Your Local Risks · Hazard Guide
Terrorism.
Rare events that demand rapid response.
Active threat events are statistically rare. They are also fast-moving and high-consequence. The preparedness framework is straightforward: situational awareness, a practiced response plan, and community resilience that reduces vulnerability before and after an event.
FROM THE FIELD
Most people do not recognize the sound of gunfire when they hear it. That pattern appears in account after account, from Virginia Tech to Las Vegas to Aurora: survivors describe hearing what they thought was construction noise, fireworks, or a bag popping, and losing seconds while their brain rejected the worst-case explanation. The situational awareness this page teaches matters precisely because your ears will not do the work on their own.
Understanding the hazard
Low probability. High consequence.
Terrorism and active threat events are designed to cause maximum psychological impact relative to their scale. The statistical likelihood of being involved in one is extremely low. The impact on the individuals and communities affected is severe. This tension defines the preparedness challenge: take it seriously without letting it drive daily anxiety.
The DHS classifies domestic threats across several categories: active assailants, improvised explosive devices, vehicle-ramming attacks, and chemical or biological agents used in public spaces. The common thread is that these events unfold rapidly and require individual response before law enforcement arrives. Average police response time to an active event is 3 to 5 minutes. What you do in those minutes matters.
Community resilience is the long-game defense. Connected communities recognize warning signs in individuals heading toward violence, support affected families after events, and resist the fear and division that terrorism is designed to produce. Preparedness here is not about hardening your house. It's about knowing your surroundings, having a plan, and staying connected.
The foundational habit
Situational awareness
Situational awareness is not hypervigilance. It is a calm, habitual attention to your environment that gives you a head start when something goes wrong. It applies to terrorism, fires, car accidents, and every other hazard.
Note the exits
When you enter any public space, identify at least two ways out. The entrance you used and one emergency exit, side door, or window. This takes seconds and is the single most useful habit in any emergency.
Read the baseline
Every environment has a normal rhythm. A coffee shop, an airport, a concert venue all have predictable patterns of behavior. Notice the baseline so you can recognize when something breaks it. This is observation, not suspicion.
Position for egress
When possible, sit or stand where you can see the entrance and have a clear path to an exit. This is especially practical in restaurants, theaters, and large venues. It is not about fear. It is about options.
Report concerns
The DHS See Something, Say Something program asks the public to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement. Trust your instincts. An unattended bag, unusual surveillance behavior, or someone in obvious distress are all worth reporting.
From the field · Survivors consistently describe the worst psychological symptoms arriving weeks or months after the event, not during it, and the public support disappearing long before recovery ends.
Before an event
Building household preparedness
Family communication plan
Every household member should know: a meeting point outside the home, an out-of-area contact to relay messages through, and how to send a text message if voice calls are overwhelmed. Review the plan with children in age-appropriate terms.
Basic first aid skills
Stop the Bleed training teaches tourniquets and wound packing. It is free, widely offered, and takes about two hours. In active threat events, hemorrhage control in the first minutes saves lives before EMS arrives. The Red Cross also offers general first aid and CPR courses.
Emergency alerts
Ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts are enabled on every household phone. These alerts push notifications for active threats, AMBER alerts, and severe weather. Many counties also offer opt-in text alert systems with more localized detail.
Community connection
Connected communities are resilient communities. Know your neighbors. Participate in neighborhood groups. Support community organizations. Social infrastructure is the long-term defense against both the causes and the consequences of violence.
From the field · After-action reports describe family reunification as one of the most chaotic post-incident challenges. A meeting point at home does not help when a family is separated at a school, workplace, or public event.
The response framework
Run. Hide. Fight.
The DHS Run-Hide-Fight framework is the standard individual response protocol for active threat situations. The sequence is a priority order: try each step in order.
Run — escape if you can
If you have a safe path to an exit, take it immediately. Leave belongings behind. Help others escape if possible, but do not stay if they refuse to move. Once outside, move away from the building, call 911, and do not re-enter until law enforcement gives an all-clear.
Hide — secure your location
If escape is not possible, find a room with a lockable door. Lock it. Barricade it with heavy furniture. Turn off lights. Silence your phone completely (not just vibrate). Stay low, away from doors and windows. Call 911 quietly if you can, or text. Do not open the door until you are certain it is law enforcement.
Fight — last resort only
Only if your life is in immediate danger and you cannot run or hide. Use whatever is available: fire extinguisher, chair, heavy object. Act with maximum aggression and commitment. This is a last resort. The goal is to create an opportunity to escape.
When law enforcement arrives
Keep your hands visible and empty. Follow all instructions. Do not grab officers or run toward them. They are entering a chaotic scene and need to identify threats quickly. Move in the direction they indicate and do not stop until you reach the designated safe area.
Official resources
Where to learn more
Next step
Build your community network
Connected neighborhoods are resilient neighborhoods. The Community section covers how to build the social infrastructure that prevents crises, supports recovery, and keeps your community strong through disruption.
Community resilience"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
— African proverb
Go deeper
Books, videos, and gear.
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