COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — While the arguments continue in our country about ways to stop school shootings and active shooter situations about the only thing that might be certain is that for now, we’re going to have to help ourselves. One of the most simple and effective things you can do is prepare yourself and build new habits around what you observe and are prepared to do while you are in public places if the worst were to happen.
Here at News5, we had an active shooter training class from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) just 4 days before the Club Q shooting happened. As I covered that horrific act of evil in our community, I kept thinking to myself that active shooter training is something everyone should know.
In the Club Q shooting, we know there were people who hid, others ran from the club and two people, Richard Fierro, and Thomas James fought back, subduing the shooter no doubt saving countless lives.
But do you know what you would do if you were somewhere in public and the shooting started? While it’s a situation none of us ever hope to find ourselves in, the Colorado Springs Police Department wants you to be prepared, and they are willing to train you for free.
Colorado Springs Police Crime Prevention Officer Christopher Ausec is 1 of 4 crime prevention officers that go into the community and teaches an active shooter training class.
When I asked Officer Ausec how important he feels this training is in our community he said, “I think it's very important to everyone. Active shooter situations can happen anywhere to anyone. I will use an example of a stay-at-home mom or someone that isn't out in the community a lot. Those times when they do go out they still could be a target. That includes houses of worship and businesses so it's really important that everyone understands if an active shooter were to happen how they can protect themselves and their family.”
In the initial minutes of an active shooter situation beginning, your survival is literally in your own hands. “What we teach is the method, run, hide, and fight. What happens is once a person realizes that the situation is an active shooter event, they pick the option that works best for them in the moment.”
Run hide fight might seem like a simple proposition, but simply being in the mindset doing any one of them, the one that feels right when the chaos breaks out is your first step to survival.
“What happens is the shooter is going from area to area, and they're looking for people that are caught out in the open. For the most part they're trying to get a high kill count and what happens is people who are frozen in fear could end up being a casualty. Now, on the flip side of that if you've had training like Run Hide Fight, you know what your options are. There's a better chance that you'll recognize the situation for what it is, and you will take one of those options and act appropriately and hopefully not freeze during that situation. I want to clarify that in the Run Hide Fight method, there's no expectation that you start at run, then go to hide before you fight. It’s not an order of things and it’s not a flow chart. It’s a matter of doing what your instincts tell you in the moment.”
Officer Ausec says that means you might even be armed, and your best option may be to NOT confront the shooter. “While it is a citizen's legal right to carry a firearm and possesses that in the state of Colorado, the options run, hide, fight, apply to everyone and that's what we hope that everyone does. The problem with someone that decides they want to go after the threat, is that we as law enforcement when we get on scene, we're looking for the shooter. If we happen to see someone running around with a gun that we're not familiar with, I mean we won't be able to tell if that person is a good guy or a bad guy and there is a chance that a shooting can happen that isn’t what we’re hoping for. We hope that even if people have a concealed weapon, I hope they remember Run Hide Fight - those are going to be your best options.”
To connect with CSPD to schedule a free active shooter training visit their website and click on the “Crime Prevention” tab, or you can reach out to your local law enforcement agency to ask about active shooter training options in your area.
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