Page 1 of 143
Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter
Preparedness Training EXAM QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter Preparedness Training EXAM
POINT FORM SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE (DHS Active Shooter Preparedness)
• Definition of active shooter: individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in
confined/populated area
• No pattern or method to victim selection; situations unpredictable and evolve quickly
• Run, Hide, Fight framework as primary survival response options
• Law enforcement first priority: locate and stop shooter, not help wounded initially
• Law enforcement arrival procedures: proceed directly to threat, may be in different uniforms
• Average police response time: 5-20 minutes; average incident duration: 3-4 minutes
• Bleeding Time: recognition + processing + arrival time components
• Stop the Bleed and "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" as federal training programs
• RUN: evacuate immediately, leave belongings, do not use elevators, do not stay behind
• HIDE: shelter-in-place location characteristics (thick walls, solid doors, lockable)
• FIGHT: last resort only when imminent death is only option
• Situational awareness: 3 levels, disruptions cause failures (stress, fatigue, routine changes)
• Pre-attack behavioral indicators: grievances, fascination with past shootings, personal losses
• A.B.L.E. acronym: Accept, Barricade, Leave, Engage
• Workplace violence categories recognized by OSHA: physical violence, harassment, intimidation,
threatening/disruptive behavior
• Healthcare workers: 75% of workplace violence assaults annually
• Emergency Action Plan stakeholders: HR, training department, facility owners, loss prevention,
property manager, law enforcement
• Post-incident recovery: after-action reports, benefit assistance, reuniting families, medical care,
judicial processes
• Privacy Rule permissions for emergencies: reporting deaths from criminal conduct, gunshot/stab
wounds, identifying suspects
• People do NOT panic when given clear warnings; they follow trained leaders
• Initial disbelief/denial is natural human reaction to threat
• Calling 911: provide location, shooter description, weapons, direction of attack, number of
potential victims
EXAM QUESTIONS (Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter Preparedness Training)
Question 1
According to DHS and FEMA training, what is the official definition of an active shooter?
A) Any individual who possesses a firearm in a public place
, Page 2 of 143
B) An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area
C) Any person who threatens violence in a workplace setting
D) An individual who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FEMA defines an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to
kill people in a confined and other populated area; there is no pattern or method to their selection of
victims .
Question 2
Which of the following best describes how active shooter situations typically evolve?
A) They follow a predictable pattern based on the shooter's background
B) They are unpredictable, evolve quickly, and typically end before law enforcement arrives
C) They always involve multiple shooters working together
D) They are slow-moving and allow ample time for evacuation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. They typically end before law
enforcement and other first responders arrive on scene .
, Page 3 of 143
Question 3
What is the first possibility to consider when determining how to protect your life during an active
shooter situation?
A) Fighting the shooter directly
B) Quickly seeking a safe environment by running or sheltering
C) Calling 911 and waiting for instructions
D) Hiding under a desk until help arrives
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In an active shooter situation, you must quickly determine the most reasonable way to
protect your own life; the first possibility to consider is quickly seeking a safe environment by running or
sheltering .
Question 4
When law enforcement officers first arrive at an active shooter incident, what is their primary priority?
A) Providing medical aid to wounded victims
B) Evacuating all civilians from the building
C) Finding and incapacitating the shooter
, Page 4 of 143
D) Establishing a perimeter and calling for backup
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When law enforcement officers arrive at an active shooter incident, their first priority is to
find and incapacitate the shooter; they will proceed directly to the shooter and not stop to help the
injured initially .
Question 5
True or false: When law enforcement arrives, officers will stop to help the wounded before locating the
shooter.
A) True
B) False
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: False. Law enforcement's first priority is to locate and stop the shooter; they will not stop to
help the wounded until the threat is neutralized. All other actions are secondary .
Question 6
What is the average duration of an active shooter incident compared to average police response time?
