Policy
Take immediate steps to provide for the safety of customers and staff in case of an active threat situation in a library facility.
Definition
Active Shooter
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):
"An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.
Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation."
Procedure
Your safety is the number one priority in an active shooter situation. Please keep this in mind and respond appropriately. Try to remain calm; patrons will observe your behavior for guidance.
When a staff member becomes aware of an active shooter in the building:
If you can do so while taking steps to keep yourself safe (e.g. evacuating or hiding), inform others in the building of the active threat. It might only be possible to notify people in your immediate vicinity.
Evacuation:
If you believe you can exit the building, please do so in as safe a manner as possible. While moving outside, keeping hands raised with palms out will aid in identifying you as a "non-threat" to emergency responders.
Do not assemble at the standard fire evacuation point, which might be known to the assailant. If possible, proceed to a safe location far from the building. Once you’ve arrived at a safe location, call 911 if you haven’t already done so, then contact library management by phone when you can. Emergency contacts are listed in the PIC and LSL phones, and they are posted on library commons.
Securing your immediate area:
If exiting the building is not possible, the following activities are recommended to secure your immediate area:
- Lock and/or barricade doors with any available object(s) - chairs, tables, desks, etc.
- Turn off lights.
- Close blinds and block windows that can be opened.
- Turn off computer equipment.
- Keep occupants calm, quiet, and/or out of sight by laying low to the ground.
- Keep yourself out of sight and take cover/protection (e.g. concrete walls, desks, chairs, tables, filing cabinets).
- Silence cell phones.
- Consider placing signs in exterior windows to identify the location of injured persons.
Contacting authorities:
Dial 911 from a cell phone or 9-911 from a County building phone. Be aware that 911 operators might be responding to many calls.
What to report:
- Your specific location - building/address, office number/room.
- Number of people in your specific location.
- Injuries - number injured, types of injuries.
- Assailant(s) - location, number of suspects, race/gender, clothing description, physical features, type of weapon(s) (long gun or hand gun, etc), backpack, assailant's identity if known, separate explosions from gunfire, etc.
Leaving a hiding place or barricaded area:
It is not possible to anticipate every specific scenario, and in-the-moment assessment will be necessary. If you have hidden or barricaded yourself, it might only be safe to leave the area when one of the following occurs:
- You believe you have an opportunity to exit the building without being detected by the assailant.
- Uniformed police officers advise or direct you to leave the area.
- An “all clear” announcement is made on the PA system (in applicable locations).
Encountering the assailant:
If you encounter the assailant and you cannot GET AWAY from them, your final resort might be to FIGHT them so you can protect yourself and escape.
Reporting:
Once the situation has been declared safe for staff and patrons, the PIC or a supervisor will coordinate next steps, such as attempting to account for all staff and notifying upper levels of management.