Active Shooter

Active Shooter

by Kevin Doss, Charles Shepherd
Released August 2015
Publisher(s): Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 9780128027837

Explore a preview version of Active Shooter right now.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to live online training experiences, plus books, videos, and digital content from 200+ publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

According to Pinkerton—the leading provider of risk management services in the world—workplace violence is second only to cybersecurity as the top threat faced by organizations today. Incidents involving active shooters in the workplace are on the rise and becoming more violent and deadly. Active Shooter provides the tools necessary to identify potential violent individuals, along with the options and responses needed to save lives, reduce corporate liability, and recover from an active shooter event should it happen.

Active Shooter begins with a brief history of active shooters and how they have changed over time. It shows why many perpetrators initiate attacks, what they often are thinking, and some of the indicators that could have been identified prior to the attack. The book shows how to develop an active shooter program in an organization, walking readers through the entire process including training exercises to test the efficiency of the program. With the uniquely private security perspective, Active Shooter illustrates how to communicate with law enforcement, government agencies, and the media in the event of active shooter incident. The book concludes with a discussion of how organizations can recover promptly after an incident, which is crucial for operational survival.



  • Illustrates what businesses should consider prior to, during, and after an active shooting event, including developing business continuity plan
  • Demonstrates the importance of preparedness, an effective coordinated response, and planning all the way down to the frontline employee
  • Addresses the private sector and public sector coordination efforts needed for an effective active shooter program
  • Offers teaching and learning tools such as text boxes, end-of-chapter discussion questions, lists of key DHS, FBI and FEMA websites and resources, as well as training exercises and case studies

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. About the Authors
  6. Introduction
  7. 1. Active Shooters and Workplace Violence
    1. Summary
    2. Introduction
    3. Historical Overview
    4. Active Shooter Definition
    5. Complexity of Violence
    6. Prevention
    7. Workplace Violence
    8. Four Levels of Violence in the Workplace
    9. Costs to the Organization
    10. References
  8. 2. Motivations and Triggers
    1. Summary
    2. Profiling or Behavioral Profiling
    3. What are They Thinking?
    4. Classifications
    5. Indicators
    6. Triggers
    7. References
  9. 3. Effective Planning
    1. Summary
    2. Emergency Action Planning
    3. Response and Recovery Planning
    4. Business Continuity Planning
    5. Planning Stages
    6. Active Shooter Planning
    7. References
  10. 4. First Responders and the Private Sector
    1. Summary
    2. Roles, Responsibilities, and Action
    3. Requirements and Assistance
    4. Gaps and Challenges
    5. Insider Threat
    6. Before, During, and After
    7. Effective Coordination
    8. Security Surveillance and Control Room
    9. Emergency Command Center or Emergency Operations Center
    10. Emergency Evacuation Assembly Area
    11. References
  11. 5. Coordinated Response, Expectations, and Goals
    1. Summary
    2. Who Will Arrive?
    3. When Will First Responders Arrive?
    4. First Responders
    5. Response
    6. Expectations
    7. Employee Actions
    8. Business Actions
    9. Goals
    10. References
  12. 6. Internal and External Communications
    1. Summary
    2. Systems and Platforms
    3. Platforms of Communication
    4. Social Media
    5. Alarm, Employee Notification, Verbal Warning, or Observation
    6. Messages During an Active Shooting
    7. Content of Warning Messages
    8. Internal and External Communication
    9. Persons Who Have a Disability
    10. Signage
    11. International Guests
    12. Communication Gaps
    13. Communications After
    14. Internal Self-Assessment Process During and After an Active Shooting
    15. References
  13. 7. Human Resources
    1. Summary
    2. Human Resources
    3. Internal Threats
    4. Considerations
    5. Standards of Behavior
    6. Discrimination
    7. Workers’ Rights
    8. Pre-employment Screening
    9. Procedures and Process
    10. Zero Tolerance
    11. References
  14. 8. Preparedness
    1. Summary
    2. Roles and Responsibilities
    3. Preventive Measures
    4. Identification of Gaps
    5. Budgeting
    6. References
  15. 9. Training, Awareness, Education, and Exercise
    1. Summary
    2. Training
    3. Awareness and Situational Awareness
    4. Challenges
    5. Education
    6. Exercise
    7. Process
    8. References
  16. 10. Recovery
    1. Summary
    2. Most Valuable Asset
    3. Effects of Decisions
    4. Business Differences
    5. Business Decision and Choice
    6. Active Shooter Plan
    7. Business Continuity Plan
    8. Command Center
    9. Notification Structure
    10. Emergency Evacuation Assembly Area
    11. Damage Assessment
    12. Restoration Overview
    13. Reunification
    14. Three Sectors of Recovery
    15. Three Phases of Recovery
    16. Checklist Process
    17. References
  17. Appendix A. Types and Classifications of Murderers
  18. Appendix B. Psychological Characteristics of Murderers
    1. Mass Murders
    2. Serial Murderers
    3. Family Murderers
    4. Spree or Rampage Killer
    5. References
  19. Appendix C. Active Shooting Workplace Violence Recovery Questions
  20. Appendix D. Active Shooter and Workplace Violence Training Exercise
    1. Scenario #1 Office Complex
    2. Scenario #2 Hospital
    3. Overview of Hospital
    4. Scenario #3 School
  21. Appendix E. Case Studies
    1. Case Study #1: Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller
    2. Case Study #2: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau
    3. References
  22. Index

Product information

  • Title: Active Shooter
  • Author(s): Kevin Doss, Charles Shepherd
  • Release date: August 2015
  • Publisher(s): Butterworth-Heinemann
  • ISBN: 9780128027837