A) 10-15 minutes duration; 2-3 minutes response
Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter
Preparedness Training EXAM QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter Preparedness Training EXAM
POINT FORM SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE (DHS Active Shooter Preparedness)
• Definition of active shooter: individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in
confined/populated area
• No pattern or method to victim selection; situations unpredictable and evolve quickly
• Run, Hide, Fight framework as primary survival response options
• Law enforcement first priority: locate and stop shooter, not help wounded initially
• Law enforcement arrival procedures: proceed directly to threat, may be in different uniforms
• Average police response time: 5-20 minutes; average incident duration: 3-4 minutes
• Bleeding Time: recognition + processing + arrival time components
• Stop the Bleed and "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" as federal training programs
• RUN: evacuate immediately, leave belongings, do not use elevators, do not stay behind
• HIDE: shelter-in-place location characteristics (thick walls, solid doors, lockable)
• FIGHT: last resort only when imminent death is only option
• Situational awareness: 3 levels, disruptions cause failures (stress, fatigue, routine changes)
• Pre-attack behavioral indicators: grievances, fascination with past shootings, personal losses
• A.B.L.E. acronym: Accept, Barricade, Leave, Engage
• Workplace violence categories recognized by OSHA: physical violence, harassment, intimidation,
threatening/disruptive behavior
• Healthcare workers: 75% of workplace violence assaults annually
• Emergency Action Plan stakeholders: HR, training department, facility owners, loss prevention,
property manager, law enforcement
• Post-incident recovery: after-action reports, benefit assistance, reuniting families, medical care,
judicial processes
• Privacy Rule permissions for emergencies: reporting deaths from criminal conduct, gunshot/stab
wounds, identifying suspects
• People do NOT panic when given clear warnings; they follow trained leaders
• Initial disbelief/denial is natural human reaction to threat
• Calling 911: provide location, shooter description, weapons, direction of attack, number of
potential victims
EXAM QUESTIONS (Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter Preparedness Training)
Question 1
According to DHS and FEMA training, what is the official definition of an active shooter?
A) Any individual who possesses a firearm in a public place
, Page 2 of 143
B) An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area
C) Any person who threatens violence in a workplace setting
D) An individual who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FEMA defines an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to
kill people in a confined and other populated area; there is no pattern or method to their selection of
victims .
Question 2
Which of the following best describes how active shooter situations typically evolve?
A) They follow a predictable pattern based on the shooter's background
B) They are unpredictable, evolve quickly, and typically end before law enforcement arrives
C) They always involve multiple shooters working together
D) They are slow-moving and allow ample time for evacuation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. They typically end before law
enforcement and other first responders arrive on scene .
, Page 3 of 143
Question 3
What is the first possibility to consider when determining how to protect your life during an active
shooter situation?
A) Fighting the shooter directly
B) Quickly seeking a safe environment by running or sheltering
C) Calling 911 and waiting for instructions
D) Hiding under a desk until help arrives
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In an active shooter situation, you must quickly determine the most reasonable way to
protect your own life; the first possibility to consider is quickly seeking a safe environment by running or
sheltering .
Question 4
When law enforcement officers first arrive at an active shooter incident, what is their primary priority?
A) Providing medical aid to wounded victims
B) Evacuating all civilians from the building
C) Finding and incapacitating the shooter
, Page 4 of 143
D) Establishing a perimeter and calling for backup
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When law enforcement officers arrive at an active shooter incident, their first priority is to
find and incapacitate the shooter; they will proceed directly to the shooter and not stop to help the
injured initially .
Question 5
True or false: When law enforcement arrives, officers will stop to help the wounded before locating the
shooter.
A) True
B) False
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: False. Law enforcement's first priority is to locate and stop the shooter; they will not stop to
help the wounded until the threat is neutralized. All other actions are secondary .
Question 6
What is the average duration of an active shooter incident compared to average police response time?
A) 10-15 minutes duration; 2-3 minutes response
