Unfortunately, shootings incidents at school, university or workplace are a reality. The latest incident in Sweden (yesterday, February 4, 2025) at an adult education center in Örebro is no exception, but once again shows the importance of being prepared for such incidents.

Attached here is a procedure that we at ROHRMÜLLER MEDICAL use for training and emergency preparedness purposes.

We can help your school, college and other institution in implementing countermeasures and testing emergency plans.

Problem:
Today's evacuation solution in schools and other public buildings is unsuitable for incidents such as shootings and terrorism. A perpetrator can trigger the fire alarm and wait with a weapon ready for the rooms to be evacuated in order to cause great damage.

ACTIONS:

1. Evacuate: Have an escape route ready. Evacuate regardless of whether others want to or not. Leave your belongings and keep your hands free and visible. Help others on the way. Leave injured people behind. Call 112 only when you are safe.

2. Hide: If it is impossible to escape, hide out of the perpetrator's line of sight!

Seek areas with protection from shots in your direction. Do not hinder your own movement. Lock doors, block with heavy objects. Set your mobile phone to silent and be quiet. Call 112 and hold the line if you cannot speak, so that the police operator can listen.

3. Attack the perpetrator: As a last resort if your life is in immediate danger, try to distract and neutralize the shooter!

Be as aggressive as you can: Your life is at stake. Throw objects and use improvised weapons such as fire extinguishers, fire axes, chairs or sharp objects.
Scream.

When the police / SWAT arrives: They may wear regular clothes or uniforms and also a bulletproof vest, helmet, rifle and pistol, possibly a gas mask. They often work in teams of 4, not alone. The first team does not stop to treat patients, other teams come after. These can put you to help, like evacuate the injured.

Stay calm and follow instructions. Show your hands. Only calm movements. Do not ask questions but evacuate in the direction the emergency personnel are coming from.

KNOWLEDGE:

• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Memorize the nearest emergency exit wherever you go.
• In the office: stay there and secure the door.
• In a hallway: get into a room and secure the door.
• Understand the difference between cover and concealment (the latter does not provide protection against projectiles or explosives)!
• Learn self-defense: Your chance of survival at close range is much greater if you fight back.

Teaching children not to listen to fire alarms (but to escape/hide) is counterproductive and dangerous! Age and maturity play an important role in conversations and simulations. As an adult, the scenario requires a mindset where you quickly assess all impressions such as hearing, sight and messages from others and then make an individual decision. As a responsible person (e.g. employee of an educational institution, principal), it requires extra responsibility to assess a situation with only little background information or with conflicting messages.

As a parent, request a contingency plan for acute incidents at the parent-teacher meeting, class contact, principal.

As an employee / teacher, raise the issue with your leader / principal and demand measures such as implementation in the school's crisis plan and training. It is about your safety.

Talk to your own children about the issue in a calm and reassuring way. Children can be sensitized to crises in a playful way of explaining things that allows them to quickly remember measures if things get serious.

EQUIPMENT:

• Wear sturdy footwear (also indoors!) that can withstand broken glass, wood, metal, rubble/concrete pieces.
• Sturdy clothing, preferably made of natural materials that do not melt/burn on your body.
• Ballistic panel made of Kevlar in (school) backpack.
• First aid kit containing a tourniquet and supplies to treat gunshot wounds. Seek training and practice the use of these tools!

In Norway it is illegal to carry weapons in public places and gatherings!

Sources and further information  Active shooter booklet, Dep. for Homeland Security (2008). https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf