On May 31 we attended a sobering presentation by Pennsylvania State Trooper Reginald Easterling Jr. about what to do if we found ourselves in an "active shooter" situation. He used the words "unfortunately" and "God forbid" frequently during his talk.
It seemed utterly surreal: there we were, sitting in the comfortable sanctuary at Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville. Pastor Dan Perrin had just given us a warm welcome, and the idea of any kind of violence seemed completely foreign.
Yet the trooper was listing places just as peaceful, just as unlikely, where mass shootings have taken place recently. Chills ran down my spine when he explained that these shooters have one goal: to kill as many people as fast as possible.
He showed a video illustrating the three recommended alternatives for action -- "Run, Hide, Fight" -- and stressed that taking some kind of action increases your chance of survival. He backed up that assertion by showing that the death rates during the Virginia Tech shooting were higher in classrooms where the students simply huddled together versus when they escaped or barricaded themselves in.
Escaping is the preferred strategy, and he urged us to be mindful of our surroundings at all times and think about possible exits and plans of action.
Hiding means keeping the lowest profile possible, barricading yourself in a safe place (the video showed an office worker pushing a photocopier against the door), turning off the lights and silencing your phone.
And fighting means taking action to throw the shooter off -- anything from sounding a horn to discharging a fire extinguisher at him.
Trooper Easterling was an excellent presenter, spoke from experience, and handled difficult questions tactfully. I'd recommend that if you're part of an organization or institution, you should get in touch with him at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale and invite him to present a similar seminar.
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