For many living in the Dayton area, the thought of a mass shooting didn’t seem possible. But on Aug. 4, that changed when a gunman shot 26 people, including nine who died.
"Sadly, we need to have those conversations," said John DiPietro of the Ohio Crime Prevention Association.
DiPietro is talking about plans in case of another active shooter situation, including which direction you’d run or where to hide.
First is to be situationally aware of what’s going on, he said. If we hear something, try to determine where it’s coming from.
“So we’re here, we hear a noise over here, obviously we are trying to get away as quickly as we can. But before we do that we’re actually scanning the area to make sure we are not approaching another active shooter,” DiPietro said.
If you think you can escape, run away from the threat. But if you’re in a situation where gunfire might be closer — hide.
“It could be a situation where we need to find some cover and quickly get to that location and then you and I are going to anticipate our next move, which might be running into a different location,” DiPietro said.
Because places like the Oregon District and The Greene are surrounded by businesses, if you find yourself running into a store, block the entrance.
“I’m going to pile up every possible bit of clothing racks of anything up against that door to put more distance between the shooter and us for our safety,” he said.
Many school districts and businesses already are conducting this kind of training.
Vandalia-Butler schools on Tuesday held active shooter training for students.
“The more prepared you go into a situation like that, the better your chances of survival,” DiPietro said.
Another big takeaway, don’t worry about leaving behind a purse, cellphone or shoes. Going back for those belongings can be dangerous.
For more information about the Ohio Crime Prevention Association, call 740-417-9027 or visit ocpa-oh.org.
About the Author