- Walmart plans to review its security and training policies in the wake of deadly shootings at its stores in El Paso, Texas and Southaven, Mississippi.
- "Any time you have a situation like what has happened in El Paso, you will look at everything you’re doing from every angle to find out if there is anything different you should consider doing — and we will do that," Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said Tuesday in an interview.
- There is "no current plan" to change Walmart policies around the sale of guns and ammunition, he said.
- Walmart offers active-shooter training to more than one million employees during orientation and on a quarterly basis thereafter.
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Walmart plans to review its security and training policies in the wake of two deadly shootings at its stores that killed at least 24 people in El Paso, Texas and Southaven, Mississippi, a company representative told Business Insider.
"Any time you have a situation like what has happened in El Paso, you will look at everything you’re doing from every angle to find out if there is anything different you should consider doing — and we will do that," Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said Tuesday in an interview.
Conversations around potential changes will start internally, he said. If a decision is made that changes are needed, the company may consider input from outside sources, such as consulting or security firms.
In the aftermath of the shootings, Walmart has faced pressure to stop the sale of guns and ammunition in its stores.
Hargrove said Tuesday there is "no current plan" to change policies around the sales of those items, reaffirming what he told Bloomberg on Sunday.
Walmart’s active-shooter training teaches ‘avoid, deny, and defend’
Walmart currently offers active-shooter training, which was developed with help from law enforcement, during orientation and then on a quarterly basis thereafter for more than one million employees, Hargrove said.
Since 2015, the training has been offered through an interactive video known as a computer-based learning program. The company recently started offering the training through a virtual reality program, as well.
The video-based training focuses on three pillars of safety during an act of violence: avoid, deny, and defend.
"Avoid" teaches employees to pay attention to their surroundings and identify an exit plan.
"Deny" involves taking action on that exit plan, and trying to move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
If it’s too difficult to make an exit, the training teaches employees to establish as much distance as possible from the source of the threat.
This could mean locking themselves in a room and turning the lights off, hiding behind furniture or other large objects, staying quiet, and silencing their phones, Hargrove said.
If employees can’t get away from the source of a threat, "defend" comes into play. This teaches Walmart employees to do anything they can to protect themselves.
"Safety remains a top priority for our company," Hargrove said. "You can never predict violence. No business or retailer is immune to it. That’s why we take training and preparation so seriously."
See Also:
- ‘This guy has a gun and I’m about to die’: Fast-food chains are facing a looming active-shooter problem, with at least 3 deadly shootings in the last month alone
- Walmart corporate employee sends mass email urging workers to go on strike until the company stops selling guns
- Walmart says it won’t change gun sales policies in wake of 2 deadly shootings at its stores
Source: Business Insider – hpeterson@businessinsider.com (Hayley Peterson)