In an active shooter scenario, your very best weapon is knowledge. Understanding a few fundamentals can be the difference between getting out of successfully or risking injury or possibly worse. A basic tenants of understanding firearms is differentiating cover versus concealment. By the end of this blog you will understand the difference in how to effectively utilize both should the worst case scenario arise. Cover is any barrier that protects against projectiles. While different types of ammunition will have different levels of penetration, we are going to speak in broad general principles for the purpose of this article. Concealment is anything that will break line of sight but will not stop projectiles from penetrating all the way through and therefore you are still at risk of being hit. Your first step in an active shooter scenario is identifying an exit that is currently accessible. Unless it is a very special circumstance you should never stop and wait while behind cover or concealment. In an ideal scenario you would use cover as stopping points to reassess the situation as briefly as possible on your way to reaching a safe exit point. If cover is not available breaking a shooters line of site can be very effective in avoiding drawing gun fire while once again, you were on your way to an exit as quickly as possible. Some examples of cover: brick walls, cinder blocks, lead lined walls (common in MDI centers), the engine block of a car, security doors specifically made for gunfire, solid iron or steel structures that are at least one inch thick. Some examples of concealment: sheet rock walls,most doors, overturned tables, the majority of a vehicle besides the engine block and B pillar section, desks. In the event you cannot find cover or concealment the best option is to get to an exit as quickly as possible while staying as low as you can while still being able to be mobile and move quickly. Be prepared, take your personal security into your own hands and stay safe out there.