7 Lessons Learned from the Sandy Hook School Shooting

5. Staff, students must be taught how to respond under stress and on the fly.

The report indicates that 10 students survived the attacks in the two unlocked classrooms by fleeing the rooms. This finding demonstrates the importance of staff and students being trained not to remain passive when they encounter an active aggressor in an enclosed area. The research on how the human brain functions support the importance of teaching people to be prepared to change responses when a situation dictates.

We feel that it is very important to point out that extensive research by fire service professionals demonstrates that when people in groups run inside a building, mass casualty loss of life is more likely to occur. While it may be best for people to run when in small groups or alone, larger groups can jam doorways causing mass casualty loss of life.