What To Do During An Active Shooter Situation
WATERTOWN (CBS) - What should you do in an active shooter situation? It's a question many have asked in the past several weeks.
Watertown Police showed WBZ reporter Lauren Leamanczyk the training they give civilians. The moves can give someone precious extra minutes until law enforcement arrives to confront the shooter.
"You can run, you can hide, you can fight," says Lt. Daniel Unsworth of the Watertown Police Department.
The best option, Unsworth says is to get out of the building.
"The folks in their offices, they know the building, generally better than their attacker," he explains.
If you can't get out, Unsworth says the next best option is to hide and barricade yourself. He showed WBZ how we could use chairs, door stoppers, even toppling file cabinets in front of a door.
"It's all about time. The more time you can buy for yourself, the more time you have for the first responders to arrive and intervene."
If all else fails, Unsworth says it is time to fight back. "We don't want you to be passive, we want you to overwhelm the threat," he says.
Related: More Active Shooter Info From The FBI
In a group, Watertown Police say it's easier. The shooter likely does not want a confrontation.
"If they're countered, very often they'll back away. They'll back down and they'll look for an easier, a softer looking target," Unsworth says.
He suggests throwing anything you have at a gunman. Office supplies, laptops and chairs all work.
In the end, Watertown Police say, it's not about being paranoid, just prepared.
"We want folks to be a little more aware of their surroundings and give it more thought."
