To successfully and safely respond to mass shooting incidences, it calls for preparation. The likelihood of a school or a college experiencing such is low, but these institutions must prepare in case such occurrences happen. The recent mass shootings have shown the need for preparation locally, regionally, at state and federal levels, and to prepare resources for such events ( Fagel & Hesterman, 2016) . To ensure the proper delivery of emergency services, public safety agencies, as well as emergency managers, ought to adapt to changes in society ( Fagel & Hesterman, 2016) . This paper will focus on state laws, procedures, and guidelines that can help curb mass shootings. However, it is essential to note that it can be challenging to plan for every situation that may take place. There are best practices as well as lessons embraced and learned regularly. Thus the need to keep updating the emergency responses regularly.
Having the right information is key in solving many issues we face and this paper, will prepare the school officials, business owners, first responders as well as emergency managers with the information and basic tools required to assess or establish a plan for preparing as well as responding to a mass shooting. Law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services (EMS), and emergency management share similar priorities when it comes to a mass shooting, and they include incident and safety stabilization ( Fagel & Hesterman, 2016). Therefore interagency cooperation and planning should be crucial for all types of serious incidents. There is a dire need for a coordinated effort in all agencies to ensure there is an effective and safe response.
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Although no two shootings are similar, responder safety is necessary during such type of events. The outcome of the incident can be influenced by certain factors such as the shooter’s motive, the weapons involved, the number of people involved, and also the familiarity with the location ( Fagel & Hesterman, 2016). Preparation is the primary factor, and it involves a clear idea of one's actions before the occurrence. To begin preparations, firstly, is a review of one's jurisdiction laws as well as guidelines and procedures that are meant to respond to the mass shooting.
Secondly, bringing all agencies such as fire, Law enforcement, school systems, business owners, and colleges together. This is because; every jurisdiction, despite the size, should have an Emergency Planning Committed to offering a foundation for every planning effort. It is a noble idea to have a multi-agency exercise that assembles all agencies and starts to rehearse the plan. The role of these agencies is to discuss the planning steps for such types of occurrences. One of the things to be done is target identification for a mass shooting that involves high schools, colleges, elementary schools, and universities as well as high-profile businesses.
Normally, schools use building codes, fire drills, and sprinkler systems to guard against fires. For example, there was no incidence of a child’s death through fire in a school in the U.S for more than 25 years, according to a report that was released by the Police Officers Safety Association ( Perkins, 2018) . Thus making this an effective approach. However, there have been many deaths through mass shootings. It is important to note that preparation and training are not always accepted, and it is faced with denial and resistance. Nevertheless, they are crucial and should be given the utmost attention and given the urgency they call for.
Prevention Measures.
Schools and businesses should ensure that they possess a crisis kit. These kits are not only of help during mass shootings but also during other critical attacks. Basically, these kits are supposed to be updated and be kept ready for use ( Perkins, 2018) . Also, they should be easily accessible by everyone, and during a crisis, the designated staff ought to take the kit with them when the institution is evacuated or locked down. During drills, the kit must be removed for planning and training efforts.
Policy Advocacy
The discussion regarding diversity normally revolves around unique perspectives and cultures of certain groups such as Asian Americans, women, African Americans, lesbians, Native Americans, gay men, children, persons with mental and physical disabilities ( Jansson, 2007). Therefore, clinicians require a vast knowledge of various cultures as well as perspectives when they are working with members of different groups, or else they will be insensitive to their preferences and needs.
On the other hand, social workers tend to ignore many economic and social needs of these groups that are if they limit themselves to understanding their perspectives and cultures. Members of all groups may have, in one way or the other gone through some prejudice and discrimination.
Discrimination and prejudice have been a challenge in contemporary society, even with the enactment of civil rights as well as other protections ( Jansson, 2007). Besides, these groups experience structural discrimination and several obstacles that hugely interfere with the advancement of other members into the economic and social mainstream of American society ( Fagel & Hesterman, 2016) . In addition, American culture has several vulnerable out-groups who have gone through prejudice and discrimination over a long time, and whose member’s economic wellbeing reflects the structural barriers they have experienced ( Jansson, 2007).
The vulnerable populations include Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos; they have not only faced racism through personal interactions with police, employer, physicians, and teachers but also policy discrimination as seen in community amenities, schools, training programs, law enforcement programs, and correctional programs. They are subjected to limited and more impoverished services.
Any form of discrimination against the vulnerable populations expressed either through policy discrimination or personal encounters, it often reflects in statistical measures of the social well-being of members of certain out-groups ( Jansson, 2007) . These communities tend to have lower life expectations, fewer resources, and poor educational achievement. These differences in health, economic, and other measures of wellbeing normally become the root of security problems and, thus, the challenge of mass shootings in schools and businesses.
Conclusion
Mass shootings in schools and businesses are not a new occurrence, and policy advocates are expected to develop policies that will help deal with this contemporary issue. Although policy advocates are usually not content with equalizing policies of the discriminated and vulnerable populations as well as the dominant populations. To curb these challenges, there is a need for policy advocates to focus more on offering extra tutoring in schools and to business owners to help them prepare in case of an occurrence of mass shootings. Community-based programs should come in handy in creating awareness to people on how they can remain vigilant in the event a mass shooting takes place. This is a communal problem, and it calls for every member of the society to participate in ensuring the security of each person. As earlier mentioned, crisis kits should be installed in schools and businesses as they also act as preventive measures.
References
Fagel, M. J., & Hesterman, J. (2016). Soft Targets and Crisis Management: What Emergency Planners and Security Professionals Need to Know . CRC Press.
Jansson, B. (2007). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice . Cengage Learning.
Perkins, J. C. (2018). Preparing Teachers for School Tragedy: Reading, Writing, and Lockdown. Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice , 18 (1).
