Active Shooter: Rapid Response (DVD)

Active Shooter: Rapid Response. By Emergency Film Group, www.efilmgroup.com. DVD, $425.

Columbine, Virginia Tech, Newtown—the list of active shooter events just keeps getting longer. These tragedies, which occur without warning, require immediate action to limit their impact and casualties. Accomplishing this type of response requires planning and practice not only for public safety and security officials, but for all levels of staff.

Active Shooter: Rapid Response assembles a team of experts in public safety, critical incident response, and emergency management to produce a comprehensive training film. The DVD and accompanying instructor materials and resources provide scenario-based training that schools, public facilities, and other organizations can use to prepare staff and first responders for the initial actions an active shooter incident requires. Properly executed, such actions will make a difference in how things ultimately turn out.

The film discusses perimeter control, dealing with victims, dealing with the shooters, and more. It depicts an effective way to make the transition from normal operations to response mode. This well-made video engages the attention of security and nonsecurity personnel.

Because Active Shooter: Rapid Response is intended for many audiences, the DVD may seem too intensive for some viewers and not sufficient for others. But all-in-all, this 33-minute video is a useful tool that can help viewers prepare for active shooter incidents.

Reviewer: Mayer Nudell, CSC (Certified Safety and Security Consultant), is an independent consultant on crisis management, contingency planning, and related issues. He is also an adjunct professor at Webster University and coauthor of The Handbook for Effective Emergency and Crisis Management. He is a member of ASIS International.