F89 Active Shooter Emergency Response — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During an active shooter incident in a high-rise building, what is the Fire and Life Safety Director's FIRST priority upon receiving notification?
- Initiate building-wide evacuation via the public address system immediately
- Notify FDNY and building security, then assess whether to evacuate or shelter-in-place based on shooter location (Correct answer)
- Lock all stairwell doors to prevent the shooter from moving between floors
- Proceed personally to the floor where the incident is reported
Correct answer: Notify FDNY and building security, then assess whether to evacuate or shelter-in-place based on shooter location
The FLSD must first notify FDNY and security, then make an informed decision about evacuation versus shelter-in-place based on the shooter's known or suspected location. A blanket evacuation could move occupants toward the threat; that decision requires situational awareness. The FLSD must never personally respond to the incident location.
Question 2: The 'Run, Hide, Fight' framework for active shooter response assigns which option as the LAST resort?
- Run — evacuate the building as quickly as possible
- Hide — shelter in a secured room out of the shooter's view
- Fight — physically confront or disrupt the shooter (Correct answer)
- Call — notify 911 before taking any other action
Correct answer: Fight — physically confront or disrupt the shooter
'Fight' is the absolute last resort, used only when an occupant cannot run or hide and their life is in imminent danger. The framework prioritizes evacuation first, then concealment, then physical resistance only if no other option exists.
Question 3: When law enforcement arrives at a building during an active shooter event, how should the Fire and Life Safety Director interact with officers?
- Remain at the Fire Command Center, provide building layout and last known shooter location, and follow all law enforcement directions (Correct answer)
- Lead officers directly to the floor where the shooter was last reported
- Begin a full building evacuation immediately to clear the building for law enforcement
- Seal all elevator lobbies and stairwells to prevent shooter movement
Correct answer: Remain at the Fire Command Center, provide building layout and last known shooter location, and follow all law enforcement directions
The FLSD's role is to be a resource at the FCC — providing floor plans, elevator control, and intelligence — while deferring all tactical decisions to law enforcement. The FLSD must not enter the threat zone or make tactical decisions that belong to responding officers.
Question 4: During an active shooter incident, an occupant calls the Fire Command Center to report that she is hiding in a locked office on the 14th floor. What should the FLSD tell her?
- Unlock her office door and proceed to the nearest stairwell immediately
- Stay in place, silence her phone, barricade the door if possible, and await further instructions (Correct answer)
- Use the window to signal law enforcement on the street below
- Move to the stairwell and wait for an all-clear announcement
Correct answer: Stay in place, silence her phone, barricade the door if possible, and await further instructions
When an occupant has successfully hidden in a secured space, the correct guidance is to stay hidden, silence communications that could reveal their location, reinforce their barricade, and wait. Moving through corridors or stairwells during an active threat is more dangerous than remaining sheltered.
Question 5: Which of the following is the Fire and Life Safety Director responsible for AFTER law enforcement clears the building following an active shooter event?
- Conducting an immediate full-building re-occupancy without waiting for FDNY clearance
- Documenting the incident, accounting for all occupants, and coordinating re-entry only after receiving clearance from FDNY and law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Resetting all fire alarm systems and elevator controls to normal operations independently
- Issuing a press statement to building occupants about the incident
Correct answer: Documenting the incident, accounting for all occupants, and coordinating re-entry only after receiving clearance from FDNY and law enforcement
Post-incident, the FLSD must account for all occupants, document the event, and coordinate with FDNY and law enforcement before authorizing any re-entry. Re-occupancy without official clearance is prohibited and could compromise ongoing law enforcement activities.
Question 6: How should a Fire and Life Safety Director handle an elevator during a confirmed active shooter event on an upper floor?
- Send all elevators to the ground floor and place them in independent service to prevent the shooter from using them (Correct answer)
- Call all elevators to the affected floor to assist in evacuating trapped occupants
- Leave elevators in normal automatic service so occupants can self-evacuate
- Shut down all building power including elevators to prevent the shooter's movement
Correct answer: Send all elevators to the ground floor and place them in independent service to prevent the shooter from using them
Recalling all elevators to the lobby and placing them in independent (manual) service denies the shooter vertical mobility while keeping elevators available for law enforcement use. Sending elevators to the affected floor or leaving them in auto service would create dangerous situations.
F89 Active Shooter Emergency Response
During an active shooter incident in a high-rise building, what is the Fire and Life Safety Director's FIRST priority upon receiving notification?