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On Monday, September 16, 2013 Aaron Alexis, a former Navy reservist and active government contractor, fatally shot twelve people and injured three others in a mass shooting spree at the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C.
At 7:53 a.m., Alexis used a valid employee pass to enter the Yard. He proceeded to building 197 carrying a disassembled shotgun in a bag on his shoulder. He entered a bathroom, assembled the weapon, and then emerged from the room shooting civilian employees at random. At 8:57, he moved to the building’s third floor, where he encountered law enforcement officials. A gunfight ensued, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Alexis was fatally shot by police at 9:25 a.m.
Unfortunately, events like this are becoming more and more prevalent. Shopping malls, schools, restaurants, houses of worship—no places in our society have been left unmarred by the tragedy of an active shooter.
As a business continuity manager, you must prepare your organization for dealing with such a crisis. A tailored response plan, consistent training, and a strong emergency notification program are essential to minimize the impact.
To help with this challenge, Send Word Now has created the National Preparedness Month Special Report-Active Shooter Survival. It provides a brief overview of recommended guidelines for dealing with a workplace gunman. It is also recommended all managers take the Emergency Management Institute’s IS-907 online training course which focuses on this issue. Much of the guidance in our report is distilled from this resource.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those touched by the recent Navy Yard tragedy. We hope resiliency professionals around the globe will take this opportunity to prepare their organizations for unexpected workplace violence. _
