No one wants to think about an active shooter on campus. We have all probably heard stories though, of shootings from across the United States. An active shooter is one situation where your behavior and the actions you take can have a tremendous impact on whether you survive or not.

If you hear gunfire, the first course of action is to take cover. Your best chance to avoid injury is for you to remove yourself from sight. This can be done in several ways:

  • If you are confronted while sitting or standing, immediately fall to the floor.
  • Walking down a hallway move around a corner and look for an open door in which to hide.
  • When outdoors, Run as far away from the sound of the shooting as you can.
  • Should you be in a parking lot, get down behind the engine area of a car near the front wheel.
  • Close, lock, and block (barricade) if possible, all doors leading to where you are hiding.
  • Doors with access control push the emergency activation button.
  • Doors with cipher locks put the lock in privacy mode. 
  • If a classroom is equipped with blackout curtains or shades, close them and turn off the lights.


Use on your cell phone dial 911 or campus telephone the College Police @ Ext 4444 or 9-911 
and report the situation.

 

Be prepared to provide five pieces of information:

  1. Your name
  2. Location
  3. Describe the shooter’s clothing if seen and think (hair or hat, shirt, pants and shoes)
  4. Where was the shooter(s) and where was the shooter(s) headed
  5. Injuries to yourself or others around you


If you are wounded, stay calm and apply pressure to slow down the bleeding. Call out for help when you hear the police searching your area.

The protocol that deals directly with a response to such situations and will send its own specialized Active Shooter Response Team to the scene. Campus Police are prepared to directly intervene with the actions of the shooter to mitigate the situation while conducting simultaneous rescue operations.


Provide a Location of Incident:

  1. Notify Police of your location and medical needs
  2. Building name, floor level, room number
  3. Describe briefly what is happening; man or woman with a gun shooting
  4. Provide your name and phone number
  5. Suspect physical description
  6. Weapon description
  7. Report any injuries


Follow Police Directions:

  1. Do not touch suspected explosives.
  2. If safe, do not hang up on Police dispatch until directed to do so.
  3. If able, provide first aid.
  4. Stay calm and remember your personal plan.
  5. Always look for a chance to ESCAPE

Strategies for Survival

Get Out! ESCAPE!


Take Cover (get behind something that will stop a bullet), look for chances to ESCAPE

  1. Hide (look for a chance to ESCAPE)
  2. Play Dead (look for a chance to ESCAPE)
  3. Attack the Attacker (LAST RESORT)


Active Incident Safe Place:

  1. At least two exits
  2. Doors that lock
  3. Furniture to block the doors
  4. Telephone
  5. Keep cell phones on vibrate
  6. Windows offer an avenue of escape
  7. Look for chances to ESCAPE

 

Download the Active Shooter One Page