Active threat situations can unfold anywhere, including offices, warehouses, medical facilities, and corporate campuses. While no one wants to imagine such a scenario, preparation is one of the most effective ways to protect lives.
At A.L.I.V.E. Active Shooter Survival Training, we help organizations move from uncertainty to readiness. This workplace checklist gives you a starting point for building awareness, preparedness, and confidence before a crisis ever happens.
Know Your Environment
Every workplace is different. Start by understanding yours.
Checklist:
- Identify at least two exits from every area
- Note stairwells, emergency doors, and outdoor escape routes
- Recognize rooms that can be barricaded
- Be aware of areas with limited visibility or access
Awareness creates time, and time creates options.
Build Situational Awareness Habits
Employees should be trained to notice what is normal and what is not.
Checklist:
- Encourage employees to stay alert in common areas
- Teach them to recognize unusual behavior or disturbances
- Promote a culture of reporting concerns early
- Reduce distractions in shared spaces
Small observations can prevent big problems.
Establish Clear Communication Plans
Confusion costs lives during emergencies.
Checklist:
- Define how alerts will be communicated
- Ensure contact lists are updated
- Identify who can initiate emergency notifications
- Practice how to share accurate information
Employees should know how and when they will be informed.
Train Employees on Response Options
People freeze when they do not know what to do.
Checklist:
- Teach escape principles
- Explain when and how to shelter or barricade
- Discuss last-resort self-defense options
- Reinforce that every situation is different
Training replaces panic with purpose.
Secure Your Workplace
Physical measures matter.
Checklist:
- Control access points where possible
- Ensure doors and locks function properly
- Improve lighting in entrances and hallways
- Keep emergency supplies accessible
Security supports awareness, but does not replace training.
Conduct Regular Drills and Reviews
Plans only work if people remember them.
Checklist:
- Schedule periodic training sessions
- Review exit routes regularly
- Update plans after layout changes
- Encourage employee feedback
Preparedness is an ongoing process.
Partner With Professional Training
No checklist replaces hands-on instruction.
At A.L.I.V.E., our training teaches the A.L.I.V.E. Method:
Assess, Leave, Impede, Violence, Expose.
These steps give employees real-world tools to survive.
Take Responsibility Before It Is Too Late
Prepared workplaces save lives. Do not wait for an incident to start planning.
Contact Us Today or call (844) 99-ALIVE to schedule workplace training today.
Prepared people survive. Stay A.L.I.V.E.
About the Author
Michael D. Julian is President of MPS Security & Protection and a 30-plus-year veteran of the security and investigations industry. He served as President of the California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI) from 2005 to 2015 and has led executive protection, residential security, and corporate investigations engagements for Fortune 500 principals, high-net-worth families, and public figures across the United States. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.