Tunnel vision, temporary hearing loss, difficulty remembering simple facts: If a gunman walked into your workplace, the actions necessary for survival could feel overwhelming.

Yet that kind of violence has intruded in recent years in seemingly unlikely locations: an Irvine grocery store, where a man wielding a samurai sword killed two people in 2003; a Seal Beach hair salon, where a gunman opened fire in 2011 and killed eight people. On April 2, a gunman sprayed bullets at the sprawling Fort Hood military base in Texas; and on April 9, a teenager armed with knives attacked fellow students at a Pennsylvania school.

A unique program, developed over the past year in Orange County, aims to educate everyday people – social workers, librarians, public employees – with the actions and reactions they would need in such a life-or-death situation. It takes a broad approach to preparing for a potential crisis, as well as for the psychological impact.

“It’s unfortunate a few members of society have made this training a necessity,” said Deputy Shane Millhollon of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, who has helped develop the program. “Bottom line,” he added, “it could happen anywhere.”

Law enforcement agencies began developing special training and tactics to deal with active shooters after the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado. In Orange County, Heather Williams had developed a program about workplace violence based on her personal experiences as the coordinator of a crisis-response team at the nonprofit Community Service Programs.

In February 2013, Millhollon and Williams combined their expertise to create a new type of active shooter training program. Their program brings together advice for workers on what to do when someone is shooting, along with statistics, law enforcement tactics and common responses to trauma. Millhollon and Williams believe the information can save lives.

“It’s giving just a more comprehensive approach,” she said.

HARSH FACTS

The training includes some harsh realities. Fleeing is always the best course of action, Millhollon said, and workers should know several ways to exit any situation. Any co-worker who refuses to evacuate must be left behind.

Workers who lack an access route should hide – preferably behind something that could provide protection from crossfire. Knowing where you are in the building is important for anyone calling 911.

As a last resort, workers should fight – aggressively, Williams said. Playing dead or attempting to talk to a shooter have not been successful in the past, she said.

“They’re not reasonable people,” she said.

So far, the pair have trained 20 groups of employees, including social service agencies, schools and cities. Their program has spread quickly by word of mouth, Williams said, with future sessions booked into July.

“The education and empowerment that comes with this training is catching on very quickly,” she said.

Recently, the pair spoke to law enforcement, victims’ advocates and others attending an annual victims’ rights conference. Their presentation came just a day after the rampage at Fort Hood.

When the first shots are fired, Williams said, most people feel disbelief. Once it’s clear a shooting is in progress, reactions vary, she added. Some people feel paralyzed, and many feel like time is slowing down. “Two minutes can feel like 10 minutes,” she said.

REACTION TO STRESS

The stress can inspire an intense focus that sharpens or dulls senses. One person in a crisis might hear regular speech as screaming; another might not hear it at all.

A traumatic situation can also inspire temporary memory loss, Williams said. She said she worked with one person who had attempted to dial 911, but couldn’t remember the code to unlock a cellphone. Others have had trouble telling authorities exactly what happened to them.

The best preparation, Williams said, would be for workplaces and schools to regularly conduct active shooter drills just as they practice fire drills.

“That is the next level, and that’s what’s missing,” she said. “It’s scary. We don’t want to have to think about it.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3706 or ckoerner@ocregister.com