The Month of January Leads in High Number of Active Shooting Events
Publicly available data shows that January is a historically high leading month for active shooter events. We know that the topic of an active shooter situation is scary, but we also know that being prepared is the best thing you can do to combat an active threat. Start thinking about your New Year's resolutions today, and resolve to be better prepared.
We can help - schedule on-site training and a safety evaluation with us today! https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/training.
Why Are There More Shooting Events in January?
According to CNN, over 10 years there have been 172 active shooter threats in January, as opposed to 32 in July and 49 in June. This disparity could be due to the shooter being in crisis during the holiday season. Also, winter can be more isolating, causing active shooters to lash out without having developed the proper behavioral coping skills.
Ronald Roszak is a former law enforcement officer and he currently serves as the Senior Safety Advisor for the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. Roszak conducts active shooter preparedness training, and he says, “Post-holiday time can be a stressful period for children and students dealing with personal or relationship issues. Staff members and teachers need to work together to identify anyone showing signs of emotional distress, anger, or threatening behavior. Mental health professionals should be consulted and begin intervention to avoid a tragic event.”
We’re fortunate to have this data in our possession, and we use it to shape the framework of our active shooter preparedness courses. Because we know that January is a high-alert month, we can take steps to prepare for an active shooter incident.
What we know about active shooter incidents:
All but eight states — Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Wyoming — have had at least one active shooter incident from 2000-2018.
The event is unpredictable, but the goal is to kill as many people as possible.
Active shooter events typically last less than 10 minutes, and they are usually over before law enforcement arrives on the scene.
The best thing you can do is to be prepared: Practice active shooter preparedness drills on-site with staff to mitigate an active shooter event.
What the Institute for Childhood Preparedness Can Do For Your Childcare Program
The Institute for Childhood Preparedness’ training calendar is beginning to fill up for early 2020, so get your training dates secured now. Our fully customizable program can come to your location and develop site-specific plans designed to make you, your staff, and the children you serve safer. Schedule an active shooter preparedness training in English or Spanish with us today: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/training.
Sources:
https://usafacts.org/reports/facts-in-focus/domestic-terrorism-mass-shootings-data
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/us/ten-years-of-school-shootings-trnd/