Run, Hide, Fight: A Practical School Active Shooter Response
Active shooter situations are the nightmare for every school administration, teachers & staff. Because it is scarier and more harmful than any other school emergency.
How do you keep your students safe& address their fears? How do you protect yourself? What is the correct course of action in such situation? These are questions no one wants to ask, but every school must be prepared to answer.
In Australia, shootings in schools are rare compared to some other countries. However, we must be prepared for any unexpected situation and keep our school active shooter response ready and practised. How? We’ll show you in this blog post.
OurWihkum team believes that school safety depends on preparation and right tools. Our digital safety app helps schools respond faster when safety is compromised. It is useful for aggressive incidents, strangers on site, or worst-case scenarios like active shooters.
Need for a Timely School Active Shooter Response
Violent situations are no longer a tale from far away. They reached us here in Australia & we have to be prepared for them. In South Australia alone, there were ~1,187 police call-outs to public school campuses in 2023 for violence or weapons incidents. (Adelaide Now)
These incidents create a sense of fear, disrupt school environment and leave long-term psychological scars. E.g. higher levels of anxiety, PTSD, absenteeism, and academic decline.
Among all these terror, active shooter situations need most immediate response. Any delay in or miscommunication in early moments leads to serious injuries or fatalities. Hence, every student must know what to do & be prepared for it.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, rapid evacuation or suppression by first responders is seen to reduce the lethality of an active shooter event.
Under Australian Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, organisations (including schools) must manage risks of aggression and protect staff and students from them. Protocols differ as per situation but main principle is: schools must plan, train & reduce risk.
Below is the most effective protocol for school active shooter response.
Run, Hide, Fight | Dealing with Active Shooter Situations
“Run, Hide, Fight” is a tri-step protocol recommended by FBI and other reputable security agencies as the standard civilian response in active shooter events. It is based on research into past incidents, best practices, and what tends to maximise survival.
Let’s discuss its components adapted to school settings with evidence & official guidance.
RUN: Evacuate First if Possible
The U.S. DHS “Active Shooter Booklet” advises that first priority is to evacuate if safe to do so. Guide students about evacuation and set up Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) that include multiple escape routes and safe assembly points.
Everyone must:
- Leave immediately, without personal items. Coat, bag, phone, leave everything behind.
- Don’t waste the time thinking because every second counts.
- Move in a calm but fast way away from the shooter.
- Use alternate exits if your normal route is blocked.
- Keep hands visible to law enforcement when you reach safety (raise hands, no sudden movements).
The FBI’s ASAPP training reports that if participants learn decision-making, are trained in prompt evacuation & rooms are unlocked and exits known, many lives are saved.
Possible Challenges
- Panic, blocked exits, & confusion among students about severity of the situation.
- Some students or staff physically unable to run.
- Shooter can block primary exits over time.
Keep them in mind and guide the students in what to do if such cases.
HIDE: Seek Cover in a Safe Location
The U.S. Ready.gov guidelines concerning public spaces and schools include “Cover and Hide” as a central action if evacuation (RUN) is not possible.
Recommended practice is:
- If you cannot evacuate safely, find a room you can lock or barricade.
- You can also use heavy furniture as a cover.
- Stay away from doors, windows, corridors. Choose rooms without windows, or where windows are small and out of sight.
- Turn off lights, silence phones, and avoid making noise.
- Stay low, behind something solid if gunfire occurs.
The DHS guide emphasises that hiding places should be identified in advance, staff should know where they are, how to lock room, how to barricade.
Psychological & Logistical Factors
- People need calm training so they know what’s expected and to reduce panic.
- Rooms used for hiding must have clear signage, lockable doors, communications tools (e.g. phone, intercom).
- Schools should make the hiding places part of building design for easy identification.
Keep these factors in mind while designing the response procedure or carrying out drills.
FIGHT: Last Resort Defence
“Run” is statistically the safest first option, then “Hide”. But when they both are not possible and there is immediate risk to your safety, “Fight” is the only option. The FBI training for active shooter underlines to use the fight only as last resort.
