There are ways to create an active shooter training guide to prepare for the worst and spot the danger signs. Sadly, active shooters are an unfortunate reality that businesses — including insurance agencies — should prepare for. Experts have identified several practical steps to keep people safe and even prevent incidents in the first place.

The Active Shooter Training Plan to Enact

From obtaining active shooter insurance to recognizing red flags, here’s everything you should know.

Have Active Shooter Insurance

General liability insurance generally doesn’t cover a workplace, school, or public area attack involving a firearm, but entities still need protection. Fortunately, active shooter coverage offers several benefits:

• Pays for crisis management services such as psychiatric care, counseling, and medical care

• Covers legal expenses if victims sue the organization for negligence

• Pays for repairs and replacement

• Covers loss of income

People unfamiliar with the insurance industry may wonder how insurance can help in the case of an active shooter. Ultimately, shootings are traumatic, and business owners and their employees may struggle to get the company back on track while coping with their experiences. Having the proper resources means workers get the support they need during a difficult time.

Create a Plan

An emergency plan is crucial for minimizing casualties in an active shooter situation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has many sources to help businesses develop their own. Essentially, they break down into three steps:

•      Run: People should evacuate the area if possible.

•      Hide: If the shooter is blocking the exit or you cannot leave, find a place to hide. A room with a locked door and no windows is best.

•      Fight: If there are no other options, you should engage the shooter and attempt to take control of any weapons. It should be a last resort since it’s hazardous.

Businesses should have evacuation plans, safe meeting spots, and ways to accommodate everyone. Training all staff, providing regular refresher courses, and practicing evacuations are essential for preparing for a worst-case scenario.

Look for Red Flags

Mass violence doesn’t come out of nowhere; there are usually signs before the actual act. Therefore, organizations should develop an anonymous system allowing employees to report red flags and take these concerns seriously. It’s also a good idea to train individuals to recognize problematic behavior, such as the following:

• Bullying and intimidation

• Unusual interest in mass shootings

• Anger problems

• Stalking

• Boasting about combat abilities

Renew Active Shooter Insurance Policies

As an insurance agent, you understand the importance of reviewing policies carefully before renewing them. Thus, changing circumstances and coverage offerings mean there may be a better option for your needs — but you won’t know unless you look.

While clients may know this, doing the work can be overwhelming, especially if they have other things on their plates. Insurance agents can assist by looking at clients’ needs and recommending appropriate coverage. For example, if you’re helping a district interested in active shooter insurance for schools, the size of the district, the location of schools, and the number of teachers all impact its ability to recover after an attack.

No one wants to purchase active shooter insurance, but it can make a world of difference. Policies help people recover from their worst days, and nowhere is that more true than after a mass shooting.

About PGUI

Professional Governmental Underwriters, LLC., is a full-service risk management company dedicated to assisting public, educational and non-profit entities in the management of their professional liability exposures including educators liability insurance. We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art professional underwriting management and loss control advisory services on behalf of our designated carriers. For more information, call us toll-free at (800) 586-6502.