Base exercises active shooter scenario, reminds personnel of actions to take Published Sept. 1, 2016 By Charley Mills 375th Air Mobility Wing inspections SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 375 AMW Inspector General’s office will conduct an Active Shooter exercise in the afternoon of Sept. 8, and affected areas will be in and around the 18th Air Force areas to include Bldg. P-4 and 4001. This will not affect the Airlift Tanker Association’s Walk of Fame dedication slated for earlier that morning. The roads around the immediate area may be blocked off to allow first and emergency responders and vehicles to move about safely and for pedestrian safety. In addition, the Shiloh, Belleville and Mascoutah gates may close for a period of approximately 15 minutes. As a general reminder to base personnel, here are some things to keep in mind should there be an active shooter scenario here. An active shooter is defined as an individual who is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people. In most cases active shooters use a firearm(s) and display no pattern or method for selection of their victims. In some cases active shooters use other weapons or improvised explosive devices to cause additional victims and act as an impediment to police and emergency responders. The frequency of active shooter incidents has increased in recent years, and these incidents have affected numerous places where citizens congregate, such as schools, workplaces, places of worship, shopping malls, public meetings, and movie theaters. Unfortunately, these events highlight the need to reduce the risk of active shooter incidents while improving preparedness and strengthening ongoing efforts intended to prevent future occurrences. Typically, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims. Active shooter situations are dynamic and quickly evolve. However, because active shooter situations are frequently over prior to the arrival of law enforcement, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation prior to law enforcement arrival. According to the FBI reports, 2014 and 2015 each saw 20 active shooter incidents. That’s more than any two-year average in the past 16 years, and nearly six times as many as the period between 2000 and 2001, the starting point for the FBI’s review. In all, not including any of the shooters, 92 people were killed and another 139 wounded in active shooter incidents between 2014 and 2015 according to the FBI. What can you do? Have a plan. In most cases, active shooter incidents can be unpredictable in nature and can evolve quickly. Training and exercises are the best activities to help prepare personnel to react quickly and effectively in all emergency situations. Individuals need to decide what action is appropriate based on their locations. Know where the exits are in your buildings. Know the difference between LOCKDOWN and SHELTER-in-PLACE. The goal in all cases is to survive and protect others, but options will depend on how close individuals are to the shooter. If you are able to evacuate safely, where is your organizations ASSEMBLY AREA. The general rules are (1) Evacuate (2) Hide out or (3) Take action against the active shooter. For more information on this, contact 375th Security Forces at 256-2674 or 375th Emergency Management at 256-4831.