Today’s topic is a grim one, and something that I get asked about frequently. My Crime Prevention partner, Deputy Chris Johnston, and I do a great many training sessions to private businesses, government agencies, church groups, schools, medical facilities, libraries etc. The topic is, “What should I do if there is an active shooter near me?” Often the question is, “Is there anything I can do? Aren’t I just fooling myself?”
It’s no wonder people are talking about this everywhere, because it seems to be happening with greater frequency. The fear attacks people at their core, their basic sense of safety in the everyday places we go. These are the last places we expect danger.
We are SAFE. We have a very safe, country, society, and community. We are very fortunate to have a society of law and order and most of the time danger and violence are far, far away. I believe that with all my heart, but still, it is the acme of foolishness to NOT take a few minutes and give this topic some serious thought and discussion.
The human brain is an amazing organ. It holds vast amounts of knowledge, but more importantly, more critically, is its ability to INTERPRET the information it receives. For decades computers have exceeded the human brain in information storage. However, they can’t even come close to our ability to interpret information. As our brains develop, they constantly makes connections within regarding everything we experience. We see snow, we feel it is cold, and then we assume white powder on the ground and all over trees and the street is snow.
When our brain detects something new, something never before seen, it automatically associates it with something we already know. If I were to see a strange animal from another planet on display, I would immediately start comparing it to things that are familiar to me. I might think, “Hmm that animal looks part giraffe, part snake and part bowling pins.” I would describe this new thing, by comparing it to known things. Much the same way, we might look up at a cloud formation and think, “That cloud looks like... Albert Einstein... or a smiling dog.” It really doesn’t look like that, but those are the things our brain associates this “new thing” with.
Now consider what happens when we suddenly and unexpectedly find ourselves in a dangerous situation. Maybe it is a car crash, or an avalanche, or a sudden invitation to get on stage and talk to a group of 500 people. Or worse, to SING!! I can think of few things more terrifying! In those moments of terror, especially if the threat is something completely new, many people will freeze up. They freeze up because their brain has never made any connections that are similar to this situation. They think they are about to experience something truly horrible, and they start to panic.
So, how do you start building connections in your brain? We gain skills through learning, practice, and repetition. Did you know that you don’t have to physically practice a skill in order to gain or increase proficiency? There is an area of study known as Sports Visualization, and an Australian Psychologist Alan Richardson made an experiment using three groups of people shooting basketball free-throws. He established their starting skill level and put them into three groups. One group was told to practice free-throws for 20 minutes per day. The second group was told to visualize making free-throws, and the third group was told not to practice or visualize. The results were astounding! The group that only visualized improved almost equally to the group that actually practiced. The third group showed no improvement.
When learning a new skill, or contemplating new ideas, you build new connections in your brain. With proper visualization techniques, you can gain proficiency and improve your odds of performing well. What does this have to do with my original topic of, “What should I do if there is an active shooter near me?”
My firm belief is, yes, there are things you can do to greatly increase your chance of surviving an active shooter, or other event of extreme violence. Probably the greatest thing you can do to accomplish that is to prepare yourself mentally. Not physical preparation, not firearms practice, not push-ups. Mentally prepare yourself. Think about how you can survive, discuss it with others, and visualize yourself taking quick action and surviving.
“Ok,” you might ask, “what action do you propose I visualize so I can survive?” That is the critical question. I will answer that question, but first I hope you will understand that just by reading this article, just by THINKING about this topic in detail, you are already increasing your chances of survival. You are already building pathways in your brain for your brain to associate if the “new thing” you encounter is a violent person intent on killing the people around them. That will be the topic of my next article...
In the meantime, see to your safety. Trust your instincts! Be watchful of your surroundings. Call Crime Check at 509-456-2233, or 911 if you see suspicious or criminal behavior. In fact, in almost any situation in all of Spokane County, if you need answers or help from law enforcement, you should start by calling Crime Check at 509-456-2233. Lastly, enjoy life! This is a wonderful place to live and there are many fun activities. Go explore some!
As always you can contact me by emailing to dwmorris@spokanesheriff.org.
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