Active Violence Immediate Response Training (AVIRT)
When active violence happens, seconds matter. Emergency responders may not arrive in time, and waiting isn’t always an option. AVIRT was built by law enforcement, security, and medical professionals to give everyone, regardless of role or background, the tools to act immediately. The program covers two core skill sets: active shooter response and emergency bleeding control.
Who It’s For
AVIRT is designed for anyone who could find themselves in a violent situation, which is essentially everyone. It’s been deployed across a wide range of organizations including government agencies, healthcare facilities, schools, places of worship, office environments, manufacturing and retail settings, and sporting venues.
What You’ll Learn
- Situational awareness and how to read a threat before it escalates
- Understanding your own likely reactions when faced with violence
- How to quickly decide whether to escape, evade, or confront
- Techniques for escape and evasion
- Attack and defense techniques when no other option exists
- How to interact safely with law enforcement after an incident
- Recognizing weapon types
- Immediate response to life-threatening bleeding, including direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquets
- Bleeding control kit best practices
- How to equip your space before an incident occurs
- Acknowledging and processing active violence events
Training Format
Traditional classroom runs about 2.5 hours. Blended learning splits into roughly 1.5 hours online plus 1 hour of in-person skills work. Maximum class size for in-person training is 15 students per Authorized AVIRT Instructor.
Training is recommended annually or every two years.
What to Expect on Training Day
- Dress for movement. Comfortable clothes and shoes.
- Come ready to participate physically, not just observe.
- Know your limits. Modify any activity that puts you at risk of injury.
- Give people nearby a heads-up that training is in progress.
All weapons used in training are replicas or dedicated training tools. No real weapons are permitted in the training environment.
Some of the images and sounds you encounter are intentionally realistic. They’re designed to help you recognize active violence before it escalates, not to shock you for its own sake.
If any of this raises concerns for you personally, reach out to your training organizer before the session.
