Active-shooter incidents continue to increase across the United States, including several notable events at nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. In an effort to offer guidance, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a healthcare-specific action guide for active-shooter situations.
The two-page document details potential warning signs, including individuals who present increasingly erratic, unsafe or aggressive behaviors, those who threaten harm to themselves or others, and changes in performance at work by a staff member.
The action guide also provides steps healthcare staff should take in the event an active shooter is present, how to best communicate the threat to law enforcement and others present at the facility. It also presents preemptive mitigation strategies and protective measures facilities should consider.
“Numerous factors associated with hospital and healthcare environments complicate traditional response to active shooter incidents, including the ‘duty-to-care’ commitment and the varying levels of patient mobility and patient special needs,” the guide notes.
