1. Active Shooter Response Options for Institutes of Higher Education
Title Slide for the Plan, Prepare, React: Active Shooter Response Options for Institutes of Higher Education – Proceed to next slide to describe the overall program intentions.
Active Shooter Response
Options for Institutes of Higher Education
A Program Developed for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

2. Program Objectives Grant funded project by the Board of Regents of
The University System of Georgia
Training program includes a ten-minute video, PowerPoint presentation and other resource materials
Training program is intended to provide guidance and options to students and faculty on how to respond during an active shooter situation
Always consult with your campus public safety agencies or local law enforcement officials in working on active shooter response planning protocols
Active Shooter Response Program Objectives:
(program revised in December 2013-video updates, PowerPoint updates and additional reference materials)
The total training program is intended to last two hours and includes an activity and resource materials (handouts), a video and a training PowerPoint presentation. Qualified public safety, law enforcement and emergency management instructors should be utilized to teach this program. The suggested sequence for the active shooter training program is to conduct the training activity, show the video and then review the PowerPoint presentation.
This slide highlights the overall intention for the Board of Regents funded program. The program was originally developed by the University of Georgia with committee assistance from representatives from Georgia Tech, North Georgia College and State University, Gainesville State College, Savannah State University and Clayton State University. The program’s is intended to provide guidance or response options to college and university students, staff and faculty. Make sure that the program participants are directed to seek additional guidance and specific campus emergency plans from their campus public safety, security department, emergency management agency or local law enforcement agency.
The training program is intended to assist campus public safety and emergency management professionals in the State of Georgia in their attempts to educate their students, faculty and staff on response options for active shooter situations. Although the focus is active shooter situations, the instructor should emphasize that many tactics mentioned in the video and this training PowerPoint presentation can be applicable to many emergency situations that may befall students, staff and faculty, For instance, several of the emergency preparedness themes emphasized throughout the training program as a whole are have a plan, maintain situational awareness, always locate two exits out of any building, mentally rehearse how you would react in emergency situations and react when the emergency situation occurs. Remind the training participants that they should not just think about events that occur on campus but consider emergencies in grocery stores, theaters, restaurants, shopping malls, churches and other places they frequent as emergencies can happen anywhere. It is an important training point to make sure students, faculty and staff recall that the best practices (and response options) are applicable in many different settings.
Use the information in this training program as a generic guide. Adherence to your local emergency plans and the use of good judgment should always guide your actions.

3. PowerPoint Training Objectives
Define the term “active threat” and “active shooter”
List measures that can be employed to reduce the risk an active shooter presents
Review actions you can expect from responding law enforcement officers
PowerPoint Training Objectives
We hear the term active shooter all the time and today we are going to talk about some strategies students, staff and faculty should consider if this situation were to occur at your institution. The suggestions that are made in this presentation are not absolutes. All emergency situations are different, especially active shooter situations. You will be provided several response options that you need to consider and when the appropriate time to employ each option. No strategy can guarantee your safety in this type of situation. These suggestions will improve your odds of survival during an active shooter situation. Common sense approaches and good judgment should always be utilized by students, faculty and staff. Lastly, we will discuss what to expect from arriving law enforcement.

