During our work as security consultants specialized in managing risks of active shooter violence, we observed a pattern. Although the level of security and preparation varied greatly between client organizations, most shared a foundational problem—absence of a cohesive strategy for controlling active shooter risk by both preventing attacks and mitigating the consequences of active shooter violence.
Although standards related to workplace violence prevention and active shooter response have been published by organizations such as ANSI, SHRM, and ASIS International, most are skeletal ‘best practice’ guides and provide little direction in how to implement risk management measures. Further, most of these standards omit critical details necessary to effective performance in reducing risk. And as witnessed time and again during previous active shooter events, “The Devil always appears in the details.”
In response to this situation, CIS launched the Guardian SafeWorkplace Program™ in 2015 to serve as a comprehensive, integrated, and performance-based strategy for protection against mass homicide in workplace settings.