What role does a supervisor play during an active shooter incident?

In the context of an active shooter incident, the supervisor plays a crucial role in managing communications and maintaining situational awareness. Handling information from callers is essential because it ensures that accurate and timely information is relayed to the appropriate authorities and emergency responders. This role involves assessing the reliability and urgency of the information being provided, whether from employees, bystanders, or other sources, and effectively communicating it to law enforcement and other relevant parties.

The supervisor acts as a vital link between those inside the incident area and external emergency services, helping ensure that the response is coordinated and that critical details regarding the situation are conveyed promptly. This coordination can significantly affect the overall response effectiveness, potentially saving lives and helping ensure that emergency services can assess the situation accurately.

While monitoring social media, coordinating with local news, and providing medical assistance are important tasks, they are often not the primary responsibilities of a supervisor during such urgent, high-stress scenarios. Instead, these tasks may fall to other personnel such as public information officers or healthcare professionals.