RUN
- Have an escape route in mind before anything happens — note two exits every time you enter a space.
- Leave belongings behind. Help others escape if possible, but do not wait for people who will not move.
- Keep hands visible as you exit. Prevent others from entering the area.
- Call 911 when you are safe, not while you are moving through the danger zone.
HIDE
- Out of the shooter's view, behind cover that stops bullets when possible (concrete, thick masonry, engine blocks — not drywall).
- Lock and barricade the door with heavy furniture; wedge door hinges.
- Lights off, blinds closed, phones to silent (not vibrate).
- Stay quiet, stay low, spread out, and do not cluster at the door.
FIGHT
- Only when your life is in imminent danger and there is no other option.
- Act as aggressively as possible. Commit fully — hesitation is what gets people hurt.
- Improvised weapons: fire extinguisher, chair, laptop, hot coffee.
- Work as a group if others are with you. Attack from multiple angles.
When law enforcement arrives
- The first officers are going to the threat — they will move past casualties. That is doctrine, not indifference.
- Keep hands visible, fingers spread, nothing in them. No sudden movements. No pointing or screaming.
- Do not grab officers for safety. Move in the direction they came from.
- Be ready to give: location and description of the shooter, number of shooters, weapons seen, number of victims.
Building a plan for your property
- Map two exits from every occupied room and post them.
- Designate a rally point off-property and a headcount owner.
- Decide today who calls 911, who calls the emergency line, and who unlocks gates for responders.
- Run a walkthrough drill twice a year. Announce the first one. Announce the second one too — surprise drills traumatize people and rarely improve outcomes.
- For gated communities and campuses: pre-share gate codes and site maps with your local fire and police agencies.
Watch — public training videos
These videos are published publicly by the organizations credited below. Summit Force did not produce them, is not affiliated with them, and claims no ownership — they are linked here as free study material.
RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.® Surviving an Active Shooter Event
Published by Ready Houston
Armed Intruder / Active Shooter Response
Published by Massachusetts General Hospital
Practice quiz
4 questions. Nothing is recorded or submitted — this is study practice only, not an exam and not worth credit.
1.The correct order of priorities in an active shooter event is:
2.When hiding, your phone should be:
3.When the first officers enter, you should:
4.Which is real cover rather than just concealment?
Official sources & further reading
Go to the primary source. Rules change, and only these agencies speak for themselves.