Hence, every student & staff member should:
- Only consider fighting when you are confronted and there is no other option.
- Improvise & use anything heavy or blunt, like fire extinguishers, chairs, backpacks.
- Yell and show aggressive behaviour as much as you can.
- Be loud and unpredictable. Surprise and teamwork help a lot in distracting the shooter.
Risks
- High risk of injury or harm to those who attempt fight, if the shooter is heavily armed.
- Permanent psychological or physical marks on responders.
Schools should take these factors into account and guide students to fight only in worst case scenario. Otherwise, informing the security officials should preferred.
How to Report the Situation to Law Enforcement?
Whenever you find it safe, call emergency services and report the incident ASAP. Every student should memorise important helplines and be able to report on their own.
Details to give include:
- Your location: building, room, floor.
- Description of shooter: number, clothing, weapon(s).
- Number of victims or injured.
- Any movement you observe.
Instead of regular calls, using technology and app-based alerts is a better way to communicate with responders.E.g. many schools in USA use panic alarms, two-way radios and other systems.
Digital tools like Wihkum can send immediate alerts to trained staff and law enforcement. Plus, sharing GPS-locations, geofence triggers, and silent notifications for safety.
Cooperation with First Responders
When law enforcement arrives, you should:
- Follow their instructions exactly, keep hands visible.
- Stay calm and avoid pointing or yelling
- Immediately raise hands, spread fingers & keep your hands visible
- Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)
- Avoid making quick movements toward officers.
Understand that responding officers not know who’s good or bad in early minutes. Hence, these clear signals will help and keep you safe.
Guidelines for Effective Active Shooter Drills in Schools
Drills are essential, for mental preparation and timely response. But administration should keep psychological safety in mind while designing active shooter drills in schools.
Some recommended practices from our side includes:
| Component | Recommended Practice | Why It Matters |
| Frequency | At least twice a year More if school size or risk profile high | Regular drills help reduce panic and increase muscle memory |
| Age-Appropriate Training | Customise drills for younger students Avoid overly graphic scenes | Lower risk of trauma Promotes understanding rather than fear |
| Involvement with Local Law Enforcement | Invite officers to observe or participate Align school plans with police response times and capabilities | Sets realistic expectations coordination improves outcomes |
| Clear Communication of Purpose | Tell students and staff what the drill is about Explain why it’s done & debrief afterwards | Builds trust Reduces confusion and anxiety |
| Review and Adjust | After each drill: What went well? What failed? Update protocols accordingly | Continuous improvement increases readiness |
There is debate whether drills with full simulation (e.g. gunshot sounds, simulated blood) may cause harm. Some studies show that traumatic stress symptoms can be triggered from them. So, you must reconsider school active shooter drills with keeping it in mind.
Balance practicality with psychological safety. E.g. use visual cues but not always audio, give students choice to skip a drill, and provide counselling after it.
Integration of Technology & Preparedness in School Environments
Drills and protocols are necessary, but they are not enough alone. Schools should combine them with technology and systems that enable rapid response.
Some helpful features are:
- Panic buttons, emergency notification systems & silent notifications
- Geofencing to mark school perimeter, so that alerts are triggered only in the relevant area and reduce false alarms.
- GPS tracking of staff responders to identify nearest trained personnel.
- Map layouts shared with all staff, with windows and exits, and hiding spots marked.
Is your school active shooter response plan tested and supported by right tools?
Strengthen Your School Safety with Wihkum
Wihkum helps you move your school active shooter response from theory to action.
With our school safety app, you can get: fast alerts via push button, geofence-based incident detection, GPS-powered responder location, and full customisation for your school’s needs.
Your staff can download the app on iOS or Android. Start with setup in just a couple of hours, upload your responders’ list, set your help tones, define operational schedules, and your school will be better prepared.
to see how we can build safety confidence in your school community.