Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
America's Cyber Defense Agency

Search

 
 
  • Topics
    Cybersecurity Best Practices
    Cyber Threats and Advisories
    Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience
    Election Security
    Emergency Communications
    Industrial Control Systems
    Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Security
    Partnerships and Collaboration
    Physical Security
    Risk Management
    How can we help?
    GovernmentEducational InstitutionsIndustryState, Local, Tribal, and TerritorialIndividuals and FamiliesSmall and Medium Businesses
  • Spotlight
  • Resources & Tools
    All Resources & Tools
    Services
    Programs
    Resources
    Training
    Groups
  • News & Events
    News
    Events
    Cybersecurity Alerts & Advisories
    Directives
    Request a CISA Speaker
    Congressional Testimony
  • Careers
    Benefits & Perks
    HireVue Applicant Reasonable Accommodations Process
    Hiring
    Resume & Application Tips
    Students & Recent Graduates
    Veteran and Military Spouses
    Work @ CISA
  • About
    Culture
    Divisions & Offices
    Regions
    Leadership
    Doing Business with CISA
    Contact Us
    Site Links
    Reporting Employee and Contractor Misconduct
    CISA GitHub
Report a Cyber Issue
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
Share:

Active Shooter Preparedness Resources: Businesses and Critical Infrastructure Partners

Access and Functional Needs

This Active Shooter Preparedness: Access & Functional Needs - What You Should Know video provides insightful information for critical infrastructure owners and operators to better understand the unique and complex challenges that persons with disabilities, and access and functional needs face during an active shooter incident.

This video is also available in American Sign Language.

Business Continuity Planning Suite

With the goal of helping a business or organization better prepare to minimize disruption of service and maintain normal business operations during an emergency or crisis, the Business Continuity Planning Suite aims to create, update, or improve an organization’s business continuity plan. The suite provides an overview on business continuity planning, prepares users to write their own plan, and has tools to generate a plan tailored to their specific organization.

Hospitals and Healthcare

Hospitals and healthcare facilities face a unique set of challenges in an active shooter incident. These incidents have no patterns in victim selection or method, creating an unpredictable and quickly evolving situation that can lead to loss of life and injury.

Numerous factors associated with hospital and healthcare environments complicate traditional response to active shooter incidents, including the “duty-to-care”, also known as “duty-to-act”, commitment and the varying levels of patient mobility and patient special needs. Additionally, staff must consider response planning for patients that require the greatest allocation of resources, as well as the unique characteristics within the hospital and healthcare environment.

Visit this Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities Action Guide for more information.

Pathway to Violence

The Pathway to Violence provides information regarding the behavior indicators that assailants often demonstrate before a violent act.

Patron Protection

Below are several resources regarding Patron Protection:

  • The Protecting Infrastructure During Public Demonstrations Fact Sheet offers security recommendations for businesses that may be the target of unlawful acts during public demonstrations. The document provides options for consideration to mitigate risk and access to CISA resources to assist with decision-making.
  • The Protecting Patrons in Outdoor Eating Venues Sheet identifies security measures for restaurants that choose to conduct business outside. Restrictions in operations from COVID-19 have forced restaurants to set up tables outside, creating a potential vulnerability of an attack.  This product identifies various potential threats such as vehicle ramming, including security measures restaurants and the municipality can enforce to help mitigate the threat, and actions to take if an attack occurs.
  • The Protecting Patrons During the Holiday Shopping Season Fact Sheet advises shopping venues and employees to re-assess security practices due to an increase of patrons in shopping venues during the holidays.
Personal Security Considerations

The CISA Personal Security Considerations Fact Sheet encourages critical infrastructure owners and their personnel to remain vigilant and report suspicious behavior that individuals may exhibit in order to thwart an attack. It also contains several easily implementable security measures that can mitigate threats to personal safety.

You can find the Personal Security Considerations Fact Sheet translated into other languages as well.

Physical Security Considerations for Temporary Facilities

The Physical Security Considerations for Temporary Facilities Fact Sheet helps temporary facilities— defined as those that are established for set time frames for hosting a venue— navigate their unique security challenges due to their provisional nature. The dynamic threat environment, inclusive of international and domestic violent extremists emphasizing attacks in public gathering locations, further underscore the importance of incorporating security measures to keep facilities and people safe.

The Fact Sheet also informs operators how to determine if the facility has a security plan in place, if existing protective measures provide necessary security for the event, and how to conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify and prioritize areas of concern that need to be addressed. In addition, it provides cost-effective protective measures to mitigate identified vulnerabilities and enhance security, and access to resources to support decision-making.

Victims Assistance

Office for Victims of Crime: “A comprehensive preparedness and security program should consider methods to support victims following an incident. There are a multitude of federal resources that assist in promoting justice and healing for victims. For example, the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) helps communities prepare for, and respond to, victims of mass violence events – including an active shooter incident – with checklists, a compendium of resources, and other pertinent victim-related materials with the Mass Violence Toolkit. Additionally, OVC provides free training and technical assistance on its toolkit to public and non-profit entities. Finally, OVC provides the Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, which enhances individuals and organizations’ understanding of the impacts of vicarious trauma, and how to locate tools to help strengthen agency response.

 

 

 

Return to top
  • Topics
  • Spotlight
  • Resources & Tools
  • News & Events
  • Careers
  • About
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • RSS
CISA Central 888-282-0870 Central@cisa.dhs.gov
DHS Seal
CISA.gov
An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • About CISA
  • Accessibility
  • Budget and Performance
  • DHS.gov
  • FOIA Requests
  • No FEAR Act
  • Office of Inspector General
  • Privacy Policy
  • The White House
  • USA.gov
  • Website Feedback