Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced the official launch of the LASD “Surviving an Active Shooter” brochure which is being made available to the 70 school districts composed of 1.7 million students in the county.

Based on the LASD’s Emmy Award-winning “Active Shooter” public service video (viewed 1,381,424 times), the brochure serves as a graphic and detailed resource guide on what to do should you find yourself involved in an active shooter situation.

The brochure is a no-holds-barred call for the public to be prepared should they face such an emergency. The information and actions to be taken are organized in three steps: “When the shooting starts, Run. Hide. Fight.”

Active shooter incidents are on the rise, prompting this response. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, nearly half of active shooter incidents happen in everyday locations, often without warning, where people work and shop. One in four active shootings takes place at a school.

New data gathered by the Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Intelligence Bureau indicates that 64 percent of threats against schools involve guns. Most threats are made by students. However, one in five threats are made by an unknown individual.

“We are adopting the same philosophy about threats against our schools as the FBI has about terrorism,” McDonnell said in a statement.

“One shooting is too many,” he said. “One victim is unacceptable. Guns are clearly the weapon of choice. I believe the LASD and schools and community colleges in our geographic area of more than 4,200 square miles, should do all we can to send a strong message to those who threaten our children. We begin by holding people accountable for gun crimes, but also empower our communities by providing information that could save their life and the lives of others.”

McDonnell said his deputies consistently train for these scenarios, but in most cases, the shooting is over before law enforcement can arrive.

The tactical survival information for the video and brochure was developed by the LASD Video Productions Unit, graphic artists with the expertise of the Department’s Tactics and Survival Unit, as well as input from the Safety and Emergency Services Manager for the Los Angeles Community College District and FBI research from the Department of Homeland Security guidelines for Active Shooter events.

Five thousand brochures will be printed at the LASD Custody print shop and distributed through the LASD Community College Bureau which is contracted to serve 10 LA County Community Colleges.

Another 5,000 brochures are being made available through our 23 LASD patrol stations, including our 38 LASD School Resource Deputies who serve 18 school districts.

So far, 40 school districts in Los Angeles County, representing 483 elementary, middle and high schools, have committed to distributing the brochures and the LASD app information to teachers, parents and students.

Schools and School Districts will receive brochures by calling the LASD Community College Bureau at 323-669-7555 or emailing Lt. Don Rubio at derubio@lasd.org.

The public can obtain the “Surviving an Active Shooter” brochure at any local LASD patrol station, or download the brochure information to a smartphone by using the LASD app and clicking on the “Active Shooter Brochure” icon.

View the LASD Active Shooter video at www.activeshooter.lasd.org.

Read McDonnell’s recent editorial on fighting gun violence here.

The following school districts have agreed to share information about the LASD Active Shooter Brochure and the LASD app/Active Shooter digital version:

Acton-Agua Dulce School District
Newhall School District
Saugus School District
Castaic School District
William S. Hart School District
Sulphur Springs School District
Gorman School District

Bellflower Unified
Long Beach Unified (Lakewood High School)
Paramount Unified
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District)
Whittier Union High School District)
Little Lake City School District)
South Whittier School District)
Lowell Joint School District)
ABC Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
El Rancho Unified School District
Los Nietos School District
Whittier City School District
Keppel School District
Wilsona School District
Eastside School District
Lancaster School District
Antelope Valley Union High School District
Westside School District
Antelope Valley College
Las Virgenes Unified School District
Santa Monica Unified School District
Palmdale School District
Long Beach Unified School District –1 school
Compton Unified School District –
Centinela Valley High School District –
Lawndale Elementary School District –
Lynwood School District –
Compton Unified School District –
Glendale Unified School District
Charter Oak School District
Pomona Unified School District