It’s important to know what to do during an active shooter attack and I was pleased to read about the recent seminar at St. Mary’s Hospital (“St. Mary’s Active Shooter Seminar Seeks to Save Lives,” February 13) but I must offer one important correction. The article states, “a civilian should never attempt to confront the shooter.” This is in direct contradiction to the recommendation of the “Run, Hide, Fight” program of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which states that if you are unable to run and hide from an attacker, you must fight back. In addition, there are numerous examples of civilians fighting back and successfully stopping attackers. For more information on what to do during an attack, contact [email protected].

Ryan Shell
Director, Bergenfield Office of Emergency Management
Chief, Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc.