Active Attack in the Workplace: Now, Survive

Active attacker
Scenario design
Stress-based training that prepares civilians to survive an active attack by reading and using their real-world environment.
Author

John Cantarella, Northeast Regional Manager, ALERRT Center, Texas State University

Published

December 5, 2026

Saturday 05 Dec / 4:00 PM / Northeast Regional Manager, ALERRT Center, Texas State University

The session

In an active attack, civilians are the true immediate responders, and their survival depends on whether they can avoid the threat, deny the attacker access, defend themselves if necessary, and stop life-threatening bleeding when it is tactically feasible. This session shows how first responders, especially law enforcement, can engage their communities by putting civilians through stress-based Active Attack and Stop the Bleed training. Rather than drilling a rehearsed response, participants work through representative tasks shaped by environmental and individual constraints, using a real-world setting to recognize and act on what their surroundings offer. The result is adaptive, perception-driven decision making under stress.

About the presenter

John Cantarella is the Northeast Regional Manager for the ALERRT Center at Texas State University. Before joining the full-time staff, he served as an ALERRT instructor. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and spent 29 years in the fire service. He has also served as a Training Officer and holds an advanced, executive-level certification focused on curriculum development, organizational needs analysis, and training program management.