Terrorism &Shootings
Awareness and preparation go hand in hand. An active shooting or an act of terrorism can happen anywhere and anytime, but that doesn’t mean it will — in fact, while the risk is real, our preparation will likely never be put to the test.
Quick Tips
- Find accessible exits and areas to hide at work, your place of worship, your community living center, and other places you go regularly.
- Ask those in charge at your work, school, or other places you go regularly about their emergency plans. Encourage them to conduct active shooter and terrorism preparedness drills and include people with disabilities in their plans.
- Let them know about any gaps in their plans or your need for accommodations.
- Follow law enforcement’s instructions and listen for information about the situation.
Let’s Become Our Own First
Responders…Together
First responders will be on the scene after an emergency or disaster, but they won’t be able to reach everyone right away. As someone living with a disability, you know your abilities and needs best. With preparation and the support of our communities, we can take proactive steps to become our own first responders…together.
Prepare
Before an Active Shooter/Terrorism Situation
The best time to prepare for an active shooter or terrorism situation is before it happens.
Create a Support Network
Your support network should include two or more people who can help you prepare and check on you in case of an active shooter or terrorism situation. It can be family members, friends, roommates, relatives, caregivers, co-workers, members of your place of worship, and neighbors. Don’t depend on only one person.
- Your support network may not be together when the incident occurs, so it’s important to know how you’ll contact one another and where you’ll meet in case of an emergency. Agree on and practice methods for contacting each other in an emergency. Have a back-up plan in case phones and the internet aren’t working.
- Keep a contact list on your phone and create a physical copy to keep with you.
- Choose a meeting place away from your home to save time and minimize confusion should your home be affected or the area evacuated. You may even want to make plans to stay with a trusted member of your support network in case of an emergency. Plan for your pets and/or service/support animals, too.
- Choose an out-of-town member of your support network that you can contact in case of emergency. Your selected contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event. Let them know they’re your chosen contact.
- You and your personal support network should always notify each other about when you’re going out of town and when you’ll return.
- Learn more and use this downloadable form to create a list of your people and their contact information.
As part of your support network, make sure you have a “buddy” at school, work, and other places you go regularly. This is important if you need assistance due to a disability. Discuss how they can help you prepare for and during a situation with an active shooter or act of terrorism.
Plan to Stay Informed and Connected
Find emergency contact information for your county.
- When a crisis occurs, local officials use a few methods to alert the public, including sending messages to your cell phone via text and voice, to your landline, and on TV, radio, and social media.
- Speak up and make sure TV stations have plans in place to broadcast all emergency information using closed captioning or other kinds of visual presentation, like open captioning, crawls, or scrolls that appear on the screen.
- Text messages can be accompanied by a unique vibration attention signal (“cadence”) for accessibility. Make sure the accessibility settings on your mobile device are working.
- Speak up and ask people at local TV news networks to announce important phone numbers slowly and repeat them frequently for people who cannot read the screen.
- Speak up and ask people at local TV news networks to announce important phone numbers slowly and repeat them frequently for people who cannot read the screen.
- Learn how to advocate for yourself.
- Download the CodeRED app, the nation’s most downloaded public safety notification app.
- Consider a call system, such as a medical alert bracelet, that can connect you with emergency services.
- How to contact 911 if you’re deaf or hard of hearing:
- Always contact 911 by making a voice call if you can.
- Text-to-911 is the ability to send a text message to reach 911 from your mobile phone or device.
- Text-to-911 is only currently available in Clark and Washoe County. If it’s not available in your location, speak up and ask your local call center to accept texts. You can also use a TTY or a telecommunications relay service if possible.
- Know how to communicate with emergency personnel if there’s no interpreter or if you don’t have your hearing aids.
- Store paper and pens where you can easily find them.
- Use speech-to-text apps on your phone.
- Carry a pre-printed card of important messages with you, such as:
- “I use American Sign Language (ASL) and need an ASL interpreter.”
- “If you make announcements, I will need to have them written or signed.”
- If you live in an assisted living community, talk with your community management about how you can prepare for and stay informed during an active shooter or terrorism situation.
- If it’s difficult for you to follow the news, have someone from your support network keep you updated.
Gather Emergency Supplies
Having some essential supplies on hand will make you and your household more comfortable if you’re asked to “shelter in place.”
You can download and print this Emergency Supply Checklist.
- Gather two weeks of supplies, including non-perishable food and water.
- Here are tips and resources for low and no cost preparedness. For those who can afford it, make essential purchases and slowly build up supplies.
