In 2025, there were 408 mass shooting incidents in the United States — resulting in 358 fatalities and 1,843 injuries. More than 60% of active shooter incidents were over before law enforcement arrived. And after a severe injury, a person can bleed to death in as little as 3 minutes.
Your team won’t always have time to wait for help. That’s why more businesses, schools, hotels, and healthcare facilities are turning to AVIRT training — and why it may be one of the most important investments your organization can make.
What Is AVIRT Training?
AVIRT — Active Violence Immediate Response Training — is an evidence-based program developed by HSI (Health & Safety Institute) that teaches individuals and organizations how to recognize, respond to, and survive an active violence incident.
Unlike passive approaches that focus solely on lockdown procedures, AVIRT is grounded in the reality that most incidents unfold faster than law enforcement response times. Participants leave with practical, hands-on skills — not just a policy document in a drawer.
What makes AVIRT distinct is its dual focus: it combines active violence response tactics with emergency bleeding control — two skills that are almost always needed together in a real incident. The program was developed with input from law enforcement, private security professionals, and medical experts.
Why “Lockdown and Wait” Isn’t Enough
For years, the standard guidance for active shooter situations was simple: lock down, hide, and wait for police. That guidance made sense when most incidents played out over longer timeframes. It no longer reflects reality.
Consider the numbers:
- Over 60% of active shooter incidents are resolved before law enforcement arrives
- OSHA estimates more than 2 million people are affected by workplace violence every year
- Nearly 1 in 7 employees reports feeling unsafe at work
- 48% of HR professionals say their organization has experienced a workplace violence incident
- U.S. workplace injury costs reached $176.5 billion in 2023
In an incident, your employees will face split-second decisions. AVIRT training gives them a framework to make those decisions confidently — whether that means evacuating, barricading, or as a last resort, actively responding to protect themselves and others.
What AVIRT Training Covers
AVIRT goes well beyond a passive slideshow. It’s a hands-on, skills-based program structured around real-world scenarios. Here’s what participants learn:
1. Threat Recognition & Situational Awareness
Most active violence incidents involve warning signs in the days or weeks before they happen. AVIRT teaches participants to recognize behavioral indicators, changes in conduct, and environmental red flags — so organizations can act before an incident escalates.
2. Run-Hide-Fight Decision Framework
Participants learn when and how to execute each option — escape the area when possible, barricade effectively when escape isn’t, and as an absolute last resort, how to respond physically to protect themselves and others. Critically, they practice making these decisions under pressure, not just reading about them.
3. Emergency Bleeding Control
After a severe injury, a person can bleed to death in as little as 3 minutes — well before an ambulance arrives. AVIRT integrates hands-on bleeding control training: how to apply a tourniquet correctly, pack a wound, apply direct pressure, and use the contents of a Bleeding Control Kit (BCK). This skill is valuable far beyond active violence scenarios — it applies to any traumatic injury.
4. Communication During an Incident
Who calls 911? What do you tell them? How do you communicate with law enforcement when they arrive? AVIRT covers how to report an active violence situation, coordinate your team, and interact with first responders in a way that helps rather than hinders the response.
5. Building Access Control
Many incidents involve someone who was able to enter a facility unchallenged. AVIRT includes practical guidance on access control practices — how to reduce vulnerability through physical layout, visitor management, and staff protocols.
6. Post-Incident Response
What happens after an incident — psychologically and operationally — matters enormously for your team and your organization. AVIRT addresses how to support employees, document the incident, and restore normal operations responsibly.
Who Needs AVIRT Training?
