Active Shooter–Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Doctrine in Prevention and Response – 1st Edition
Active Shooter–Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Doctrine in Prevention and Response, 1st Edition provides a doctrinal framework that functions as a common operating system for diverse institutions responsible for safety in community gathering places. The manual introduces ASHER 360 Doctrine, a unified approach designed to help organizations prevent, respond to, and recover from active shooter and hostile events.
Communities rely on a wide range of institutions—schools, medical centers, houses of worship, businesses, entertainment venues, government agencies, emergency management, and first responders. Each plays a role in prevention, response, and recovery, yet they often operate from different plans, training models, and organizational cultures. This manual establishes a shared doctrinal framework that aligns these institutions, enabling them to plan, train, and operate using compatible principles across the entire lifecycle of a hostile event.
The doctrine is built on four foundational cornerstones: Mission Command, Operational Doctrine, Training Management Doctrine, and Tactical Doctrine. Together, these principles create a structure that allows organizations to coordinate effectively in the dynamic, information-limited environments that characterize active shooter and hostile events while maintaining the ability to sustain operations and transition into recovery.
ASHER 360 Doctrine is designed to support the full lifecycle of ASHER incidents—prevention, response, and recovery. It guides organizations in developing prevention-focused cultures, building operational systems capable of managing major incidents, and preparing personnel through credible training programs that support coordinated tactical action. It also addresses how institutions and communities stabilize, restore operations, and recover following a hostile event.
Rather than focusing solely on tactics, ASHER 360 Doctrine integrates leadership, organization, planning, and training across the community safety enterprise. The result is a common operating system that allows diverse institutions to work together to prevent violence, respond effectively when incidents occur, and recover as a community afterward.
Who This Manual Is For:
This manual is written for professionals responsible for safety, preparedness, and emergency response across community institutions, including:
School administrators and school safety professionals
Law enforcement leaders and first responders
Emergency management professionals
Healthcare and hospital security leadership
Houses of worship and faith-based security teams
Corporate and venue security managers
Government officials responsible for public safety
Training and preparedness professionals
Active Shooter–Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Doctrine in Prevention and Response provides the doctrinal foundation these organizations need to build interoperable capabilities and a sustained community culture of safety focused on prevention, response, and recovery.
Author and Contributing Authors Biographies
Author: Scott M. Hyderkhan
Scott M. Hyderkhan was born and raised in Greenfield, Indiana. He served in the United States Army for 20-years in the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, 7th Infantry and 10th Mountain Divisions, and was the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for the University of Washington's Army ROTC program. Scott is an experienced and combat-decorated veteran. Following his military career, Scott transitioned into law enforcement, serving 19-years with the city of Mercer Island, Washington. During his time in law enforcement, he worked as a patrol officer, SWAT officer, Marine Patrol, and was part of a bicycle force within the regional civil disturbance unit in the Seattle Metropolitan area. During his time at the Mercer Island Police Department, he dedicated his military expertise and SWAT experience in evolving his agency's Tactical Response Unit. Since his retirement from the police department, Scott has trained countless agencies and has been the keynote speaker for events such as Prepare Texas 2023.
This book is a culmination of work that began just after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Scott published his first book in 2014, Active Shooter Response Training Manual, published by Taylor & Francis Group/CRC Press. Following the first manual, in 2021, The Active Shooter Response Training: Lone Wolf to Coordinated Attacks 2nd Edition was published, again by Taylor & Francis Group/Routledge. Through it all, he pushed the envelope, developing more small unit tactical doctrine.
Contributing Author Krista L. Fee, MA, BS
Krista L. Fee, MA, BS, is an international bestselling author, award winning keynote speaker, and IACET Authorized Trainer with 25-years of frontline experience. With degrees in Forensics, Criminal Justice, and Military and Trauma Psychology, she brings a rare blend of operational insight, psychological expertise, and crisis leadership to every room she steps into.
As Executive Director of the RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute and BATTLE3BE 301(c) (3), Krista develops nationally recognized programs for military, first responders, medical professionals, and educators, specializing in mental wellness, life mastery, and crisis-critical incident prevention, protection, resilience, and recovery.
Krista's work integrates science, strategy, and the lived realities of service, equipping individuals and organizations to lead with strength, heal with intention, and rise on purpose.
Contributing Author Kellie Ann J. Chainier
Kellie Ann J. Chainier is a Director at Microsoft, in Privacy and Compliance for Office products and services. She has over 15 years of experience in the fields of risk management, security, privacy, business continuity, and compliance.
Some of her notable achievements include:
Representing the Risk Management pillars for Office 365/Microsoft 365, one of the most popular cloud-based productivity suites in the world.
Chief of Staff to Microsoft CVP of Worldwide Licensing and Pricing Division of Microsoft, responsible for 48 billion dollars of annual revenue.
Pricing Division of Microsoft, responsible for about 48 billion dollars of annual revenue.
Kellie Ann is a graduate of the University of Washington. In her spare time, she is an advocate for reform in school security and law enforcement involvement in view of active shooter events plaguing the nation. She is a mentor and speaker on the topic of domestic violence and reform in the court system.
Contributing Author Tod Langley
Tod Langley is a former U.S. Army special operations and intelligence community operative with over 29-years of experience, including 16-years of combat and hazardous duty. Tod is an advisor to senior military officials, corporate executives, and local government leaders on matters related to incident prevention and response, safety, and security. He is the author of the Asymmetric Warfare Group's Attack the Network Methodology. In 2019, Tod co-founded Crisis Response Leader Training, Inc, CRLT provides consulting services and also produces the first 3D public safety tabletop simulation for communities.