Higher Line Podcast The Answer to Active Shooters is Violence | Higher Line Podcast #265
4 snips
Jan 12, 2026 
Ed Monk, a retired U.S. Army colonel and active-shooter trainer, shares his journey from military service to education and his mission to improve school safety through realistic training. He emphasizes the uncomfortable truth about violence and critiques ineffective security measures in schools, stressing the need for proactive responses. Monk discusses the importance of training for unarmed resistance and the psychological elements that contribute to successful outcomes in crisis situations, advocating for community accountability and urgent action in the face of potential threats.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Make Counterattack An Explicit Policy
- Create a policy that empowers capable staff and students to counterattack immediately.
- Present violent counteraction as a deliberate, rehearsed option to deter attackers.
Prioritize Fight, Then Flee, Then Barricade
- Teach 'fight first' for those capable instead of relegating violence to 'last resort'.
- Make the decision framework explicit: consider fight first, flee if not capable, barricade only if trapped.
Exploit Reloads And Malfunctions
- Teach simple, task-focused fighting cues and recognize gun malfunctions as windows to act.
- Train staff to exploit reloads and malfunctions because the shooter’s attention is on the gun.
