| Active Shooter Response Protocol |
|
|
|
|
Protocols for Staying Safe in Specific Situations:
Active Shooter
Response Protocol
College and university campuses are not immune to serious or violent crime. In the aftermath of the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings, it is imperative that students, faculty and staff know how to respond during potentially violent criminal attacks on campus. If you see or know that a person has a firearm on campus, or if you hear shots fired, or if you witness an armed person shooting people, here’s what you should do:
An active shooter can be described as a person who causes death or serious bodily injury through the use of a firearm. This is a situation that usually evolves rapidly and demands an immediate response from law enforcement officers to terminate the life-threatening situation. The immediate response of the first officers on the scene is to take aggressive action to find and stop the shooter(s).
Officers from WSPD will most likely be the
first to respond to the scene, with possible support from Ogden City Police,
South Ogden City Police and/or Weber County Sheriff's Office. As police move
into the affected area, rescue efforts will be delayed until the shooter is
located and stopped or no longer a threat to life safety.
If you are wounded or with someone who is
wounded, these first-response officers will bypass you to search for the
shooter and stop the threat. Rescue teams will follow shortly to aid you and
others. Please stay calm and patient during this time, and do not interfere
with police operations. If you know where the shooter is, and/or have the
shooter’s description, tell the police.
When you encounter the police, keep your
hands empty and in plain view at all times. Listen to their instructions and do
exactly what they say. If you are evacuating, carry nothing with you that could
be mistaken for a weapon.
Rescue workers will follow shortly after
the first responding officers enter the building. They will attend to the
injured and remove everyone safely from the area.
If
the shooter is outside your building: 1. Unless directed otherwise, turn off all the lights, close and lock all windows and doors. If you cannot lock the door, try to block the door with desks and chairs. 2. If you can do so safely, get all occupants on the floor and out of the line of fire. 3. If you can do so safely, move to the core area of the building and remain there until the police tell you it is safe to leave. Do not respond to commands until you are certain they are issued by a police officer.
If the shooter is
inside your building:
1. If it is possible to escape the area safely and avoid danger, do so by the nearest exit or window. Leave books, backpacks, purses, etc., in the room. 2. As you exit the building, keep your hands above your head and listen for instructions that may be given by police officers. If an officer points a firearm at you, make no movement that may cause the officer to mistake your actions for a threat. Try to stay calm. 3. If you get out of the building and do not see a police officer, attempt to call the police by dialing 911 or ext. 6460 from any campus phone, or use a campus Emergency Blue Light Phone if available and safe. Tell the dispatcher your name and location and follow his or her instructions. 4. If you are unable to escape the building, move out of the hallway and into an office or classroom and try to lock the door. If the door will not lock, try barricading the door with desks and chairs. Lie on the floor and/or under a desk and remain silent. Wait for the police to come and find you.
If the shooter enters
your office or classroom:
2. Use common sense. If you are hiding and flight is impossible, attempts to negotiate with the suspect may be successful. Playing dead may also be a consideration. Both of these actions have proven effective in some active shooter incidents in the past. 3. Attempting to overcome the suspect with force is a last resort that should only be considered in the most extreme circumstances. Only you can decide if this is something you should do. Remember there may be more than one shooter. 4. If the shooter exits your area and you are able to escape, leave the area immediately. Do not touch anything in the area and remember to be alert for responding police officers who may mistake you as the shooter. 5. While escaping, as soon as you see a police officer, put your hands over your head and immediately comply with the officer’s instructions.
Prepare a plan of action for an active shooter in advance. Determine possible escape routes and know where the nearest building exits are.
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Did You Know?
We want to remind all drivers on and around Weber State University to be aware of the marked crosswalks. With the large amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, it is important that both drivers and pedestrians take an active roll in looking out for each other. Failure to yeild to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk will result in a citation. (UCA 41-6a-1002)Campus Watch
Campus Watch is a program designed to enlist every member of the Weber State University community- students, faculty and staff- in a cooperative campaign against crime. Read More..