I had never been in a building when it was put on lockdown… until recently. Although the time from lockdown to all clear was brief (and without incident), it was long enough to be frightening. As we waited, my co-workers and I reviewed the steps we had been taught—Run. Hide. Fight.
Run – When possible in the case of an active shooter, get out of the building.
Hide – If you can’t get out safely, hide. Turn off lights, silence cell phones, block doors and remain hidden and silent.
Fight – As an absolute last resort, fight. (Ready.gov)
Hours and days later, I was still thinking about the Run, Hide, Fight steps. And I realized these are the same steps we should take when life takes us off guard.
