Active Shooter

Active shooter events are on the rise, and emergency management and security officials are increasingly tasked with ways to effectively and safely train hospital workers on how to respond. Ms. Walsh will discuss new methodology of how to tackle the crucial task of training each hospital staff member and department, based on their unique functions within the hospital, as well as with their specific locations on any hospital campus.

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Presented by:

Michelle Walsh
Security Manager
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

This instructive video demonstrates possible actions to take if confronted with an active shooter scenario. The video reviews the choices of evacuating, hiding, or, as an option of last resort, challenging the shooter. The video also shows how to assist authorities once law enforcement enters the scene.

• View the Active Shooter Training Video

Terrorist attacks have a profound emotional and physical effect on a community. While preventing these attacks would be preferred, agencies must work swiftly and cohesively to improve patient outcome when an attack does occur. Read full discussion paper.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced the release of a new Blast Injury mobile application to assist in the response and clinical management of injuries resulting from terrorist bombings and other mass casualty explosive events. The application provides clear, concise, up-to-date medical and healthcare systems information to assist healthcare providers and public health professionals in the preparation, response, and management of injuries resulting from terrorist bombing events.

CDC Blast Injury App for iPhone and iPad

CHA commends the hospitals that received and treated patients from the active shooter tragedy that occurred in San Bernardino County this week, and is proud of the hospitals and health systems that have planned and trained with law enforcement agencies, local emergency medical services and fire agencies in preparing for and responding to such incidents. Additionally, CHA encourages all hospitals to utilize the multitude of resources that are available on the CHA emergency preparedness website. In addition to the existing CHA planning and training for active shooter resources and links, UCSF Medical Center has recently shared its training video and template table top exercise to assist other hospitals.

San Bernardino police praised – Los Angeles Times article on lessons learned

In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, the CHA Hospital Preparedness Program (CHA-HPP) released its most recently developed tool “Hospital Code Silver Activation – Active Shooter Planning Checklist”. The checklist is provided to support hospital efforts in reviewing and developing active shooter response plans.

This resource was initially developed to support the CHA-HPP course “Planning and Training for Active Shooter Events”.

The tool was developed with key advisements from agencies such as FEMA, Department of Homeland Security and the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety.

Hospitals should direct any questions to Mary Massey at 714-315-0572, or by email at mmassey@calhospital.org. 

• Download the Hospital Code Silver Activation – Active Shooter Planning Checklist

The City of Houston, Texas, has produced a six-minute, graphic video on what to do when encountering an active shooter. The video is entitled “Run-Hide-Fight: Surviving an Active Shooter Event” and was produced with a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

• Watch the video: ”Run-Hide-Fight: Surviving an Active Shooter Event”