Active armed offender or active shooter
Be prepared to act quickly if there is an attack involving firearms or other weapons. New Zealand has adopted ‘Escape, Hide, Tell’ as a strategy.
Escape
- Where possible remove yourself and others from the area used by the active shooter or armed offender. If there is a safe route out, RUN, if not, hide. Advise others to do the same.
- Leave belongings behind, except for your mobile phone.
- Do not congregate in open areas or wait at evacuation points.
Hide
- Find a safe place, in an out-of-sight location or behind a lockable door. Move as far as possible away from the door.
- Be aware of entry and exit points.
- Be quiet, silence your phone.
- If opportunities to escape are presented, take them.
Tell
- Alert other staff and students when you are able to do so.
- From a safe location, call 111 or alert Campus Security on 8888 (0800 842 8888) giving as much detail as possible (description, location, direction of travel of the active shooter or armed offender).
- If it is safe to do so, provide first aid to victims.
- Follow instructions from police and Campus Security.
- Do not return to the scene or building until the ‘all clear’ has been given.
Advice from the Australia New Zealand Counter-terrorism committee
When attacks involving firearms and other weapons occur it is important to be prepared to react quickly. Considering your potential options and actions in advance will help you to make more informed decisions quickly in a stressful and chaotic environment. The following advice may help with pre-planning your response options.