4. What are your responsibilities?
Learn the signs of a potentially volatile situation and ways to prevent the incident
Learn the best steps for survival when faced with an active shooter situation
Be prepared to work with law enforcement during the response
Your Responsibilities - Each person carries a three-fold responsibility.
First – Learn the signs of a potentially volatile situation and ways to prevent an incident. This involves knowing the signs or behavioral indicators of violence and being familiar with your institution’s threat assessment team reporting procedures.
Second – Learn the best steps for survival when faced with an active shooter situation. This involves knowing your response options during an active shooter situation (run/barricade/fight) and when the best time to employ each strategy. Most active shooter incidents are over in 12 minutes or less.
Third – Be prepared to work with law enforcement during the response. Law enforcement’s main goal during their immediate response is to neutralize the shooter. Officers are trained not to stop to assist injured students, faculty and staff until the shooter, or in rare circumstances, the shooter is taken out. This means that each person must be patient, listen closely to law enforcement officer’s instructions and do not present a threat to them. Additionally, providing suspect description information and type of weapons to the officers is important.
Whenever we’re part of a group, our inclination to help or take action when we see a threat or a need diminishes. You think that someone else in the group will do something, so you hold back. The problem is, that’s exactly what everyone else in the group is thinking too. While everyone is waiting for someone else to do something, no one does anything. Be an emergency leader!
*Source - Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans
for Institutions of Higher Education – U.S. Department of Education

5. What is an “Active Shooter”
An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined space or other populated area
Generally, there is no pattern or method to their victim selection
In most cases, use firearms
What is an Active Shooter?
An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined space or other populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.
Generally, there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.
Most weapons that active shooters use are good quality, high-functioning firearms and the individuals are very proficient with them.
Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Active shooters usually will continue to move throughout building or area until stopped by law enforcement, suicide, or other intervention. Because most incidents are over within minutes, students, faculty, and staff must be prepared to respond appropriately to the situation until law enforcement personnel arrive.
Most incidents involve lone offenders. Based on a recent FBI study of over 154 active shooter incidents, there were 2 incidents involving 2 shooters. There was not a documented case of involving 3 or more shooters.

6. What is an “Active Threat”
Any incident that creates an immediate threat to the campus community that may involve firearms, edged weapons, improvised explosive devices or other weapons
Lone Star College, TX
Knife – April 2013
UNC Chapel Hill, NC
Vehicle – March 2006
What is an Active Threat?
We generally focus on incidents that involve someone with a firearm that is actively shooting; however, not all mass killing or wounding incidents involve a firearm. Some may involve a knife, explosive device, car, fire, a hammer or other item used to kill or injure victims.
Examples:
Knife – On April 9, 2013, at about 11 a.m., a Lone Star College System student ran from building to building on the college's CyFair campus, slashing at fellow students and passersby, police said. The student, in his early 20s, wounded 14 people, two of them seriously, before being tackled by students and subdued. He was arrested shortly later.
Mass stabbings usually occur in the home, where the suspect uses a knife on unsuspecting family members, Duwe said. Public knife attacks, where victims can possibly outrun an assailant, are much less likely, he said. The last high-profile mass stabbing in the USA was the 1989 case of Ramon Salcido, a vineyard worker in California who killed seven people, including his wife and two small daughters, before fleeing to Mexico, Duwe said. He was later convicted of the murders. Only a handful of stabbings have been reported in other countries.
On Dec. 14, 2013 – the same day as the Newtown, Conn., school shooting – a knife-wielding man attacked students at an elementary school in central China, wounding 22 children and one adult.
But such mass stabbings are uncommon, criminologists and experts say. Since 1901, there have been only seven mass stabbings in a public place in the USA where four or more victims were killed, said Grant Duwe, a criminologist with the Minnesota Department of Corrections who has written about mass murders. Most mass killings are carried out with firearms, he said.
Car-In March 2006, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, an Iranian-American, intentionally, as he confessed, hit people with a sport utility vehicle on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to "avenge the deaths of Muslims worldwide" and to "punish" the United States government. While no one was killed in the attack, nine people were injured (none seriously). Shortly after the attack, he turned himself in and was arrested. He pled guilty to nine counts of attempted first-degree murder, and in 2008 was sentenced to 33 years in prison, on two counts of attempted murder. In one letter, Taheri-azar wrote, "I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role models, Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers, who obtained a doctorate degree.“ Local Muslim leaders condemned the attack and the attempt by the assailant to link the Qur'an to his actions. After a debate as to whether it was as an act of terrorism, UNC Chancellor James Moeser stopped short of calling it a full-fledged act of terror.

