In previous blogs, we have shared the importance of reducing notification time and response time in order to save lives in active shooter emergencies. But there’s a third time that is equally critical – it’s called Tactical Time.
What is it, why is it important, and what can we do to speed it up as much as possible when faced with an active shooter emergency?
Tactical Time in an Active Shooter Emergency
We’ve all been in an emergency at one time or another when we’ve needed help. Think back … do you remember how long it took to realize you were in danger or in need of assistance?
– Did you panic and do nothing for a minute or two?
– Did you have to search for your phone?
– Did you have to think about who to call – 911 or another trusted person?
– Did you fumble while you were dialing?
The time it takes to identify that you are in a true emergency, rationalize what you need to do, and actually do it is called Tactical Time. Studies by Ed Sanow, Director of Training, International Disaster Emergency Service, show this delayed response time can last 5 – 7 minutes.
Most active shooter incidents are over in less than 6 minutes. Now imagine an active shooter is in your workplace, school, church, movie theater, or hospital. By the time your brain can sort through the trauma and get to a phone to call 911, the shooting may already be over.
This begs the question – how can tactical time be reduced if it’s a physiological process that happens without us realizing it?
We can improve active shooter tactical time by providing easy-to-use tools and developing our sense of situational awareness. This is when all five senses come together to create an understanding of what is happening at the moment to help us make informed decisions as quickly as possible.
How Situational Awareness Influences Tactical Time
In an active shooter emergency or any type of emergency that threatens our well-being, our senses do not have an easy time understanding what is happening. According to Dr. Rich Gasaway in an article for Situational Awareness Matters, “When there are massive amounts of input to any one sense, our brains can lock onto that sense, not pay attention to any other senses, and turn off the processing of other sensory inputs.”
For example, if you see a shooter, you may not hear the gunshots or emergency signals. Your visual sense is controlling your understanding. It is also common to experience a loss of hearing or enter into color blindness, except for the color red. This is why most stop signs, fire alarms, and fire trucks are red, and also the reason our large mobile panic button is red.
In summary, when someone is in an active shooter emergency, there will be conflict and confusion and time will pass very quickly. Although all five senses may be involved, some will not be responding, and the situation may still not be understood by the brain, which allows us to quickly get help and get to safety. Developing a sense of situational awareness can help combat this and reduce tactical time.
Guard911® Improves Active Shooter Tactical Time & Reduces Notification Time
Guard911®, SchoolGuard®, and CampusGuard911™ active shooter mobile panic button apps were designed by law enforcement and technology experts with a deep psychological approach to active shooter emergencies. Guard911 mobile safety apps were designed to improve tactical time, overcome situational awareness confusion, and reduce law enforcement notification time with an early warning system for armed intruder tragedies.
Guard911 active shooter panic button technology is simple to use and very powerful…
1. Approved staff download the chosen Guard911 app to their mobile devices.
2. In the event of an active shooter or armed intruder, users press the large red panic button icon on the screen.
3. An alert is immediately sent to nearby Hero911® Network federal, state, and local law enforcement officers.
4. The app simultaneously speed-dials 911 and connects the user to emergency services.
5. All other staff at your location that carry the app are immediately alerted and a map of the initial emergency alert is displayed on their mobile devices.
6. The app also alerts all other Guard911 protected properties within a 5 miles radius for their situational awareness (since 20% of active shooters go mobile).
Guard911 mobile safety alert apps can be the difference between life and death When Seconds Save Lives®.
When the Guard911 red alert button is touched, any officer with the federally approved Hero911 app who is near a Guard911 protected property is instantly notified and can typically be there faster than those dispatched using conventional methods. This feature is exclusive to Guard911 apps.
When Tactical and Notification Times are Reduced, Lives Are Saved
Overall notification time is made up of tactical time (5 – 7 minutes) plus the time it takes a 911 call to be processed and first responders dispatched (on average another 4 – 11 minutes, longer for rural communities). When added together, notification time can take well over 10 minutes.
Then there’s response time, which is how long it takes for dispatched police officers and first responders to arrive at the scene after being notified. According to the FBI, the average response time has improved to 3-4 minutes for active shooter emergencies, but when added to total notification time, it can be 10–20 minutes for help to arrive, depending on their suburban or rural locations. Two-thirds of active shooter massacres are over by the time law enforcement arrives.
The Tucson, AZ, Gabriel Giffords’ shooting left six people dead and 13 wounded in 15 seconds. Police response time was four minutes after notification. – Ron Borsch, PACT Consultant Group Manager Bedford Ohio
Why Your Business or Organization Needs a Mobile Safety Alert App
The Guard911®, SchoolGuard®, and CampusGuard911™ apps have a proven history of reducing notification time, which thereby reduces response times in active shooter incidents and other emergencies. Guard911 apps are also the ONLY active shooter mobile safety alert apps on the market with the Hero911® Network of nearly 70,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers that are ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
Lt. Col. Grossman asks the question, “Are we accepting responsibility for ourselves and preparing to keep our school children, co-workers, customers, and loved ones safe from people intent on violence? Preparation and proactiveness to stop active killers now, more than ever, is essential.”
Contact Guard911’s helpful team today for a conversation about how you can protect your property and its occupants with one of our mobile safety apps.
