This past week, Stevens police held two presentations to increase the knowledge of the community on what to do in the case of an active shooter. The training session was meant to empower the community to survive an active shooter event and to instill confidence for survival. “It is an unfortunate reality that the world we live in today is filled with acts of violence that are often highlighted in the media. Although it is very unlikely that you will be a victim of an Active Shooter attack we must all remain vigilant and prepared. Police officers train regularly to prepare for emergencies and rely on this training to react. In the case of an Active Shooter, the event is often over in 3-5 minutes, before the arrival of law enforcement. That is why Active Shooter Training is essential for all civilians to instill the confidence it requires to respond in a manner that can save your life and the lives of others. This training will empower you and give you the skills and confidence to survive if you are ever faced with an Active Shooter on or off campus. I would strongly encourage that all students, faculty and staff plan on attending future training sessions or contact the Campus Police Department to set up training for their groups,” stated Officer DiGenova.
The training stressed three steps Avoid, Deny, and Defend. The first step is to Avoid, the preferred option, possible danger. By being aware of one’s surroundings, one could avoid potentially being stuck in a dangerous situation. People should have a plan ahead of time and to know possible escape routes.
If avoiding fails, the second step is to Deny. This means to deny the attacker access to one’s location. This can be accomplished by closing and locking doors, as well as putting up barricades with furniture or any other available material. Turning the lights off in a room and pretending that the room is empty is also a good tactic. Statistics show that an attacker will not waste time getting into a room, and instead, will proceed to move onto the next available room with easy access.
If the above steps fail and a victim is faced with the attacker, the final step is Defend. Victims are encouraged to fight back and take action. They have to be in the mentality that they have the right to defend themselves since their life is in imminent danger. People should take anything that is readily available to them, such as sharp objects like keys that can harm the attacker during a confrontation. If victims are together, they should work together to overpower the shooter.
69% of cases are over in under five minutes and 60% end before police even arrive. Therefore, Stevens’ police stress training. Bystanders are actually the initial First Responders. Victims that experience massive trauma may bleed out before EMS can treat them. Victims that are not hurt should expect to provide medical assistance until the EMS get there. Most victims die within thirty minutes of being injured from injuries that require simple intervention.
When police arrive to the scene, victims should show their hands and follow commands that are given by the police. The first priority of the police is to find the shooter and deal with the immediate threat. This means that they will bypass the wounded. Once the threat is eliminated, the police will focus on the injured.
In case of emergencies, students and staff should call X3911, when on campus, and 911 when off campus. The presentation also mentioned to look for warning signs in behavior and personality of people. People are encouraged to report concerns to CAPS and to never doubt their instincts. Denial that a peer is capable of extreme behavior is the reason why reports go unreported. Everyone should be aware of their environment and should contribute to the bystander effect.
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