Senior living: armed intruder emergency planning
While the risk of a violent attack at your long-term care or assisted living facility might seem remote, it is not an impossibility. According to the FBI, active shooter incidents have risen dramatically during the last several years (ABC News).
The good news is there are actions your organization can take to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from violent incidents. In fact, a recent FBI report shows 21 incidents from 2000-2013 were ended by unarmed citizens who safely and successfully restrained the shooter. Review the following four steps to learn how to better protect your people and organization from violence.
Step 1: Prevent
The best way to protect your residents, employees and visitors is to prevent an incident from occurring in the first place. Assess your facility and people to minimize the risk of violence.
Behavioral risk threat assessments: You and your staff should always be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and the threat of violence. Use a Behavioral Risk Threat Assessment approach to identify characteristics that may indicate the potential for violence.
- Residents: Evaluate emotional health and look for new or unusual warning signs of potential violence.
- Staff: Screen your employees prior to hiring using Trusted Employees and Insight Worldwide. Keep on the look-out for these Indicators of Potential Violence.
- Visitors: Security or reception staff should request identification of visitors at the door and require visitors to sign in. Take note of suspicious behavior and contact law enforcement if necessary.
- Social media: Monitor social media channels to identify communicated threats. Visit Social Media Risk to learn more.
- Physical security: Assess key systems such as lighting, alarms, security cameras, and physical barriers such and gates, doors, locking systems, and more. Review your emergency policies and procedures and refer to Four Ways to Protect Your Community for more information on hardening your perimeter.
Step 2: Prepare
You can save lives by developing and documenting emergency plans. Train employees and share your plan with residents and visitors. Take the Free Healthcare Self-Assessment to evaluate your preparedness.
Residents: Create a custom plan for residents based on their abilities. Those able to run, hide or fight should be advised to do so. Share tips for safe evacuation and locking or barricading doors.- Staff: Train staff on your plans and conduct drills. Staff should be advised to assist residents when time and safety permit by evacuating residents, locking and barricading doors and hallways, and creating hiding spots. As the threat increases, staff should be encouraged to focus on their personal safety and evacuate if possible.
- Visitors: Make visitors aware of your plan by posting signs with emergency information, including exit locations, lockdown procedures and shelter-in-place suggestions.
Step 3: Respond
Your main options during a violent incident include the following: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE). Your situational awareness will help you decide which responses may be appropriate in certain situations and for certain groups of people.
- Residents: Based on their abilities, residents should follow the ALICE responses whenever possible.
- Staff: Staff should be trained to save themselves first using the principles of ALICE. If the situation permits, they may take additional actions to assist residents and visitors to preserve the greatest number of lives possible.
- Visitors: Visitors will rely on their instincts in an emergency situation. Visitors should be expected to preserve their own life. Provide verbal directions and assist them in following the ALICE technique.
Step 4: Recover
Once the initial threat is over, deliberate action must be taken to recover from the event. Your actions after the event could reduce the lasting psychological affects and safeguard the continuity of your operation. Consider the following:
Residents: Reference your resident roster and ensure all residents are accounted for. Alert family members once an event has occurred. Evaluate residents and arrange for medical treatment and emotional counseling as needed. Express your plan for continued care and any plans for relocation.- Staff: Reference your employee roster and ensure all employees are accounted for. Evaluate staff and arrange for medical treatment and counseling as needed. Debrief staff on the event and discuss the immediate plans for business continuity.
- Visitors: Reference your visitor sign-in sheet and ensure all visitors are accounted for. Address physical and emotional health as needed.
After ensuring the safety of your residents, staff, and guests, turn your attention to crisis communication. Review these guidelines for Communicating During a Crisis then implement a plan for post-crisis communication.
Finally, well after the incident, debrief residents, staff and family members on the event and share any revised plans for business continuity and future safety considerations.
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Armed Intruder Webinar Series
Church Mutual has partnered with industry experts to keep your people safe before, during and after a violent attack. Watch our three-part Armed Intruder Webinar Series, featuring nationally recognized speakers from Firestorm and ALICE Training Institute, for more information on how you can protect the greater good from violence.
The purpose of this workplace violence guide is to educate employers, employees and others about ways to reduce risks and injuries from workplace violence. It is not intended as a substitute for a specific workplace security program tailored to any particular work environment. These safety tips and guidelines are not all inclusive, but if understood and followed up with periodic reminders and training when feasible, it can increase your chances of surviving an active shooter incident. Church Mutual accepts no liability and shall not be held liable for the consequences of any actions taken or forgone on the basis of the information provided in this workplace violence guide. In no event shall Church Mutual be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary or consequential damages however caused under any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of actions taken or not taken on the basis of the information provided in these materials, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.
