Mass shootings in the U.S. are not rare events. In a study of active shooter incidents between 2000-2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified health care facilities as one of 11 locations where the public was most at risk during an active shooter incident. Although only one of the 61 incidents identified by FBI as “active shooter” in 2021 occurred in a healthcare facility, the potential impact of such an event demands careful attention and effective planning to address it.

Deeply integrated in their communities, health centers strive to create open and welcoming environments and keep patients and staff safe and secure. Maintaining this balance is challenging. Many health centers worry whether they have effective active shooter preparedness and response plans in place to protect patients and staff and to meet all the applicable regulatory requirements. At the federal level, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act)’s General Duty Clause requires all employers to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires health care employers, including health centers, to have an all-hazards emergency management program that includes adequate training for employees.

During this webinar, we will answer these and other questions:

• What are the relevant legal requirements around the active shooter threat?
• What is your health center’s legal liability?
• What should be done from a risk management perspective?
• What are some ways to address the active shooter hazard in your organizational plans?
• What training/testing methods you should or shouldn’t consider for your program and why?

Additionally, attendees will receive the Active Shooter Plan Annex Development Worksheet, a practical tool to help jumpstart their organizational active shooter plan development.