- Try to fill your prescriptions as early as you can. Some health plans allow for a 90-day refill on prescription medications. Consider discussing this option with your healthcare provider. Make a photocopy of prescriptions, as this may help in getting medications in an emergency.
- Keep extra nonprescription medicine, like pain and fever relievers, antihistamines, and antidiarrheal medicines.
- Keep extras of any medical supplies you use, such as bandages, ostomy bags, and/or syringes.
- If you have pets and/or service/support animals, be prepared with food, extra water, ID tags, veterinarian records, and other supplies they may need.
- Have them microchipped. Make sure to keep your address and phone number updated and include contact information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
- Buy back-up chargers/batteries for your mobile devices and other communication equipment.
- Keep assistive items and mobility aids (eyeglasses, hearing aids, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, fidget spinners, etc.) and spare batteries/power sources where you can easily find them.
- Label assistive items with your contact information in case they get separated from you. Plan how to replace them if they’re not working, lost, or destroyed.
- Keep important documents and emergency information somewhere you can easily find them (list of emergency contact numbers, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.).
- Include copies of vital medical papers like insurance cards, Medicare cards, and power of attorney.
- In the event of a power outage:
- You may lose access to clean drinking water. Set aside at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day.
- Buy security lights for each room and high-powered flashlights or battery-powered lanterns. Buy extra batteries.
- Consider buying a battery-powered or hand-crank radio (weather radio) and extra batteries.
Pack a Go Bag
If there’s an active shooter or active terrorism situation, your home or workplace could be affected. You may need to shelter in place or evacuate. Keep essential emergency supplies in an easy-to-carry waterproof Go Bag that you can take with you if you have time. Keep your Go Bag somewhere you can easily find it.
Download and print the full Go Bag checklist.
- Include your emergency contact, medication, and medical equipment lists in a watertight container in your Go Bag and on your electronic devices.
- Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items/mobility aids (eyeglasses, hearing aids, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, fidget spinners, etc.). Don’t forget spare batteries/power sources. Buy extras of these essential items or make a note to include them in the event of an emergency.
- Once every six months, check all items in your Go Bag to make sure they’re in good condition and medications or food haven’t expired.
- Remember to make a Go Bag for your pets and/or service/support animal, too.
Download and print this Pets and/or Service/Support Animals Go Bag List.
Make an Emergency Plan
Think about your needs:
- Hearing can allow us to pick up on subtle cues of approaching danger. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you may walk toward a dangerous situation unknowingly. Check in with your buddy at regular intervals to make sure they’ll remember to inform you in the event of an emergency.
- Guide-dog users should keep cane skills sharpened: in an active shooter or terrorism situation, your dog may become lost, injured, or traumatized, and may not be able to help you.
- Discuss how your support network and/or neighbors can assist you if you need to evacuate.
- If you spend time above the first floor of a building with an elevator, plan and practice using alternative methods of evacuation.
- If you can’t use stairs, discuss lifting and carrying techniques that will work for you, e.g., two-person cradle carry, office chair evacuation, or, if available, use an evacuation chair.
- If you’re a wheelchair user, show your support network how to assemble, disassemble, and operate your wheelchair.
- Be prepared to give quick instructions on the best way to move you.
- Write your emergency plan on a piece of paper. Keep it with you and at places you spend a lot of your time. Make sure it’s easy to read and understand. Think about the things you’ll need to do before, during, and after an emergency and how you can do them.
- Put important items like your ID or house keys in a small bag that you can hang around your neck, so you don’t lose them.
- Practice what to do during an emergency. Be sure to include your pets and/or service/support animals. Practice leaving places you spend your time until you feel confident that you’ll know what to do if there’s an emergency.
- Create a safety plan for your mental health. The plan should include clear steps to follow during and after a crisis.
- Think about the reactions you may have in an emergency or disaster. You may be confused, feel anxious or panicky, or have problems sleeping afterwards. Plan how you’ll deal with your emotions. You can use DIY coping strategies. You can also make a plan to reach out to your support network and/or therapist after a crisis.
- Sometimes off-duty therapists are open to a phone call after an urgent situation, while other times they might be unreachable. If you won’t be able to contact your usual therapist after an emergency, be sure to get the contact details for a back-up provider.
- Do you receive dialysis, chemotherapy, or other life-sustaining medical treatments? Ask your healthcare provider what you should do for treatment if your usual clinic isn’t available during or after an emergency like an active shooting or terrorism situation.
- Consult a doctor. Hearing and visual challenges can have a big impact on your ability to respond to emergencies. If you haven’t recently (or ever) addressed your hearing or vision loss, consider hearing aids and glasses.
