Prince William Police Release Video PSA on How to Respond in Active Violence Situation

Posted

In this scenario, a civilian treats a bleeding wound of a victim during an active violence situation before the arrival of EMS.

Prince William County Police and Fire and Rescue have created a YouTube PSA video, advising people on how to respond should they find themself in the midst of an active violence situation, such as a mass shooting.

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

According to the video, the three things one should do are, “run, hide, fight.” Actions depend upon the situation.

If it’s possible, “evacuate the area and escape,” said one officer.

If the escape route is blocked or the gunman is approaching, “hide and barricade yourself in a safe spot.”

“And, in a last resort, fight.” In that situation objects in the near vicinity can be used as weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gsRzPkAbqs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0NtgY-V5r19_sn2j6FgMHff3R3iWAmXg-USFNGCxbcyxVdl_6t6hfomhY

Police also advise people call 911 once they can.

“Unfortunately this is reality; active violence can occur anywhere,” said one officer in the video.

The ABC’s of Bleeding

In an active violence situation, the survival of those severely injured could depend upon the quick medical care they receive. Because time is of the essence, civilians may need to provide that medical attention.

Here is what you can do to assist:

  • Alert- “First you want to call 911.”
  • “Next you want to find the Bleeding
  • “Finally, Compress

To compress a wound:

  • Apply direct pressure in the event of an arm or leg wound.
  • Applying a tourniquet about 2 inches above the located wound.
  • Or using goss and clean cloth to pack the wound.

“Every second counts in an active violence offense,” said a female officer. “The actions you take, from the time of injury until time the EMS arrives, can increase the chases of survival for those that are injured,” said another officer.

The video does not differentiation between an incident with a gun or a knife.

Some of the scenes in the video take place in the Prince William McCoart Government Building, using government employees as the actors.

abcs, active-violence-situation, bleeding, compress, featured, fire-and-rescue, gun-violence, mass-shooting, police, prince-william-county, prince-william-police, psa, response-to-violence, run-hide-fight, shooting, video, violence, what-to-do, youtube