In light of recent events in the world, I thought I’d take the time to post about keeping yourself and your patients safe in the workplace. The reality is that violence including terror attacks and mass shootings can occur anywhere and at any time in the world we live in currently. Last week, my company provided each of our 20 offices with information and instruction regarding active shooters in the workplace. It’s terrible that we need to address this topic, but I thought I’d pass along what I learned.
1. Doctors are at the highest risk for being the target of any given office. Let’s face it, most of our patients either think PAs are doctors, don’t know the difference, or don’t care. With that said, the first piece of information is to Take off your white coat. It’s your bullseye. Shed it immediately.
2. Get somewhere safe. If you have a saferoom at your office and you can get there quickly, do it. If not, find another room that can be locked. Bathrooms are the most common, followed by managers’ offices.
3. Make your room more safe. Barricade the door. Keep in mind that it’s unlikely the intruder knows the entire layout of your office, so you’re at an advantage of knowing that. Stay as quiet as possible as not to bring attention to you being in a particular room.
3. Find or make a weapon. Use anything that can buy you more time against an intruder. Think scissors or scalpel. Think a hard phone. Think hot coffee pot or chemicals that you can throw at them. Be creative!
4. Silence your phone! And anyone else’s phone around you! If anyone calls you, its a dead giveaway of your location.
5. Call 911. Do so as quietly as possible, but this is important.
The most recent shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado was limited by these exct things. The staff moved quickly to safe rooms and even got many patients/family members into the back and away from the shooter. They then called 911, and many lives were saved because the police arrived quickly, and the shooter spent the majority of the time that he was in the clinic defending himself against police gunfire instead of looking for more victims.
It’s not the most light hearted blog post ever, but it’s nonetheless an important one. Be sure to pass the tips on to your coworkers and family members! Better to be prepared and never have to use these tips.