VIOLENCE SAFETY

Stay alert

The following steps can prevent or reduce the impact of a violent act:

• Comply with the safety instructions in place.
• Locate the emergency exits.
• Trust your intuition and report to the security services on the premises anything unusual that causes you to suspect that a malicious act is about to take place (it is better to be mistaken than to regret not having acted).
• Never agree to look after a package or luggage for a stranger.
• Follow the instructions of the authorities in the event of a threat, for example if you are asked to evacuate the premises.
• Learn how to administer first aid to an injured person.

Exercise good judgment

If you witness violence:

• Do not do anything that would put your life or that of others in danger.
• Call 911 to alert emergency services of the situation. Describe the situation clearly.
• Provide assistance to injured victims and, when all danger is past, comfort witnesses who are in shock.
• Do not use your cell phone to avoid jamming the network. If you must use the telephone, be brief and provide essential information only.
• Reassure your family. It’s better to use email, text messages and social media messaging, to avoid overburdening the voice networks.
• Remove children from the scene of the violence when possible, and comfort them.
• Make way for emergency services as soon as they arrive, and be available to provide information about what you have seen.

Know how to respond when there is an active shooter

If you witness violence:

• Common sense and the following instructions should determine your behaviour if there is a shooter on the premises:
• Evacuate the premises, leaving your belongings behind, if you know the way out and you are certain that it is accessible.
• Tell everyone you encounter while fleeing to leave.
• Avoid elevators and escalators.
• Get far enough away from the premises.
• Immediately alert the security services on the premises, or call 911 to alert emergency services.

If you cannot safely evacuate the premises:

• Hide in a place that is safe and nearby.
• Close the doors and lock them, or blockade them with heavy objects.
• Close the curtains or shut the blinds to avoid being seen.
• Turn off the light fixtures.
• Turn off any devices that could attract attention by making noise (e.g. cell phone).
• Lie on the ground or hide behind a piece of furniture.
• Remain quiet.
• Wait for instructions from the police before leaving your hiding place.