By: Jessica Gill, WOWT Channel 6
(WOWT) — The deadly shooting Florida has reignited safety talks all across the country. Many are asking if schools are doing enough to protect their students, but one local tactical expert says – maybe not.
“I thought, here we go again, and when are we going to learn?” said 88 Tactical Chief Operating Officer Trevor Thrasher.
That was Trevor Thrasher’s first reaction when he heard of yet another school shooting, in which lives were lost. Thrasher is in the military and works at 88 Tactical.
He says schools everywhere need to take a look at their response plan to something like this.
“They generally have a lockdown plan, which is their universal response to anything. Well, only having one response is a bad response,” said Thrasher.
Every student, he says, should have the opportunity to do one, of three things:
- Run
- Hide
- Fight
“If you can get out of there and escape quickly, get out of there and escape quickly,” Thrasher told 6 News.
If running isn’t an option – fine, then hide. Barricade yourself and others. Use tables and chairs.
“At least it’s going to buy me some time,” he explained.
Turn off the lights. Get off your phones. Do not make yourself an obvious target.
“This is not what you do, ‘Oh my God, I’m so scared.’ You’re not hidden, you’re not barricading, you’re not evading and you’re certainly not ready to fight,” Thrasher told 6 News.
And if you must fight use whatever’s around you. Fire extinguishers for example can be used in multiple ways. Thrasher said, “Give your kids permission to be violent when it makes sense.”
