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Yes, preparing for an active shooter or workplace violence incident is now a normal part of business risk planning in Michigan, even though these events remain rare. Preparation comes down to four things: build an Emergency Action Plan with your leadership and local first responders, train your team on the widely used Run, Hide, Fight framework, coordinate ahead of time with your local sheriff or police department, and plan for the recovery that follows. None of this comes from fear. It comes from wanting your people to know what to do in the minutes that matter most.
Our agency recently took part in an Active Shooter Preparedness Training hosted by Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville and led by Deputy Michael Makowski of the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office. The question we heard most from the business owners in the room was a fair one: is this really something a northern Michigan business needs to think about? The honest answer is yes, not because the risk is high, but because a rehearsed plan saves lives, reduces chaos, and supports a faster recovery.
What counts as an active shooter event?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, describes an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area (CISA). Research from the FBI has found that many of these incidents are over within a few minutes, often before law enforcement can arrive (FBI). That short window is exactly why employee awareness and a plan people have actually practiced matter so much.
Why should a business prepare at all?
Even when a business eventually reopens, the effects of a workplace violence incident can last for years, and preparing ahead of time helps limit them. The lasting impacts commonly include:
- Employee trauma and ongoing mental health needs
- An extended interruption to normal operations
- Reputational harm in a close-knit community
- Legal and liability exposure
- A complicated insurance and claims process
Where do you start? An Emergency Action Plan.
The foundation of preparedness is a written Emergency Action Plan built with input from leadership, HR, facilities, and your local responders. A clear plan should spell out:
- How an emergency gets reported
- Evacuation routes and procedures
- Designated safe areas and shelter locations
- Who is responsible for what during an emergency
- Emergency contact lists and the nearest hospital
- How staff will be notified, inside and outside the building
Review it at least once a year and update it whenever your team, your layout, or your operations change.
What kind of training actually helps?
The most useful training is practical, realistic, and coordinated with your local law enforcement. For most northern Michigan businesses, tabletop exercises, walkthroughs, and scenario discussions accomplish more, and disrupt less, than a full simulation. Effective training usually covers:
- Recognizing gunshots and unusual or threatening behavior
- Making decisions quickly under stress
- When to evacuate, when to hide, and when to act
- How to communicate clearly with a 911 dispatcher
- What to expect when officers arrive
Who owns which responsibilities?
Human resources helps prevent incidents and supports recovery by handling background screening, creating a way to report concerning behavior, and offering counseling and employee assistance afterward. Facilities and operations reduce risk through access controls and visitor management, clearly posted evacuation routes, crisis kits with radios and floor plans, and by inviting local responders to learn the building before anything happens.
How should employees respond during an incident?
Teams should be trained on the Run, Hide, Fight framework, understood as a set of last-resort decisions rather than a rigid script.
Run, if it is safe
- Have an escape route in mind and use it
- Leave belongings behind
- Help others if you can, but keep moving
- Follow law enforcement instructions
Hide, if you cannot run
- Lock and barricade doors
- Stay out of sight and away from windows
- Silence phones
- Stay quiet
Fight, only as a last resort
- Act decisively if escape and hiding are not possible
- Use whatever is at hand to disrupt the attacker
- Commit fully to your actions
What should your team do when officers arrive?
An officer's first job is to stop the threat, so employees should be ready to:
- Stay calm and keep hands visible
- Follow commands immediately
- Avoid sudden movements
- Share what they know when asked
Medical help and victim support follow once the scene is secure.
How does preparedness connect to your insurance?
The recovery is where an agent becomes useful. A serious incident can trigger a business interruption, workers' compensation questions, crisis-response expenses, and, for organizations with a board, directors and officers exposure. Reviewing how these pieces fit together before anything happens is far easier than sorting it out during a claim. Coverage varies by policy and is subject to underwriting, and nothing is bound or altered until confirmed by an authorized representative. Our business owners insurance page is a good starting point for understanding what a commercial program includes.
This is heavy material, and preparing for it is an act of care rather than fear. Deputy Makowski and law enforcement leaders across our region consistently encourage businesses to be proactive and informed. If you would like help thinking through how workplace safety and crisis recovery fit into your broader risk plan, call Top O' Michigan at 800-686-8664, stop by our Traverse City office, or email Service@TheSpireTeam.com. Our posts on minimizing business interruptions and how much liability coverage is enough cover related ground, and our Traverse City insurance page shows how we serve local businesses.