No community is immune, as the recently released Emergency Services Sector Active Shooter Guide points out. Produced by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Emergency Services Sector Specific Agency, the tri-fold guide walks first responder departments through the four-step process of developing an active shooter program:

Awareness. Maintain a sense of organizational awareness of this issue and know where you can find resources (FBI, DHS, etc.).

Training. Improve local active shooter planning and preparedness through no-cost online training. The guide provides links to some training.

Community Outreach. Make collaborative networks within your community. Not only will this help during an actual incident, but people are more likely to report suspicious activity to a friendly face within the public safety community.

Exercise Coordination. Exercises can identify training and planning gaps, and they are an excellent opportunity to build the three previous bullet points.