ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Tragedies are something no one can anticipate — the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, that happened earlier this week was a reminder of that.
It's important to know that, although we can't foresee disaster, we can prepare ourselves on how to respond in similar emergencies.
Many government and law enforcement agencies in Colorado provide training that can help people feel prepared in the event of a mass casualty situation.
Arapahoe County Deputy Mike Balding said preparedness programs are essential.
"It's invaluable," he said. "The biggest thing is to always have a plan."
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office is one place that offers this type of preparedness programs. Balding, who helps train other deputies, says the agency also provides training for civilians.
"Our Community Resources section offers that run, hide, fight training to local businesses. They do churches, they do any pretty much anywhere in the community that is willing to have them," said Balding. "It's a free of charge program where they will come in, they'll go through the the presentation with the the business or the organization and then we actually do some scenarios."
Although 'run, hide, fight' might sound familiar to most people who've received active shooter preparedness training, Balding gave the following reminders:
Run
- If you hear something or see something suspicious and it is safe to get away from that location, do so.
- If you have the ability to take people with you, do so, but your number-one priority is your own safety.
- Don't let people slow you down with their indecision. They might be telling you to stay and not run, but if you have the ability to get out, you should.
Hide
- If you're in an area where there isn't an option to run away, other than running directly at the the the threat or the the active shooter, then hide lock the door if you're in a room that's lockable.
- Barricade the door, especially if the room isn't lockable.
- If you're not in a lockable room, try to find something to hide behind that can potentially stop bullets, like some sort of concrete barrier.
- Try to make yourself as small as possible: get under a desk or into a small space somewhere where you can hide from being in plain sight of the active threat.
- Remain quiet and silence your cell phone.
Fight
- Confronting the shooter should always be a last resort.
- Taking self-defense and first-aid classes is a good idea.
Balding emphasized the importance of staying quiet during active shooter situations. He said, if you want to contact police, texting 911 is a safe way to do so.
Right now, most counties in Colorado offer 911 services via text. Below is a map of where this service is available:
Balding said getting trained on how to respond is a proactive choice.
"Most places are pretty vigilant with this type of stuff," he said. "Unfortunately, there's no way to make it not happen 100%, but if they take the proper plans and they practice what they have put in place then the more proficient and the more lives they can save or the more lives will be saved."
Balding said when it comes to training deputies, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office uses mass casualty situations that happened in the past to inform future programs. He said the agency will eventually use the after-action reports from the shooting in Maine for information on how to best prepare their deputies.
There are plenty of resources out there on how to respond to active shooter scenarios. A spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office sent us the following federal programs, which they combine in their own training:
There are also Denver and Colorado-specific programs that can be found online:
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