7. 96% Active shooters incidents carried out by one male attacker
Key FBI Findings, 154 U.S. Cases
96%
Active shooters incidents carried out by one male attacker
FBI Study Key Findings in 154 Active Shooter Cases in the U.S. (2002 – 2012)
A 2013 FBI study analyzed 154 active shooter events in the U.S. between 2002 and 2012 that included 3 or more individuals being shot. The statistics on this slide (and several subsequent slides) reflect several of the study’s conclusions.
Read FBI statistics off the slide.
96% of active shooters are male
96% of active shooter incidents are carried out by 1 attacker

8. Attacker Outcome Key FBI Findings, 154 U.S. Cases 2002-2012
FBI Study Key Findings in 154 Active Shooter Cases in the U.S. (2002 – 2012) – Attacker Outcome
A 2013 FBI study analyzed 154 active shooter events in the U.S. between 2002 and 2012 that included 3 or more individuals being shot. The statistics on this slide (and several subsequent slides) reflect several of the study’s conclusions.
Read FBI statistics off the slide.
43% of attackers committed suicide
45% of attackers were arrested
8% of attackers shot and killed by responders
4% of attackers remain unidentified
Myth – Disgruntled students and employees are the only threat to campus safety regarding mass shooting incidents. Many incidents occur off campus, involve spouses, former employees
or students or others who have no relationship to the college or university.
Remember, there is no real demographic profile for an active shooter. Perpetrators could be students, staff, faculty, parents, employees (current or former), and outsiders.

9. Motivation of Attacker Key FBI Findings, 154 U.S. Cases 2002-2012
FBI Study Key Findings Continued – Motivation of Attacker
Key Findings from the FBI Case Study continued regarding the motivation of attackers. Read bullet statements off the slide.
40% of cases never clearly determined
21% of cases were due to workplace retaliation
14% of cases involved domestic disputes
7% - of cases involved academic retaliation
Myth-The main cause behind active shooter incidents is revenge. It is important to remember that not all offenders are bully victims. Fragile egos, self-esteem issues, and reactions to perceived humiliation/stress often motivate attackers.
Another point of interest to mention is that offenders are rarely under the influence of any drug during the attack.

10. Active Shooters Mentality
Mental illness appears to be a common
contributing factor
Socially isolated
Harbored feelings of hate/anger
Some reported contact with
mental health professionals
Very few attackers had previous arrests
for violent crimes
Active Shooters Mentality
Remember, there is no one demographic profile of an active shooter. The pathway to targeted violence typically involves an unresolved real or perceived grievance and an ideation of a violent resolution that eventually moves from thought to research, planning and preparation. Each college or university should have a threat assessment team to assist in reviewing an individual of concern.
Most active shooters exhibited the following behaviors:
Social isolates
Harbored feelings of hate and anger
Some reported contact with mental health professionals
(Mental illness appears to be a common contributing factor)
-Very few attackers had previous arrests for violent crimes
Myth-Most attackers “just snapped.” This is not usually the situation. Most shooters plan or prepare for their attacks for weeks. There may be social cues or triggering events that assist in identifying individuals who may be preparing/planning for an attack.
*Source-FBI Report

