Seyfarth Synopsis: In its introduction to its New Active shooter training materials, the Illinois State Police note that “civilians that are present at any given incident are the true first responders.”

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have developed and are making publically available a training seminar on the civilian response to active violence and other critical incidents. The seminar topics include Active Shooter scenario, See Something – Say Something, Emergency Action Plans, and the Run – Hide – Fight response.

In its materials, the ISP defines critical incidents as those that may occur at any location (including the workplace), that may impact large numbers of victims, and may be man made, naturally occurring, and may be survivable in many cases.

The ISP summarize thier training, saying that “you can survive.”  It depends on individual mental preparation, having a plan, situational awareness, and actions.

Employers will be wise to develop workplace violence prevention plans and train employees on how to respond to active shooter incidents.