Hodgepodge 19/365 - Active Shooter Drill

Today I participated, as a Red Cross volunteer, in an active shooter drill in neighboring San Benito County. The scenario took place at a movie theater: a scaled-down version of the Aurora, Colorado, shootings of 2012. Our job was simply to make sure those involved in the drill stayed hydrated and caffeinated, and it afforded a nice chance to chat with the sheriff, who knew one of my co-workers. They reminisced about a serial killer from the early 1970s, who happens to share my co-worker's last name (no relation) and was active in the county they both worked in. The things you learn volunteering . . .

Glass shard moulage

A few months ago, I volunteered as a "victim" for a larger drill in my own county, the situation there taking place on a "college campus." I happened to be leaning against a classroom door chatting with a friend when all of a sudden it was forced open. If the situation had been real, I suppose I'd have been shot immediately, but as it was I was holding a card with instructions simply "to run." So I ran—straight for the women's bathroom. Once I got in there I realized that that probably was not the best place to go: a total trap. But my card (and the fact that I hadn't been decorated with moulage, or fake injuries) spared me any bloodshed.

Be that as it may, there are, as far as I can tell, two prongs to these drills: first, deploying law enforcement, who—if all goes right—neutralize the shooter; and second, getting EMS on the scene to triage the victims, treat, and transport. So the "unreality" of my escaping was neither here nor there. My main job, in the end, was simply to contribute to the chaos.

Some of the volunteer victims—and at that drill there were many dozens of us—were very good at creating chaos, yelling and screaming and getting in the officers' faces demanding to know where a loved one was. Me, I'm not good at that: pretend is pretend. I don't even think I'd make a lot of noise if it were a real situation. I'd just get as quiet and small as possible, or else run fast. But I believe they were drawing on volunteers from drama departments at local colleges, and this was a great opportunity for those students to act.

I was curious to see what resources there are online about active shootings. I found one video (3:40) from Homeland Security aimed at civilians (potential victims):

And a longer one (9:22) from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office:

One of these videos suggests that anytime you go into a public place you should scope out possible escape routes. Um, no. Maybe it's naive of me to think that all of us in this country are pretty safe, at least from mass shootings—since reality shows that (as the second video points out) since 2006 active shooter incidents with 4+ deaths have taken place every 2.9 months on average—but statistically speaking, the average person is much more likely to be killed by lightning  than by an active shooter (51 deaths vs. 37 annually, according to NOAA/FBI). So no: I'm too old to live under the pall of paranoia. I'll just keep my running legs in shape.

I know I'm fortunate to live in a community that is relatively free of gun violence. I don't have to worry when I leave my house. But who among us is ever prepared for a mass shooting? Whenever one occurs and a gun rights advocate responds, "If people had had weapons, we would've taken care of it!"—well, maybe. But in a dark movie theater? On a crowded college campus? In a night club? Wouldn't more bullets just add to the mayhem? Unless, of course, you're a really, really good shot, in a chaotic situation. That would seem to me to require serious tactical training, not just your odd day-at-the-shooting-range practice. But what do I know?

Regardless, I'm glad, I guess, to know that our communities are training for these (thankfully) exceedingly rare events. And I hope to God we never have to put this training to use here, where I live. Or anywhere ever again—though I know that would be naive thinking.