Conducting a Mass Shooting Drill for Utilities

As I’m sure you know, when it comes to emergency preparedness, training and practicing are two of the key pillars of success.  Drills and exercises in particular are helpful to enable employees to practice internal policies and procedures.  That said, the most effective of these add unique twists that encourage participants to think on their feet.  One such unique twist that might be appropriate is to incorporate a mass shooting drill scenario into the broader event scenario.

Is a Mass Shooting Drill Going Too Far?

If you think about it, the frequency of mass shootings seems to be on the rise, so it is really not a stretch to throw a curveball into the exercise via a scenario involving a disgruntled customer or ex-employee going on rampage.  Such a scenario would force participants to follow specific safety protocols that they are most likely unfamiliar with.  It would also be interesting to see the impact of such a scenario on the primary task at hand – restoring service.

Click here for an example of a recent mass shooting drill in Lee County.

Of course, I can definitely see a situation where this might be too extreme for management to stomach, which is totally understandable.  And that’s ok, because a mass shooting drill is only one possible twist that could be introduced into an exercise scenario.  There are literally hundreds of possible curveballs that can be thrown into the mix – for example, system hacking, terrorism, mass water poisoning, a wireless blackout, you name it.  There is little doubt, whether the scenario is a mass shooting drill or something else, when it comes to exercises and drills, the crazier (yet still realistic), the better.