Office of Emergency Management |

Active Shooter

Download this Brochure (pdf)

An Active Shooter is a situation where one or more suspects participate in a random or systematic shooting spree, and demonstrating intent to continuously harm others. The overriding objective appears to be that of inflicting serious bodily injury or death rather than other criminal conduct. These situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to innocent victims.

Watch Lone Star College Armed Intruder  Safety Procedures courtesy of LSC-CyFair 

In the Classroom or Office

• If you are in a classroom, room or office, STAY THERE, secure the door and turn off the lights.
• Remain silent.
• If the door has no lock and the door opens in, a heavy door wedge can be kept on hand and used, otherwise look for heavy furniture to barricade the door.
• If the door has a window, cover it.
• Depending on the gunmen's location, you may also exit through windows. Have someone watch as you get as many students out through windows as calmly and as quietly as possible.
• If the windows do not open, you cannot break them, or you are not on a ground floor, get out of sight from the door and stay low and quiet.
• If no police units are on scene, move well away from the incident and find safe cover positions (not the parking lots) and wait for the police to arrive.
• When police officers arrive, while keeping your hands on top of your head and do exactly what the police tell you to do.

In Hallways or Corridors

• If in the hallways, get in a room that is not already secured and secure it.
• Unless you are very close to an exit, do not run through a long hall to get to one, as you may encounter the gunmen or hostage taker.

In Large Rooms or Auditoriums

• If in a gym or theater area and the gunmen are not present, move to an external exit and move toward any police unit.
• Drop all bags and keep your hands on your head.
• Do what the police tell you to do.

Open Spaces

• Stay alert and look for appropriate cover locations. Hard cover, such as brick walls, large trees, retaining walls, parked vehicles, and any other object that may stop bullets, may be utilized as cover.

Trapped with the Gunmen

• If you are trapped with the gunmen, don't do anything to provoke them.
• If they are not shooting, do what they say and don't move suddenly.
• There is no set procedure in this situation.
• If possible, call X5911 or 281.290.5911 and talk with a police dispatcher.
• If you cannot speak, leave the phone line open so the police can hear what is going on.
• If they do start shooting people, you need to make a choice: stay still and hope they do not shoot you, run for an exit while zigzagging, or attack the shooter.
• If you chose to run, a zigzagging moving target is much harder to hit than a straight runner.
• Playing dead may also be a consideration.
• It is not a recommendation to attack the shooter, but remember that you have a choice to fight when there are no other options.
• The last thing that the shooter will expect is to be attacked by you.

What to Expect from Responding Police Officers

Police officers responding to an active shooter are trained to proceed immediately to the area where the shots were last heard; their purpose is to stop the shooting as quickly as possible. The first responding officers may possibly be from different police agencies and dressed in different uniforms. They may even be in civilian clothes and wearing an external bulletproof vest.

• Regardless of how officers appear, remain calm.
• Do as the officers tell you, and do not be afraid of them.
• Put down any bags or packages that you are carrying and keep your hands visible at all times.
• If you know where the shooter is, or know the shooters description, tell the officers.
• The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured victims.
• Rescue teams will follow shortly after the first responding officers enter the area.
• They will attend to the injured and remove everyone safely from the area.
• Keep in mind that once you have escaped to a safer location, the entire area is still a crime scene.
• Police will usually not let anyone leave until the situation is under control and witnesses have been identified.
• Until you have been released, remain at the assembly point authorities have designate.

What else can you do?

• Prepare a plan of action for an active shooter in advance.
• Determine possible escape routes and know where the nearest building exits are.

Other Downloadable material:

Active Shooter Booklet (pdf)
Active Shooter Pocket Card (external link)
After a Shooter Toolkit for Schools (pdf)

Active Shooter Training Online:
DHS Training Course

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Independent Study Course titled: Active Shooter, What You Can Do (IS-907), is a no-cost training course developed to provide the public with guidance on how to prepare for and respond to active shooter crisis situations. This training is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS907.asp 

The training is targeted to reach a broad range of individuals, including managers and employees, so they can prepare to respond to an active shooter situation. 

The course is self-paced and takes about 45 minutes to complete. Upon completion of Active Shooter, What You Can Do, employees and managers will be able to:

·        Describe the actions to take when confronted with an active shooter and responding law enforcement officials.

·        Recognize potential workplace violence indicators.

·        Describe actions to take to prevent and prepare for potential active shooter incidents.

·        Describe how to manage the consequences of an active shooter incident.

A certificate from FEMA EMI is awarded to participants who complete the course and pass a short final exam.