Unfortunately, You’re Being Told All the Wrong Things.

When you turn on the news, you’re told that another active shooter attack was an unpreventable tragedy. You’re told that a “crazy person” simply “snapped,” and the message behind the madness is fear—a sense that nothing could have been done to prevent it. When you research active shooter preparedness, you may hear statistics suggesting that you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be injured or killed in an active shooter attack.

So why worry?

The message becomes denial, complacency, and a false sense of security.

Both of these messages miss the real problem.

The problem isn't simply active shooters. The problem is violence.

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The FBI's definition of an “active shooter” is intentionally narrow: an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. That definition is useful for law enforcement and statistical purposes, but it doesn't describe the full spectrum of workplace violence, threats, aggression, targeted violence, harassment, stalking, domestic violence spillover, or other violent behavior that organizations must be prepared to recognize and address.

It doesn't describe the person making threats in the workplace.

It doesn't describe the employee whose behavior is escalating.

It doesn't describe the disgruntled former employee who returns looking for revenge.

It doesn't describe the person carrying a knife.

It doesn't describe the bomb threat.

It doesn't describe the employee telling coworkers that someone is going to “pay.”

And it certainly doesn't describe the countless situations that are identified and interrupted

before they become acts of violence.

No wonder the statistics surrounding “active shooters” can create a false sense of security.

But when we stop focusing exclusively on the label active shooter and start looking at the real issue—violence between people—the question becomes much more important: How likely are you to encounter aggressive, threatening, or potentially violent behavior in your workplace, school, facility, or community?

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You already know the answer.

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Here Is the Truth.

Aggressive and violent behavior is a serious threat to organizations and communities. But violence is not always random, and it does not always happen without warning. In many cases, there are behaviors, communications, conflicts, grievances, threats, and escalating circumstances that can be recognized and addressed before someone is injured. That is where workplace violence prevention, behavioral threat assessment, crisis intervention, and de-escalation become essential.

The question isn't simply, “What do we do when someone brings a gun into the building?”

The better question is:

What do we do before it gets there?

How does a person move from frustration to aggression?

How does aggression escalate into threats?

When does concerning behavior become a legitimate threat assessment issue?

How do we distinguish between someone who is angry, and someone who may actually be preparing to act?

What should HR do?

What should a supervisor do?

When should security or law enforcement become involved?

And perhaps most importantly:

How do we intervene without making the situation worse?

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Sometimes It's Personal.

A few years ago, a manager we worked with was shot three times after a hostile employee returned to the workplace seeking revenge.

A firearm was involved. It was an act of workplace violence. And yet, depending on how the event is classified, it may never appear in the statistics people use when they talk about “active shooters.” 

The label doesn't change what happened to that manager.

Other times, the warning signs are much more obvious. Just last year, we consulted with an HR department that had serious concerns about an employee at a remote facility. The employee had been talking about shooting other people. He claimed to keep firearms in his vehicle, a fact independently confirmed by another employee. Then he was passed over for a promotion he believed he deserved. His behavior became increasingly concerning, and he began making veiled threats about taking matters into his own hands.

The organization contacted law enforcement. The response was essentially:

“Nothing illegal is happening that we can prove, so there isn't anything we can do.”

So what do you do with this person?

Do you terminate the employee?

Do you ignore the behavior because no crime has occurred?

Do you confront him?

Do you send him home?

Do you call law enforcement?

Do you begin a formal behavioral threat assessment?

Will the decision you make actually reduce the risk of violence—or increase it?

There is a right answer.

And there are very wrong answers.

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Violence Prevention Starts Before the Attack.

Effective workplace violence prevention isn't about teaching people to live in fear. It is about giving them the knowledge and confidence to recognize concerning behavior, intervene appropriately, and respond effectively when a situation begins to deteriorate.

Your team should understand how aggressive behavior develops and how to respond at each stage of escalation. We teach practical tools for recognizing and responding to Anxiety, Testing, and Attack. Participants learn to recognize different patterns of aggression—including reactive and targeted aggression—and understand which communication, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and safety strategies are appropriate for each.

This is not simply active shooter training.

It is a comprehensive approach to violence prevention and crisis management.

Because the best response to an active shooter begins long before the first shot.

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This Shouldn't Be a Scary Conversation.

It should be empowering.

It should be evidence-based.

It should be practical.

And it should work.

Workplace violence can happen in any industry: 

Hospitals.

Schools.

Manufacturing facilities.

Courthouses.

Government buildings.

Corporate offices.

Retail environments.

Remote facilities.

Ports.

Construction sites.

Small businesses.

Large organizations.

The environment changes.

The principles don't.

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Stop Training for the Headline.

The instructors at TTA are tired of seeing ineffective approaches to workplace violence and active shooter preparedness. We've seen training organizations introduce firearms simulators and randomly expose participants to simulated gunfire for a few hours under the banner of “stress inoculation.” We've also seen organizations reduce violence prevention to a short online course that employees can click through in minutes.

These are two ineffective extremes.

Neither adequately addresses the psychology of violence, threat assessment, de-escalation, crisis intervention, communication, behavioral warning signs, or organizational decision-making.

And when training fails to prepare people for the actual problem, it can create a false sense of confidence while making effective violence prevention more difficult.

People don't need to be terrified into preparedness.

They need to be educated, equipped, and empowered.

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You Can Change the Culture.

As a leader, you have the ability to create a workplace where employees understand what concerning behavior looks like, know how to report it, and have confidence that their concerns will be taken seriously.

You can establish effective workplace violence prevention strategies.

You can develop a meaningful threat assessment process.

You can train employees in de-escalation and crisis intervention.

You can prepare your team for an active shooter or other violent event without making them afraid to come to work.

And you can build a culture where people recognize that preventing violence is everyone's responsibility.

Effective safety strategies are within reach. They are practical. They are teachable. And they are necessary.

Don't wait for a close call.

Don't wait for a threat to become an attack.

Don't wait for the headline to become your workplace.

Take action now.

 
 
About the Author: Greg is an international emergency manager, best-selling author, and founder of the Tactical Training Academy, an emergency preparedness organization. His goal is to empower you (and, thereby your family, schools, businesses, and community) to take a stand against violence.  Greg can be reached for questions or comments at Greg@Training-Academy.org.