Run, Hide, Fight: The Advice for Surviving an Active Shooting Was Created in Texas

A phrase that’s turning out to be a 21st-century version of “duck and cover” has its origins in Houston.

By Rhonda FanningNovember 29, 2016 1:40 pm

The events yesterday in Ohio made news in real-time worldwide through social media. It all started with one tweet:

Local officials did follow up with additional information, but for many, it was that three-word phrase that stood out: “Run. Hide. Fight.” That maxim originated in Houston, Texas.

Dennis Storemski, director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security in Houston, says the phrase is a result of a 2011 exercise for active shooter events.

“One of the things we came out with was the idea of – there’s nothing out there telling the general public, the average citizen, what they should do if they get involved in an active shooter event,” Storemski says. “So using grant funds, we developed this video about how to respond and we needed a catchy phrase that people could remember.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– The concept behind “Run. Hide. Fight.”
– How Ohio State prepared for an active shooter event
– Where returning fire fits into the “Fight” advice