Think about some of the places you regularly spend time in—perhaps a coffee shop, a grocery store, a fitness club or a house of worship. If you heard gunshots ring out, would you know what to do next? Have you ever paid attention to where the emergency exits are or thought about where you might hide if you couldn’t escape?
When you are at home, at work, or out in public, pay attention to where the exits and protected spaces are in the places you visit and spend time in. Then do a quick run-through in your head of where you would go and what you would do if a sudden emergency occurred. This applies to more than just active shooter situations. It’s also helpful for emergencies like fires, bomb threats, explosions or gas leaks.
It’s hard to think straight when you’re in a panic. If you do this mental scripting exercise ahead of time, when the crisis hits, your brain already has an action plan in place for your body to follow.
If you haven’t already done so, consider participating in active shooter preparedness training. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office offers an outstanding program (get all the info here). And now for the first time since the pandemic postponed the program, the Madison Police Department is once again offering it’s CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events) training.
MPD will hold training sessions for individuals at the MPD Training Center (5702 Femrite Drive) every other month.
In 2023 those dates are:
- May 10
- July 12
- September 13
- November 8
The sessions start at 5pm and you can sign up here. You will be contacted to confirm your attendance date.
Large groups (more than 25 people) can request a visit from the CRASE team. Your facility “must have the necessary AV and projector” for the presentation. Visit this MPD site to find the application and get more information.