Officials stress planning for active shooter situations could save your life

Do you know what to do if you encounter an active shooter?

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office sent out this tweet after the mass shooting today in California:

The link takes the viewer to a video of a fictional active shooter situation, and then offers advice on what you should do. The video is titled "Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active Shooter Event" and was produced as a cooperative effort between the Department of Homeland Security and the City of Houston Mayor's office.

"The mindset that that individual or the individuals must take when an active shooter comes into their building, has got to be a survival mindset. Either by running, hiding or fighting back. That's a survival mindset that every individual should have," said Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Carlos Castillo.

His job is to train law enforcement officers. Among that training, how they should handle active shooters. Castillo says you should always try to get out if possible. Run. If you can't, hide. Lock the door where you are. Barricade it. Turn off the lights. Call or text 911. If you can't do anything else. Fight. "If you look in your office, you have pens. Letter openers. You may even have a knife in there, maybe a stick. Whatever it may be ... whatever means you have available to you.. that's what you should be using to defend yourself," said Castillo.

Your life, authorities insist, depends on it.

You can find the video by logging on to readyhoustontx.gov. Look in the video section for the title "Run. Hide. Fight."