Time is money. But time can also be about life and death. Specifically, I’m referring to notification and response time during an ASHER (Active Shooter Hostile Event Response).
Being security professionals, we should all pay closer attention to how our customers’ emergency communications systems are designed, integrated, operated, tested and verified for reliability during an ASHER event.
This is a time for operational simplicity, intuitive alert recognition for people in harm’s way, and fast, reliable notification of first responders. The average law enforcement response time is five minutes. The average length of an active shooter attack is also five minutes.
It’s time to learn the harsh lessons of ASHER events from the past.
The Key to ‘Surviving the Five’
For those unfortunate people caught in harm’s way, an elevated level of adrenaline and fear will cloud judgement, create tunnel vision and deliver a sympathetic nervous system response of fight, flight or freeze.
The keys to “Surviving the Five” include tactical and practical training, collaboration with local response teams (both onsite and in law enforcement), integrated emergency response systems based on operational simplicity and functionality and an immediately distinguishable alert warning.
Timing is everything with each element. Seconds count. Make sure you carefully examine smooth parallel sequencing versus time-robbing linear steps that steal precious seconds from you.
In my security consulting business, I typically lay out a simple Gantt chart to visually analyze timelines between actuation methods and avoidable delays in emergency communications.
It helps different stakeholders “hear with their eyes” and begin collaborating to shrink effective response times.
What is driving this solution set?
Legal compliance is. For example, consider legislation like Alyssa’s Law, which has been adopted by 11 states and is pending in over a dozen more. That’s in addition to federal lawmakers’ own efforts. These laws focus on the K-12 segment and encourage adoption of an emergency communication solution.
In California, SB 553 requires all employers to establish a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. As of this writing, Cal/OSHA had a deadline of Dec. 31, 2025, to promulgate regulations to address the broad contours of this legislation.
Buckle your seat belt!
A Wide Variety of Solutions
A wide variety of security solutions address detection, deterrence and automatic alerting based on recognized signs of an active-shooter scenario. These include IR detection (firearm plume), audible frequency detection and direction, firearm-detection technologies, social media alerting and verbal threat processes.
A security risk gap exists for non-firearm weapons, as well as physical assaults, which continue to be a growing threat vector. Indeed, these can represent 15% to 18% of the attacks. We experienced this firsthand with a London knife attack, as well as in Paris with a hammer attack on French Police Nationale in 2017.
In my view, the most advanced security detection system is still a human being with eyes, ears, voice and a fantastic CPU between their ears! These are not only the fastest danger-detection tools but also can take immediate action to alert others, notify law enforcement, pinpoint location and, if possible, take defensive actions.
Few integrated emergency communication solutions address the key element of “Surviving the Five” with less-than-lethal, intuitive tools that are highly effective. Being a Marine, I believe the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun — someone who is bent on maximum carnage — is a well-trained good guy/gal with a gun.
That is why most people depend on law enforcement first responders…if you have five minutes for them to arrive!
One Pet Peeve of Mine
One pet peeve of mine is a lack of knowledge about how to audibly alert people in a serious life-or-death scenario. Keep it simple, distinctive and very loud!
If you are using a PA or audible fire alarm, be aware that they can cause both confusion and interference for law enforcement (e.g., SWAT teams) responding and seeking to neutralize the threat. This may interfere with their own communication gear while also disrupting their tactics.
If you are using a fire alarm emergency communication approach that utilizes different sequencing of horns — and if it’s not recognized by, say, a substitute teacher —innocents could potentially be evacuated into killing zones.
A unique approach was recently patented by a supplier specializing in ASHER protection by integrating train horns into their programmable audible alert solution.
Now, if you’ve ever crossed a railroad crossing and heard a train horn, you understand that a clear and present danger is coming your way — and you’ll act accordingly!
Be safe out there.
