Company training Alabama schools, churches how to respond to an active shooter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The horrors of the Minneapolis school shooting no doubt have many parents asking questions regarding school safety.

Although it can be a hard conversation to have, one company that trains Alabama schools, businesses, government offices, and churches wants everyone to have a plan in place.

“It’s the worst of the worst,” said father and first responder Brady McLaughlin. “I’ve got four kids at home, and many people watching probably have kids. It’s a horrible day when you find out there’s been a shooting and kids are involved.”

With a background in law enforcement, fire service, and EMS, McLaughlin is focused on saving lives if the threat ever hits closer to home.

“Active shooter training is for literally everybody because you never know when you’re going to need it,” he said. “It could be at the ball field, it could be at church, it could be at school, or at the workplace.”

He is the CEO of GoRescue, a company training various organizations on what to do if they become a target.

“It’s different everywhere you go,” McLaughlin said. “In a school setting, you may have to deal with classroom doors and piling up desks and chairs to prevent the shooter from coming in your room. In an office environment, where you have a lot of glass windows, sometimes you have to evacuate to a different level.”

The Active Violence Emergency Response training runs about three hours, and is centered on three key principles: Run, hide, fight.

“Immediately, if you can run and get away from the sounds of gunfire,” he said. “Number two, if you can’t, hide yourself intelligently so the bad guys can’t detect you’re there and they can move on. And third, if all else fails or it’s right in front of you… you’re going to have to fight back.”

This could lead to injuries, which is why knowing how to apply a tourniquet is vital.

This life-saving technique can keep you alive until help arrives. If you do not have one, experts say you can make one.

“You can use a belt,” he said. “You can use a t-shirt. You can use other items you can wrap around. We saw that after the Boston Marathon bombing with lives saved because of improvised tourniquets.”

Mclaughlin says he was encouraged by how quickly first responders acted in Minneapolis — but he believes it’s also our duty to have a plan.

If your school, church, or business needs this training, you can click here or call 205-440-1000.

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