Give yourself permission to survive

Tuesday morning I attended a program at the Creston High School called “S.A.V.E Yourself.” Put on by Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan, the program focused on ways to keep yourself and others safe against an active killer.

Union County Sheriff candidate Brian Bolton coordinated with the school and Sheehan to provide teachers and staff additional information to add to their tool kit should a situation happen here. He gave the presentation again in the afternoon at Southwestern Community College. He’s been doing these trainings since 2014.

I covered the program for a story that will be posted in the coming days, but I was also able to learn a lot as shootings and other mass murders don’t always take place in schools.

I’ll start by saying it is sad we have to have these trainings, but it’s much better to have them than not know what to do should the situation arises.

There were several statistics he referenced that stuck out to me. Perhaps the one that hit me hardest is the number one cause of workplace death for women is murder. That stunned me. You think of O.S.H.A. and other safety trainings designed to keep you safe, but how often are we taught how to survive a murder attempt?

Sheehan focused on empowerment over fear. Instead of freezing in the moment, he was able to provide statistics showing how likely the chances are of surviving an active killer incident.

The Department of Homeland Security defines an active killer as any individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

He referenced the deadly shooting at the Aurora theater in Colorado. Twelve people died in the incident, but 58 were shot and lived. Additionally, there were approximately 280 people who were there and never got shot at all. That’s not to diminish the dozen people who lost their lives, but to help quell the “freeze” instinct born of fear. Only 4% of people in that theater died. Those are good odds.

For those unfamiliar with firearms, Sheehan shared how difficult it is to hit a target, especially a moving target. In addition, he shared most shooters purchase the firearm in the weeks or months leading up to their killing. They are typically not firearm experts, but people relatively new to the weapon. This will mean worse accuracy and slower reloading, giving victims a better chance of survival.

Another statistic that gave me pause was about school shootings. While an FBI study shows the chances of an armed intruder in a school is higher today than in previous years, there is one simple way to help prevent deaths — locked classrooms.

Sheehan said after extensive research, he’s unable to find an instance of an active killer breaching a locked classroom and killing someone. While there was one instance where a shot through the window killed a student inside, the killers are typically looking for easy targets.

For me, his examples helped build calm. When you imagine being involved in one of these incidents, you often see yourself or someone you know or love being injured or killed. Now I don’t look at it that way. I now see all the ways I can outsmart the killer.

That’s where S.A.V.E. comes in. Shelter in place/ barricade; Awareness; Violence stops violence and Evacuate. Not necessarily in this order — in whatever order it takes to save yourself.

He also talked about giving yourself permission to do whatever it takes to survive an active killer. If you’re in the mall, go into an employee-only area if it means saving yourself. If breaking a window is the way to escape, give yourself permission.

Tell students they can go into the teachers’ lounge or any bathroom or locker room if it means avoiding being injured or killed. He cited an incident where kids were in the hallway right outside the teacher’s lounge but didn’t go in because in their mind that’s a place they aren’t allowed to go. Adults know students can do whatever it takes, but do they know?

He showed stills of the shooting at the Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas where people in the front row were huddled behind gates when they could have jumped them and found shelter several feet ahead of them. They didn’t do it because we’re programmed to not do what we are typically not allowed to do. In these life-or-death scenarios, give yourself permission.

I would highly recommend other schools, employers, churches and any other groups seek out this training. Contact Sheehan Strategic Solutions, LLC at sheehansolutions.com or 712-253-7648 to learn more.