More ways to prepare:
- Stay alert. Always be aware of your environment and any possible dangers. Communicate with your buddy about how they can stay alert and help alert you, too.
- Observe warning signs in people around you. These might include unusual or violent communications, substance abuse, expressed anger, or intent to cause harm. These warning signs may increase over time.
- If you see something, say something® to local authorities. That includes suspicious packages, people behaving strangely or someone using strange communications.
- Learn lifesaving skills. Take trainings such as the American Red Cross’ You Are the Help Until Help Arrives.
Create an exit plan and run active shooter drills with your buddies
- Find accessible exits and areas to hide at work, your place of worship, your community living center, and other places you go regularly. Discuss the type of assistance your buddies can provide to help with finding exits and hiding places.
- If you have a service/support animal, you might want to include them in active shooter drills to strengthen their ability to navigate in an emergency.
- Remember, service/support animals may become confused, frightened, or disoriented during and after an active shooter/terrorism situation.
Review emergency plans and speak up:
- Ask those in charge at your work, school, or other places you go regularly about their emergency plans. Encourage them to conduct active shooter and terrorism preparedness drills and include people with disabilities in their plans.
- Let them know about any gaps in their plans or your need for accommodations.
- For example, Evac-Chairs allow people with a temporary or permanent disability or access and functional needs to be evacuated quickly and safely down stairs in the event of an emergency.
Stay Safe
During an Active Shooter/Terrorism Situation
Avoid/Run
- Seek safety in the opposite direction of the shooter. Getting away from the attacker is the top priority.
- If you know you’ll need assistance, report that information to a person of authority, your buddy, or someone close to you as soon as possible.
Barricade/Hide
- Cover and hide if you can’t evacuate. Find a place to hide (or, if possible, have your buddy or someone close to you help you hide) out of view of the attacker, and put a solid barrier like a copy machine between yourself and the threat if possible.
- An ideal hiding place will not restrict any options for movement.
- If possible, don’t become separated from your personal care assistant, service animal, or assistive device(s).
- Lock and block doors, close blinds, and turn off lights.
- If you use a mobility device like a wheelchair, walker, or scooter, and know you’ll need assistance, report that information to a person of authority, your buddy, or someone close to you as soon as possible.
- Keep silent.
- Silence cell phones and turn off vibrate. Turn off any source of noise (computers, radios, TVs).
- This includes assistive devices or other apps you might use.
- Silence cell phones and turn off vibrate. Turn off any source of noise (computers, radios, TVs).
- Smart phone apps such as “Aira” or “Be My Eyes” might offer a visual description of your environment, but be careful. The amount of time needed to use them might work against you, and sounds could reveal your location to the shooter. “Aira” offers a texting feature which might allow you to avoid speaking.
Confront/Fight
- If you can’t run or cover, attempt to disrupt the attack or disable the attacker.
- Find improvised weapons (such as chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors, books, etc.) that can be used within your abilities or by others to ambush the attacker.
- Consider using durable medical equipment or assistive devices as improvised weapons to attack the shooter. For example, using a power chair to ram the shooter, using a cane as a bat, or hitting the shooter with a cast.
Help the Wounded
Take care of yourself first, and then, if you’re able, help the wounded get to safety and provide immediate care. Call 9-1-1 when it’s safe for you to do so.
How to Respond to a Terror Attack
- Remain calm and be patient.
- Follow the advice of local emergency officials.
- Monitor local news and trusted social media channels for news and instructions.
- If the event occurs near you, check for injuries. Give first aid and get help for seriously injured people.
- If the event occurs near your home or workplace while you’re there, check for damage using a flashlight. Do not light matches or candles or turn on electrical switches. Check for fires, fire hazards, and other household hazards. Sniff for gas leaks, starting at the water heater.
- If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open windows, and get everyone outside quickly.
- Shut off any other damaged utilities.
- Confine or secure your pets and/or service/support animals.
- Call members of your support network.
If You’re Advised by Local Officials to Shelter in Place During a Terror Attack
- Remain inside and protect yourself.
- Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
- Turn off all fans, heating, and air conditioning systems. Close the fireplace damper.
- Get your Go Bag.
- Go to an interior room without windows that’s above ground level. (In the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed.)
- Using duct tape, seal all cracks around the door and any vents into the room.
- Keep monitoring the news until you’re told all is safe or you’re told to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.
If You’re Asked by Local Officials to Evacuate During a Terror Attack
- Monitor the news and follow the instructions of local emergency officials.
- If you have to evacuate your home, take your Go Bag.
- If possible, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and sturdy shoes so you can be protected as much as possible.
