Active Shooters: Are You Prepared?

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

Last month, I attended NRF Protect. The show was held in my stomping grounds of Philadelphia, and as usual, the show was packed with solid sessions and an Expo floor filled with technologies that, quite frankly, aid the entire organization. I attend the show every year, and I always leave with actionable insights to bring back to our readers. But this year I exited the Convention Center feeling exceptionally informed, largely because of one single session — a session centered on the importance of training and practical planning should an active shooter enter the premises. It’s a terrifying, sobering topic, and one that isn’t taken lightly by anyone, retailers included. NRF Protect came on the heels of the horrific tragedy in Orlando, so the standing-room-only session was filled with attendees anxious to absorb as much data as possible. My single biggest takeaway from the session is that, surprisingly, many retailers don’t have training programs to protect their people and customers against active shooters. The good news is that’s easily fixed.