Active Armed Offender Planning and Response Training

Addressing the Threat We Hope Never Happens

No organisation expects to face an active armed offender. Yet incidents in Australia and around the world demonstrate that violence can occur in any workplace—offices, retail centres, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and public spaces.

While the probability remains low, the potential consequences are catastrophic. Organisations that prepare for this scenario give their people the best chance of survival if the unthinkable occurs.

Messana Group provides specialist active armed offender planning and training. We help organisations develop appropriate response protocols and prepare their people for scenarios that demand immediate, decisive action.

Understanding Active Armed Offender Scenarios

Active armed offender situations differ fundamentally from other emergencies:

Speed: These incidents unfold in minutes or seconds. There is no time for consultation, escalation, or checking the manual.

Individual Decision-Making: Unlike coordinated evacuation, individuals may need to make immediate survival decisions based on their specific circumstances.

Limited Warning: Unlike fires with alarms or weather events with forecasts, active armed offender situations often begin without warning.

Dynamic Situations: The threat moves, making initial information rapidly obsolete. Responses must adapt to changing circumstances.

Extreme Stress: The psychological intensity exceeds almost any other workplace emergency.

These characteristics demand specific preparation beyond standard emergency management.

Our Planning Services

Threat Assessment: We assess your organisation’s specific risk profile. While no workplace is immune, certain factors—public access, controversial activities, high-profile occupants—may indicate elevated risk.

Response Protocol Development: We develop active armed offender response protocols appropriate to your premises and occupancy. These protocols address:

• Initial recognition and alert
• Decision framework: Run, Hide, Fight
• Evacuation routes when escape is possible
• Shelter locations when escape is blocked
• Communication during incidents
• Coordination with police response
• Post-incident procedures

Site-Specific Considerations: Your building’s layout, access points, and occupancy patterns affect appropriate responses. We analyse these factors and incorporate them into your planning.

Integration with Existing Plans: Active armed offender procedures must integrate with your broader emergency management framework. We ensure consistency and appropriate trigger points.

Training Programs

Awareness Briefings

General sessions for all staff covering:

• Understanding the threat landscape
• Recognition indicators
• The “Run, Hide, Fight” framework
• Immediate response actions
• What to expect from police response

Management Training

Enhanced training for leadership addressing:

• Decision-making responsibilities
• Communication during incidents
• Coordination with emergency services
• Post-incident management and support

Warden and Security Training

Specialist training for those with designated emergency roles:

• Enhanced situational awareness
• Alert and communication protocols
• Coordination responsibilities
• Supporting others during incidents

The Run, Hide, Fight Framework

Our training incorporates the internationally recognised “Run, Hide, Fight” response framework:

Run: If escape is possible, evacuate immediately. Do not wait for others or collect belongings. Help others escape if possible, but do not let their hesitation delay your own escape.

Hide: If escape is not possible, find a secure hiding place. Lock and barricade doors. Turn off lights and silence phones. Remain quiet and out of sight.

Fight: As an absolute last resort, when escape and hiding are not possible and your life is in immediate danger, fight with whatever means available. Act with commitment and aggression.

This framework provides a decision hierarchy for situations where there is no time for detailed analysis.

Sensitive Implementation

We understand that active armed offender planning requires careful implementation:

Avoiding Alarm: Training should inform without creating excessive fear. We deliver content in a way that builds capability without generating unnecessary anxiety.

Appropriate Depth: Different audiences need different levels of detail. Executive briefings differ from general staff awareness sessions.

Confidentiality: Security-sensitive information, such as safe room locations, requires appropriate handling.

Cultural Sensitivity: Discussing violence in the workplace requires sensitivity to employees who may have experienced trauma.

Our experienced trainers navigate these considerations professionally.

Why This Planning Matters

Improved Outcomes: Research from actual incidents demonstrates that prior training improves survival rates. People who have considered their options in advance act more quickly and effectively.

Reduced Freeze Response: Unexpected threat often triggers a freeze response. Training reduces this paralysis by creating mental frameworks for action.

Duty of Care: Employers have obligations to protect workers from reasonably foreseeable risks. As awareness of this threat grows, appropriate planning becomes part of that duty.

Employee Confidence: Staff who know their organisation has prepared for serious scenarios feel more secure than those who suspect no planning exists.

Who Should Consider This Service

Educational Institutions: Schools and universities have particular vulnerabilities and obligations to students.

Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals and clinics face specific challenges with patient safety and building access.

Government Facilities: Public-facing government services may face elevated risk.

Large Employers: Organisations with significant numbers of employees have more people to protect and more complex coordination challenges.

High-Profile Organisations: Companies in controversial sectors or with public prominence may face targeted risk.

Any Organisation: Incidents have occurred in ordinary workplaces without obvious risk factors. Basic awareness benefits any organisation.

Getting Started

Active armed offender planning is a sensitive topic that requires careful discussion. Contact us to arrange a confidential conversation about your organisation’s needs.