
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides a variety of online resources on active shooter preparedness for private citizens as well professional audiences.
There are many options that you can select based on the kind of training and resources you’re looking for. These pages show you what to do based on various circumstances - most of us will definitely want to glance at the “Private Citizens” section. Clicking on “Products/Resources” is also helpful because it takes you to an A-Z list of in-depth materials related to specific scenarios involving active shooters, such as “Protecting Houses of Worship,” a “De-escalation Series,” and an “Active Shooter Recovery Guide”. You can also access many resources translated into 17 different languages. Finally, CISA also links to an in-depth course developed by FEMA on responding to an active shooter.
I highly encourage you to prepare yourselves now for something that could happen anytime or anywhere. Accepting the reality of the times and culture we live in with regard to gun violence is not a defeatist stance. Nor does it lessen the responsibility of those with the power to enact gun control measures that would prevent senseless death and lifelong trauma. You can, and should, prepare for the worst as you fight and hope for a better, safer world.
See you next week.
Prepare Yourselves.
Thanks for the well-written, well-researched piece. It’s nice to know there is someone out there who knows how to put together a reasonable, fact-based article, especially when we live in a time when people decide which truths are convenient for themselves. Well done!
Wonderful post, Audrey. Thank you for putting this information out there. I will share it right now.