Each active shooter situation has unique aspects; therefore it is critical that your emergency plan includes some flexibility to respond dynamically to any active shooter scenario.

The short-lived nature of active shooter scenarios – usually completed within 15 minutes – means your plan has to immediately activate procedures to secure or evacuate your people, alert first responders within seconds for rapid response, and provide emergency personnel with accurate, real-time data to quickly neutralize the threat. 

A.L.I.C.E. Emergency Protocol

Developing an emergency plan must, of course, include a training component, so your staff or teachers are fully prepared to respond appropriately in an emergency situation. Regular drills are recommended to help instill the protocols. 

One very popular approach is the A.L.I.C.E. protocol, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. These five aspects of the plan do not have to all be used, nor do they need to be used in a particular order. They are meant as a guideline to help you develop each of the five critical parts of any effective emergency plan.

• Alert: Often the first alert is when shots are fired. With ZeroEyes gun detection software, administrators and first responders will be immediately alerted the moment our artificial intelligence identifies a visible gun, possibly allowing lockdown before the shooter even enters a building or fires a shot.
• Lockdown: Train your people in lockdown procedures for each location in your building. You may have the ability to lockdown wings, keeping the shooter out of other areas and therefore protecting everyone in those other parts of your campus. You should also identify safe areas throughout your school or business where people can hide. With ZeroEyes monitoring the movements of the shooter, you and emergency personnel will know exactly where the shooter is and be able to keep more people safe.
• Inform: Passing on information about the whereabouts and actions of a shooter is almost impossible without a well-integrated security camera system. When ZeroEyes is attached to your security cameras, it transmits information about the location of the shooter directly to emergency responders so they have the real-time intel they need to act quickly and save lives.
• Counter: This step is one that we hope you and your people never need: what to do when you come face-to-face with an active shooter. There are protocols and behaviors that are found to be effective. Consider the options and train your people in the most appropriate procedures.
• Evacuate: If at all possible, have several evacuation routes and options. This flexibility will be critical in order to get people to safety regardless of the direction the shooter is coming from. Evacuation plans should include instructions on how to escape through a window, patio, or roof in a safe manner. When you know where the shooter is, you can better direct the escape plan. 

Staying Ahead of the Shooters

The constantly evolving nature of these situations demonstrates the value of having immediate, real-time information to end a conflict quickly, and self-learning artificial intelligence that continuously refines and improves based on new data. Contact us here at ZeroEyes to determine how we can enhance your existing security system to speed up identification of a shooter, dramatically improve response time and situational awareness for first responders, and keep your people safe.