ROANOKE, Va. – With the tragic shootings at a Walmart in Chesapeake and at the University of Virginia, security experts are showing people how to be prepared in an emergency.
“Notice your surroundings and follow your instincts a lot of time people walk around in white state, they’re on their cell phones, they don’t notice what’s around them they’re in what we call white,” said Chris Ragone with Executive Security Concepts.
Ragone said people need to follow a combat mindset, a color code.
White No threat
Yellow Aware of your surroundings
Orange Observing the potential threat
Red If threat is confirmed, be ready to fight
“We have that white, yellow, orange and red, don’t go out your house in white, have that warrior mindset and calm yourself,” said Ragone.
10 News asked what to do in an active shooting situation.
“You want to get as much distance from the threat as possible as quickly as possible, you also want to get that concealment or cover,” said Rangone.
Concealment, according to Ragone, allows you to hide from the shooter.
Cover, which is better, prevents the bullet from hitting you.
There are also tips if there’s an active shooting and you’re near the car.
“The very first thing I want to try and find is some concealment or cover. Concealment here, bullets can go through this, yeah may be hidden from the shooter, but the bullet can get through. It’s better to get here behind this engine block. This is a true cover; that bullet is not going go through that engine block,” said Ragone.
Ragone’s last piece of advice was to remember that threats can pop up anywhere, even a small city like Roanoke.