Beyond Run, Hide, Fight

The message

Run, Hide, Fight is the national baseline taught by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, and every employee should know it. Kevin covers it. But a slogan learned from a video is not the same as a plan, and under real stress, people who have never practiced tend to freeze.

After a speaking engagement in Reno, Kevin stopped for dinner at a little pizza parlor in Truckee, California. Before the food arrived, without thinking about it, he had already noted the entrances and exits, picked his path out, and decided what he would do if a threat walked through the door. That isn't paranoia. It's a habit, and it can be taught. This program teaches it.

Kevin brings more than 25 years in law enforcement since 1994, hundreds of tactical calls, service as an Oregon State Police defensive tactics instructor, and force-on-force active-shooter scenario training with marking rounds, as both a participant and a role player, on buses and in schools, movie theaters, and businesses. He also holds the SPHR certification and a Master's Degree in Management, so he understands what HR, legal, and risk teams need from a training like this. Your people leave with a plan. Your organization leaves with the policies and follow-through to support it.

What Kevin adds beyond the baseline

• A plan made before the day. Decisions made in advance, for your building and your people, so no one has to invent them under fire.
• Scanning avenues of egress. The everyday habit of knowing where the exits are, at work, in a restaurant, or at a hotel.
• Breathing to control your heart rate. A simple technique officers use to stay clear-headed under stress so they can think, move, and act.
• Permission to act. Giving employees explicit permission to break routines, leave the register, use the emergency exit, or skip the "ask your supervisor" step when lives are at stake.
• Barricading and cover. How to secure a room quickly, and why hiding behind a desk is not the same as being protected.
• What to expect when police arrive. Why the first officers go straight to the threat, and how to keep your hands visible and follow commands so you are not mistaken for a suspect.

The HR side most trainings skip

Preparedness is now a compliance issue too. Since July 1, 2024, most California employers must maintain a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan and train employees when the plan is established and annually after that (California Labor Code section 6401.9, per Cal/OSHA). Wherever your organization operates, Kevin covers the people side that keeps a plan working:

• Workplace violence policies: threat reporting, weapons rules, and protection from retaliation for people who speak up.
• Drills that build confidence without creating legal problems: notice, injury risk, and employees with trauma histories.
• Accommodations for employees with disabilities in evacuation and shelter plans.
• The day after: leave, workers' compensation, employee assistance, and a thoughtful return to work.

Each program is built around your workplace and your state's requirements. This program is educational and is not legal advice.

Learning objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Explain the federal Run, Hide, Fight guidance and when each option applies.
• Build a personal plan for their own workspace, including exits, barricade options, and places that offer real cover.
• Use a breathing technique to manage the body's stress response and avoid freezing.
• Respond safely to arriving law enforcement officers.
• For managers and HR: identify the policies, drill practices, accommodations, and post-incident support that make a preparedness program work.