11. Active Shooter Behaviors (in context)
Development of personal grievance
Recent acquisition of multiple weapons
Recent escalation in target practice and weapons training
FBI Study Key Findings Continued – Active Shooter Behaviors
Specialized units in the federal government (such as the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit) continue to support behaviorally based operational assessments of persons of concern in a variety of settings (e.g., IHEs, workplaces, places of worship) who appear be on a trajectory toward a violent act. A review of current research, threat assessment literature, and active shooting incidents, combined with the extensive case experience of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, suggest that there are observable pre-attack behaviors that, if recognized, could lead to the disruption of a planned attack. While checklists of various warning signs are often of limited use in isolation, the FBI has identified some behavioral indicators that should prompt further exploration and attention from law enforcement and/or campus safety stakeholders.
These behaviors often include:
Development of a personal grievance;
Contextually inappropriate and recent acquisitions of multiple weapons;
Contextually inappropriate and recent escalation in target practice and weapons training;
Contextually inappropriate and recent interest in explosives;
Contextually inappropriate and intense interest or fascination with previous shootings or mass attacks; and
Experience of a significant real or perceived personal loss in the weeks and/or months leading up to the attack, such as a death, breakup, divorce or loss of a job.
Few offenders had previous arrests for violent crimes.
Recent interest in explosives
Intense interest or fascination with previous shootings/attacks
*Source-FBI Report

