Active Shooter: Run, Hide, or Fight?

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Violence has a cadence, a rhythm that disrupts the normal flow of life. When an act of violence erupts, the first sign is often a sudden, unexplainable shift in the environment—an eerie silence, a heightened energy, or a gut feeling that something is wrong. But when does that uneasy feeling cross the threshold into immediate danger? In this episode, we explore the critical decision points in an active violence situation in the healthcare/hospital setting, the moral and ethical dilemmas of medical providers staying versus escaping, and tactical strategies for survival. Finally, we break down the "run, hide, fight" approach and how to act decisively when every second counts.

Guest bio: Mike Shertz, MD is an emergency physician who spent 13 years as a Green Beret and a Special Forces medic. He is the founder and purveyor of Crisis Medicine, which teaches tactical casualty care to medical professionals. Check out this video that we did together in 2019 on how to place and remove a tourniquet and this one on how to pack a gunshot wound with combat gauze.

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We Discuss:

• Recognizing an Active Violence Situation
• Moral Dilemmas: Stay or Escape?
• Perspectives on Risk and Response
• Tactical Survival: Run, Hide, Fight
• Post-Shooting Medical Response