Is your trainer trained?

As I tour the country with T4Tactics teaching businesses, churches, schools, medical facilities the dynamics of Active Shooter Awareness and Response Training, I'm often told several responses.

1. "We have a retired deputy / police officer in our congregation and he / she taught us Active Shooter Response."

2. "We had the local police department come by and they gave us an hour presentation on the topic."

3. "We don't have the type of facility that is subject to an active shooter."

Although many businesses, churches, schools and other facilities do have some very fine current and or retired law enforcement officers within their ranks, here is the question you must ask yourself. They may be highly skilled at police tactical operations and have some great ideas to share but have they actually studied Active Shooter Events? Their intentions are 100% and they mean well but are they teaching from a lesson plan they saw on 60 minutes, CNN or a short police in-service course?

The unthinkable attacks that have occurred in this country (and others) have each had their own special planning, execution and dynamics. The instruction to survive goes far and above, and way beyond the typical "run, hide, fight" that so many "professionals" are stuck on teaching. It should be at least three-hours of lecture at bare minimum. Each dynamic of the most horrific Active Shooter events have been unique. The topic is not "one size fits all" and teaching it that way is malpractice! You must have certain plans in place to identify and recognize threats. How to deal with them before they become a problem. What are HR responsibilities before, during and months / years after an attack? The second attack an Active Shooter will deliver is the devastation to a business trying to recover when they did not have a solid Active Shooter policy. (mental and civil litigation issues)

Being a retired police Sergeant from the Daytona Beach area with many long lasting state and federal assignments directly related to violence, human behavior, investigations and tactics operations, I fully support law enforcement and the efforts to keep you safe on this subject matter. Just check into the facilitators credentials. What assignments did they handle during their career? Have they taken specialized courses on the topic of Active Shooter? This cannot be learned in just months and a few classes. It takes years of studying from scholarly sources in order to deliver it correctly. Have they actually traveled the country obtaining primary sourced information from investigators, survivors and witnesses from attacks? If they're teaching you, your co-workers, patrons and family how to survive during a violent attack, you'd better get the best there is to offer! Again, check credentials and ask for training certificates. For more information, see T4Tactics, LLC. Located in Lynchburg, VA and available to travel anywhere! Stay safe and always practice situational awareness!