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Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
America's Cyber Defense Agency

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Public crowd security

Active Shooter Preparedness

CISA aims to enhance active shooter preparedness through a "whole community" approach.

Physical Security

  • Active Shooter Preparedness
  • Bombing Prevention
  • Insider Threat Mitigation
  • Non-Confrontational Techniques
  • Protecting Houses of Worship
  • School Safety
  • Securing Public Gatherings
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems
  • Vehicle Ramming Mitigation

Overview

An active shooter is an individual who is engaged in killing, or attempting to kill, people in a confined and populated area. Active shooter incidents are often unpredictable and evolve quickly. Amid the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident.

In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and evolve quickly. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes - before law enforcement arrives on the scene - individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

CISA’s Role  

CISA aims to enhance incident preparedness through a "whole community" approach by providing a variety of no-cost products, tools, training, and resources to a broad range of stakeholders to help them prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident. 

CISA offers a comprehensive set of courses, materials, and workshops to better prepare you to deal with an active shooter situation, focusing on behaviors that represent pre-incident indicators and characteristics of active shooters, potential attack methods, how to develop emergency action plans, and the actions that may be taken during an incident.

Featured Content

Active Shooter Preparedness Resources

CISA has developed a series of materials to assist businesses, government offices, schools, and communities in preparing for and responding to an active shooter incident.

Translated Active Shooter Preparedness Resources

Explore translated versions of CISA’s Active Shooter Preparedness Resources.

Non-Confrontational Techniques

CISA offers a variety of tools and resources to empower and educate employees, citizens, patrons or any person with the skills and support they need to identify and report suspicious behavior.

Select Resources by Audience

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Schools

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Houses of Worship

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Businesses & Critical Infrastructure Partners

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Government & First Responders

Active Shooter Training Videos

Active Shooter Preparedness: Options for Consideration

Active Shooter Preparedness: Access and Functional Needs – What You Should Know

School Security and Resilience

Active Shooter Preparedness Products & Resources

CISA has developed a series of materials to assist businesses, government offices, schools, and communities in preparing for and responding to an active shooter incident.

Issues covered in the active shooter resources include:

  • Profile of an active shooter
  • Responding to an active shooter or other workplace violence situation
  • Training for an active shooter situation and creating an emergency action plan
  • Tips for recognizing signs of potential workplace violence 

All Active Shooter Resources

 

Active Shooter: How to Respond Booklet

PUBLICATION
The Active Shooter: How to Respond Booklet provides information on how to respond to an active shooter in your vicinity, how to react when law enforcement arrives, and how to train staff and prepare for an active shooter situation.
Download File (PDF, 889.35 KB)

Active Shooter Pocket Card

FEB 27, 2023 | PUBLICATION
The Active Shooter Pocket Card offers suggestions about how a bystander should react in an active shooter situation.
View Files

Training

CISA provides training to the public with guidance on how to prepare for and respond to active shooter crisis situations.

Active Shooter Preparedness Webinar Training

COURSE | VIRTUAL/ONLINE
This training webinar was created by CISA to enhance awareness of, and response to, an active shooter incident. These are the materials that comprise the Active Shooter Preparedness Webinar Training.

IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do

COURSE | VIRTUAL/ONLINE
Training to provide the public with guidance on how to prepare for and respond to active shooter crisis situations.
IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do
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