Active shooter preparedness
Posted on January 30, 2016 by Kelli Hines | No Comments
How should medical librarians prepare to react and respond during active shooting incidents or workplace violence in general? On December 2, 2015, a massive shooting occurred at the Inland Regional Center, a health facility in San Bernardino, California. It was constituted as a terrorist act due to the presence of a backup attack plan. It was also considered a home-grown or domestic terrorist act, rather than a bigger terrorist act, because no linkages to other terrorists were yet to be detected.
It would be wise for medical librarians to be prepared to act and respond to active shooting inquiries and activities, because, believe it or not, there is a library of consumer resources at the Inland Regional Center. Most of all, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, workplace violence is higher among those who “work alone or in small groups… or in community settings… where they have extensive contact with the public,” including “health-care and social service workers” (United States Department of Labor, 2015, https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3148.pdf, p. 3; United States Department of Labor, 2002, https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-workplace-violence.pdf, p. 1).
Resources are available at:
- United States Department of Homeland Security on Active Shooter Preparedness at http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness
- United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Domestic Security Alliance Council Active Shooter Resources at https://www.dsac.gov/topics/active-shooter-resources
- United States Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Management Institute such as IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do available at https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-907
Although encouraged to post and educate safety precautions, medical facilities, especially those which provide long-term care, must remember to respect their residents’ rights to “safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environments” (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2009, https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/downloads/R48SOMA.pdf, p. 13). Therefore, consult the administrators and management staff for approval before posting and educating the residents at your facilities.
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