Preparing your family for an active shooting situation

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- America's latest mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine is the latest reason safety experts say you should make sure you and your family have a plan.

"I looked at the last three years recently, and they've averaged over 600 a year. Sadly enough, it's become a part of our culture almost that these things exist," said Rich Howard, a consultant and instructor for Knowledge Saves Lives, a company that helps people plan and prepare for emergencies.

Howard has decades of law enforcement and military experience, including more than 20 years with the Merced County Sheriff's Office.

He also survived the Las Vegas shooting in 2017.

Police are searching for person of interest Robert Card as at least 20 people are believed dead from a Lewiston mass shooting in Maine.

"The only thing we can really do is control ourselves and prepare ourselves if we find ourselves in a situation like this and understand what we need to do and increase our chances of survival," said Howard.

He says ways to increase your chances of survival include moving away from the incident and getting as many layers of security between you and the violence.

Those layers can be walls, doors, or cars.

As in Maine Wednesday night, if there's a reason to shelter in place, have a plan for that too.

"Make the house or the room you're in look unoccupied and that is the goal. Get in position to defend yourself and if someone comes to your door, it's your Alamo and you're now the aggressor," said Howard.

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