“The Fourth of July is a sacred day in our country – it’s a time to celebrate the goodness of our nation, the only nation on Earth founded based on an idea: that all people are created equal. Make no mistake; our best days still lie ahead.”
Said the President of the United States, Joe Biden, on July 4th, 2022. Shortly after, a mass shooting happened at Highland Park during the Fourth of July parade. The gunman opened fire from the rooftop killing seven people and injuring several others.
This recent shooting adds insult to injury, leaving people more anguished just after the mass shootings of children in Buffalo, New York City. According to recent reports, the mass shooting account has risen significantly. Thirty-one mass shooting incidents happened between 2017-2021. The year 2022 just passed the seventh month of the summer, and already, there have been 309 mass shooting incidents reported in the United States. This averages out to more than 11 a week.
Concluding that, more shooting incidents have occurred in the last five-six years than a few years combined from 1966.
The recurrent mass shootings in the U.S have left the population baffled while questioning the authorities for their safety. And deviously, at this point, who wouldn’t? The daily death toll has stricken up to 124 via firearm-related injury.
Quite a big number and an alarming situation, right?
If you’re already on this page and scrolling through this article, we can try and figure out what’s up on your mind. Either looking for tips to survive the mass shooting or looking up a personal safety devices that might be of service in a rather stressful situation, if only it exists.
Viola! Silent Beacon does exist.
Here's a guide on how to survive a mass shooting;
Observe, Think, And Then Act
According to a report by a Former U.S Navy Seal, it takes approximately 10 minutes and 30 seconds for police to arrive at the site where high-priority 911 is alerted. Full-time officers are assigned to handle a SWAT operation, yet, it takes them up to 20-30 minutes to arrive at the scene.
Not the convenient time frame, is it?
Therefore, it is now necessary for you to take matters into your own hands and act on your own!
One; Observe
Look for the exits when stepping into a new place — a mall, park, clinic, or church. Pay attention to any other doors (aside from entrances) located on the floors. These doors could lead you to a safe — out of the gunman’s sight — place when the shooting starts.
Two; Think
Also, always think of the large objects that can mold into a safe place or a make-shift shelter for you during an unfortunate event. Pillars in a church, desks in a classroom, bookshelves in a library, an ice cream stand in the park, or a filled aisle in a grocery store can be the best cover-up for you!
Three; Act — The RUN, HIDE, FIGHT Model
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggested a model on how to respond during a mass shooting. It involves only three basic, life-saving steps that one should take on the battlefield.
And during these three steps, you may use a panic safety button when the war breaks down.
However, you may ask, How Can A Personal Safety Device Help During A Mass Shooting?
1. Evacuating And Alerting The Officials
Although it’s difficult to fight your instinct to freeze during a mass shooting, nothing tops the first and natural urge to “get yourself away” from the danger. And that is why you run.
Experts say that freezing up to a few seconds is normal during these circumstances. However, the time you take to stand frozen in such a life-and-death situation puts you at risk of becoming the target. Given the fact that you’re already a target, the most you could do is run, run, and run the farthest away from the shooter.
Remember, a moving object is always a difficult target. So, make yourself one!
And while creating a distance between the shooter and yourself, make use of your safety device like; Silent Beacon’s Panic Button. A simple press of a button will notify the people in your emergency contacts about your situation and will call for help without even touching the phone.
2. Hide
If there isn’t much room to create a safe distance between you and the shooter without getting noticed, the next safest option would be hiding from the shooter’s sight.
However, there is also a trick to it. Rather than running towards what you believe to be the perfect hiding spot on the farthest end of the corridor and risk getting noticed by the active shooter, make use of the barriers between you and the shooter.
Pillars, thick brick walls, steel covers, wooden desks, and benches would save any harm caused by the bullets. When you’re at it, we suggest sending your live location to the emergency personnel: 911.
Using the Silent Beacon’s personal safety app, you can notify your loved ones about your situation via text, push notifications, or voice calls. You can use the Silent Alert Mode on your wearable personal safety device to discreetly send for help without alerting the shooter.
3. Fight
Your first priority should be to alert the authorities via Silent Beacon and wait for them to arrive. But unfortunately, the mass shooter only requires a few seconds to rain fire on the crowd.
When none of the tips works for you, fighting is the only option. However, it is crucial to remember that although you are fighting for your life in such situations, you’re only fighting to disarm the weapon from the shooter and have him grounded, unarmed.
Later on, you can send multiple messages to your emergency contacts simultaneously, along with your GPS attached to it, using Silent Beacon’s panic button.
Final Thoughts
According to the Gun Violence Archive report, there have been 322 mass shootings already reported in America. Out of which, 25 happened just in July as of this Thursday. The month hasn’t even ended, and we haven’t reached winter yet either. The situation is — undeniably — alarming.
Considering the rise in such happenings, you should always have some sort of safety device with you. A panic button is the fastest way to alert 911 and other concerned parties. By just pressing one button, you can send multiple emergency alerts along with your real-time GPS location. Isn’t this more convenient than pulling out your phone in a life or death situation?
Silent Beacon’s panic button is the only personal safety device on the market with zero monthly fees. A one-time purchase might save your or your loved one’s life.
