What happens to the uninjured survivors after an active shooter or mass casualty event? In Episode 117 of the Active Shooter Incident Management podcast, host Bill Godfrey and his team of instructors from the National Center for Integrated Emergency Response dive into the complex challenges faced by responders when managing large crowds of uninjured survivors at outdoor and indoor venues.
This discussion covers:
- Immediate actions law enforcement and EMS must take with panicked, fleeing crowds
- Tactics for identifying witnesses, potential victims, and bystanders—and why separating these groups is crucial
- The importance of security, safe holding areas, and the real-life logistics of “corralling” hundreds of people
- How to use bystanders and uninjured family members to assist with patient care when resources are scarce
- Differences in managing survivors at outdoor parks versus indoor sites like courthouses or schools
- Why survivors must be shielded not just from physical threats, but also from re-traumatization and the media
- The power of language: why calling people “survivors” (not “victims”) aids recovery and resilience
- Gaps in current law enforcement training and practical suggestions for improvement
If you’re responsible for public safety, emergency preparedness, or support roles during critical incidents—or you want to understand the unseen aspects that make survivor management so difficult—this episode delivers real-world advice, examples, and compassionate strategies for one of the most overlooked elements of crisis response.