- Take your pets and/or service/support animals with you; do not leave them behind. Pets that aren’t service animals may not be permitted in public shelters, so if possible, go to the home of someone from your support network or find a “pet-friendly” hotel.
- Lock your home.
- Use travel routes specified by local authorities — don’t use shortcuts; certain areas may be impassable or dangerous.
- Transportation, like buses, may not be running normally. Check with local transit providers as well as with your support network to identify appropriate accessible options. You can also receive transportation assistance through Nevada 211 or learn more by contacting us at the Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living.
- Contact your support network and let them know where you’re going.
Recover
After an Active Shooter/Terrorism Situation
When Law Enforcement Arrives
Law enforcement will usually arrive in tactical gear and may be armed with rifles, shotguns, etc. Officers will shout commands and may push people to the ground for their safety.
- Remain calm and follow instructions.
- Keep your hands visible and empty. Put down all items. Raise your hands and spread your fingers. Avoid quick movements towards officers.
- Report to designated areas to provide information and get help.
- Follow law enforcement’s instructions and evacuate in the direction they tell you to go. Listen to law enforcement for information about the situation.
- Share updates as you can with family and friends.
Tips for People with Disabilities When Interacting with Law Enforcement/First Responders
- Maintain a cooperative attitude.
- Decide ahead of time what coping strategies you’ll use, which shouldn’t involve any actions the first responder may perceive as a threat, such as hiding your hands or touching the officer.
- Roleplay interactions with a family member, friend, or caregiver so you can be prepared to keep yourself safe when talking to first responders.
Tell Law Enforcement/First Responders About Your Disability
One of the best ways to tell first responders about your disability is to carry a card in your pocket with the following information:
- Your disability
- Behaviors first responders should expect
- A statement that these behaviors are not a refusal to cooperate
- Contact information for an advocate or relative
Make sure you get the first responder’s permission to retrieve it before reaching for it.
Know how to communicate with emergency personnel if there’s no interpreter or if you don’t have your hearing aids.
- Store paper and pens where you can easily find them.
- Use speech-to-text apps on your phone.
- Carry a pre-printed card of important messages with you, such as:
- “I use American Sign Language (ASL) and need an ASL interpreter.”
- “If you make announcements, I will need to have them written or signed.”
If you don’t have a card, it’s still important to inform the first responder that you have a disability, what accommodations you’ll need, how your disability may impact the interaction, and contact information for your advocate or relative.
- For example: “I’m blind, and I rely on my phone to see for me.”
If you don’t have a card, it’s still important to inform the first responder that you have a disability, what accommodations you’ll need, how your disability may impact the interaction, and contact information for your advocate or relative.
- For example: “I need my wheelchair to get around.”
- Stay calm and keep a positive, helpful attitude.
- Decide ahead of time what you will do to handle a tough situation. Don’t take any actions the first responder might think of as a threat, such as hiding your hands or touching them.
- Practice talking to a first responder with a family member, friend, or caregiver so you can be prepared to keep yourself safe.
- “I might have a hard time understanding what you’re telling me.”
- “Please speak slowly and use simple words.”
- “I forget easily. Please write down information for me.”
If you don’t have a card, it’s still important to inform the first responder that you have a disability, what accommodations you’ll need, how your disability may impact the interaction, and contact information for your advocate or relative.
- For example: “I have a mental health condition and may become confused in an emergency. Please help me find a quiet place. I will be okay shortly.”
If you don’t have a card, it’s still important to inform the first responder that you have a disability, what accommodations you’ll need, how your disability may impact the interaction, and contact information for your advocate or relative.
- For example: “I take medication, and my blood level needs to be checked.”
If you don’t have a card, it’s still important to inform the first responder that you have a disability, what accommodations you’ll need, how your disability may impact the interaction, and contact information for your advocate or relative.
For example, you could say, “I take medication and my blood level needs to be checked.”
For example, you could say, “I take medication and my blood level needs to be checked.”
An act of terrorism may have widespread and devastating results. You should be prepared for the following things after an attack:
- There can be significant numbers of casualties and/or damage to buildings and infrastructure.
- Health and mental health resources in the affected communities can be strained to their limits, maybe even overwhelmed.
- Extensive media coverage, strong public fear, and international implications and consequences can continue for a long time.
- Workplaces and schools might be closed, and there might be restrictions on travel.
Consider Seeking Professional Help
- Be mindful of your mental health. If needed, seek help to cope with the trauma.
You can contact the Disaster Distress Helpline for free if you need to talk to someone. Call or text 1-800-985-5990.
