After reports of shots being fired near a Florida nursing home on the evening of July 22, police responded to investigate the incident. While they were not able to identify any victims as a result of the shooting, they conducted an expanded search that went from home to home and around vehicles in the area in an effort to find evidence.
News media cameras filming around the scene of the shooting captured a bullet casing laying on the street outside the nursing home.
Police investigators concluded that the shots struck a vehicle that is no longer at the scene.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to have an active shooter protocol in place as a part of a nursing home’s Emergency Preparedness Plan may place residents and staff members in immediate jeopardy, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures in the facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan to ensure that a specific protocol has been included to address the possibility of an “active shooter” or other violent incidents.
- Train staff on the specific aspects of these five areas of an effective violent act incident: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery.
- Periodically audit the capability of the facility’s staff through mock drills based on a variety of violent incident situations. Include local law enforcement and other first responders in the drills.