The short answer: any organization where people show up. Active violence incidents don’t discriminate by industry. According to 2025 FBI data, incident locations break down as:
- 50% — Open/public spaces
- 17% — Commercial venues
- 17% — Educational settings
- 13% — Government property
- 4% — Houses of worship
AVIRT is particularly well-suited for:
- Hotels & hospitality — High foot traffic and 24/7 operations create unique exposure
- Healthcare facilities — Healthcare workers face disproportionately high rates of workplace violence
- Schools & daycares — Educational settings account for 17% of incidents
- Commercial offices — 48% of HR professionals report a workplace violence incident at some point
- Places of worship — Congregations are often unprepared despite real risk
- Retail & restaurants — Commercial venues are a top incident location
- Gyms & fitness centers — Open floor plans require specific response planning
- Residential communities — Property managers have a duty of care to residents and staff
If your team has a responsibility to the people inside your building — employees, guests, residents, students, or customers — AVIRT training is relevant to you.
AVIRT vs. Other Active Shooter Training Programs
There’s no shortage of active shooter training options, ranging from free government videos to in-person programs. What sets AVIRT apart:
- Developed by HSI — the same organization behind AHA-aligned CPR and First Aid certification programs trusted by businesses nationwide
- Hands-on and skills-based — AVIRT requires a maximum class size of 15 students per instructor to ensure every participant actually practices the skills, not just watches
- Bleeding control integrated — most programs treat response and medical care as separate; AVIRT combines them because real incidents require both
- Scenario-driven — participants work through realistic situations tailored to their environment, not generic examples
- Certification provided — participants receive documented certification, useful for HR records, liability protection, and insurance requirements
What to Expect From a Rescue Beats AVIRT Session
Rescue Beats is an HSI-AVIRT Authorized Training Center serving South Florida and the Raleigh-Durham, NC area. Our instructors are certified to deliver the full AVIRT curriculum — the same evidence-based program trusted by businesses, schools, and healthcare organizations nationwide.
We offer several training formats to fit your team and schedule:
- On-site group training — We come to your location. Ideal for teams of 10 or more.
- Tabletop exercise — Scenario-based discussion format, great for leadership teams and HR departments.
- Combined AVIRT + CPR/AED — Pair active violence response with CPR and AED training in a single session — our most popular option.
- Refresher & recertification — Annual refresher sessions to keep your team current.
Every session is tailored to your facility — your floor plan, your industry, your team’s existing knowledge level. We don’t run generic classes.
Pair AVIRT With the Right Equipment
Training your team is only half the equation. AVIRT is most effective when your facility also has the equipment to back it up:
- Bleeding Control Kits (BCKs) — Wall-mounted stations with tourniquet, wound gauze, gloves, and shears. Required under Broward County Fire Code F-121 for most commercial buildings.
- AED packages — Code-compliant AED with alarmed cabinet, signage, and pads. Also required under F-121.
- GreenLight AED™ — Rescue Beats’ ongoing compliance program for quarterly inspections, documentation, and peace of mind year-round.
Rescue Beats is your single source for training, equipment, installation, and ongoing compliance — so you’re not coordinating three different vendors to build a complete preparedness program.
Should Your Business Have AVIRT Training?
If your organization has employees, customers, students, or residents — the answer is yes.
Workplace violence is not a fringe risk. It’s the second leading cause of workplace fatalities in the U.S. And the gap between an incident starting and law enforcement arriving is exactly the window your team needs to be prepared for.
AVIRT training doesn’t create fear — it replaces it with competence. Employees who’ve been through AVIRT report feeling more confident, more aware, and more capable of protecting themselves and the people around them.
The question isn’t whether your team could ever face an active violence situation. The question is whether they’d know what to do if they did.
Ready to Schedule AVIRT Training for Your Team?
Rescue Beats offers on-site AVIRT training throughout South Florida and Raleigh-Durham, NC. Group pricing is available for teams of 10 or more, and we can bundle AVIRT with CPR/AED certification for a comprehensive safety training day.
Request a training quote → or call/text us at (954) 947-5060.
Statistics sources: FBI.gov, GunViolenceArchive.org, OSHA.gov, SHRM.org, NSC.org. Workplace injury cost data from National Safety Council 2023 report.