12. Higher Education Campus Shootings
1966-University of Texas
1976-California State University
2002-Appalachian School of Law
2007-Virginia Tech
2008-Northern Illinois University
2012-Oikos University (CA)
Higher Education Campus Shootings
Brief summary of each event:
University of Texas – Charles Whitman killed 14 and wounded 32 from tower
California State University – Edward Allaway killed 7 and wounded 2 in library
2002 – Appalachian School of Law – Peter Odighizuwa killed 3 and wounded 3
2007 – Virginia Tech – Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 and wounded 25 in two buildings
2008 – Northern Illinois University – Steven Kazmierczak killed 5 and wounded 19
2012 – Oikos University – One L. Goh killed 7 and wounded 3
Detailed Information is provided for each campus shooting listed on the slide (Source: Wikipedia)
Charles Whitman was a student at the University of Texas when he committed his murders. His victims were picked randomly. Prior to the shootings on campus he murdered his mother and wife. He was shot and killed by police officers.
Charles Joseph Whitman (June 24, 1941 – August 1, 1966) was a student at the University of Texas at Austin who killed 14 people and wounded 32 others as part of a shooting rampage on and around the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Three were killed inside the University's tower and ten killed from the observation deck of the University's 32-story administrative building on August 1, 1966; one died a week later from her wounds. He did this shortly after murdering his wife and mother at their homes. He was eventually shot and killed by Austin Police Officer Houston McCoy, assisted by Austin Police Officer Ramiro Martinez.
Whitman's early life was one of upper middle class stature. The father owned a successful plumbing contract business in Lake Worth, Florida and his family had most of their material needs and desires satisfied. Whitman excelled at academics and was well liked by his peers and neighbors. There were underlying dysfunctional issues within the family that escalated over time. Primarily, the father was an authoritarian who demanded successes from all of his family and was known to exercise his authority by abusing them physically and emotionally.
The development stages of Whitman were erratic, and privately, he developed values that echoed both his father's domineering personality while trying to incorporate the nurturing values of the mother. Eventually, through the course of time and acquisition, Whitman would form a schema that caused him confusion and frustration that affected his own values, which intersected the varying differences of the mother and father.
The California State University, Fullerton massacre was an incident of mass murder that occurred on Wednesday, July 12, 1976 at the California State University, Fullerton, in Fullerton, California, United States. Edward Charles Allaway, a custodian at the school library, shot nine people in the basement and first floor of the library. Seven of the nine people who were shot died in the incident.
Allaway armed himself with a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle and roamed the halls of the campus library, methodically shooting nine people, killing seven in a duration of five minutes. He drove to a nearby hotel where his estranged wife worked, called police and quietly surrendered.
He was later found guilty of six counts of first degree murder and one count of second degree murder. However, a second phase of the trial determined that he was not sane. Five different mental health professionals diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia. He presented a history of mental illness. He was committed to the California state mental hospital system, where he remains at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, as of 2007.
Allaway's apparent motive was that he thought pornographers were forcing his wife to appear in movies. This served to enrage him. His wife had filed for divorce just before the attack occurred. The defense alleged that commercial pornographic movies were being shown by library staff members before library opening hours and in break rooms, but Allaway's wife was not in them.
Peter Odighizuwa was a graduate student at Appalachian School of Law when he killed a dean, professor and student before being subdued by students. He reportedly had academic problems which was the motive behind the shootings. He used a .380 handgun. He was sentenced to multiple life terms plus 28 years.
43-year-old former student Peter Odighizuwa arrived on the campus with a handgun. Odighizuwa first discussed his academic problems with professor Dale Rubin, where he reportedly told Rubin to pray for him. Odighizuwa returned to the school around 1:00 and proceeded to the offices of Dean Anthony Sutin and Professor Thomas Blackwell, where he opened fire with a .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun. According to a county coroner, powder burns indicated that both victims were shot at point blank range. Also killed along with the two faculty members was a student, Angela Denise Dales, age 33. Three other people were wounded.
When Peter Odighizuwa exited the building where the shooting took place, he was approached by two students with personal firearms and one unarmed student.
Seung-Hui Cho a student a Virginia Tech kills 32 and wounds another 25 before committing suicide.
West Ambler Johnston shootings
Cho was seen near the entrance to West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed residence hall that houses 894 students, at about 6:45 a.m. EDT. The hall was normally only accessible to its residents via magnetic key card before 10 a.m. However, Cho's student mailbox was in the lobby of the building, so he had pass card access after 7:30 a.m. It is unclear how Cho gained early entrance to the building.
Cho shot his first victims around 7:15 a.m. in West Ambler Johnston Hall. A freshman, Emily J. Hilscher, aged 19, of Woodville, Rappahannock County, Virginia, and a male resident assistant, Ryan C. Clark, a senior, aged 22, of Martinez, Columbia County, Georgia, were shot and killed in the room Hilscher shared with another student. Cho left the scene and went back to his dormitory room. While police and emergency medical services units were responding to the shootings in the dorm next door, Cho changed out of his bloodstained clothes, logged on to his computer to delete his , and then removed the hard drive. About an hour after the attack, Cho was believed to be seen near the campus duck pond. Authorities suspected Cho threw his hard drive and cell phone into the water, but it was searched and the devices were never found.
Almost two hours after the first killings, Cho appeared at a nearby post office and mailed a package of writings and video recordings to NBC News; the package was postmarked 9:01 a.m. He then walked to the site of the second set of murders. In a backpack, he carried several chains, locks, a hammer, a knife, two guns, nineteen 10- and 15-round magazines, and almost 400 rounds of ammunition.
About two hours after the initial shootings, Cho entered Norris Hall, which houses the Engineering Science and Mechanics program among others, and chained the three main entrance doors shut. He placed a note on at least one of the chained doors, claiming that attempts to open the door would cause a bomb to explode. Shortly before the shooting began, a faculty member found the note and took it to the building's third floor to notify the school's administration. At the same time, however, Cho had gone to the second floor and began shooting students and faculty; the bomb threat was never called in.
Before Cho began shooting, several student eyewitnesses said he poked his head into a few classrooms. Erin Sheehan, an eyewitness and survivor who had been in room 207, told reporters that the shooter "peeked in twice" earlier in the lesson and that "it was strange that someone at this point in the semester would be lost, looking for a class". Cho's first attack after entering Norris occurred in an advanced hydrology engineering class taught by Professor G. V. Loganathan in room 206. Cho first shot and killed the professor, then continued shooting, killing nine of the 13 students in the room and injuring two others; only two survived unharmed. Next, Cho went across the hall to room 207, in which instructor Christopher James Bishop was teaching German. Cho killed Bishop and then commenced shooting students, killing four and wounding six others. Cho then moved on to Norris 211 and 204, reloading and shooting students and professors in classrooms and in the hallway, returning to most classrooms more than once. By the end of this second attack, which continued for nine minutes after the first call was received and about 10 to 12 minutes in total, Cho had fired at least 174 rounds, killing 30 people and wounding 17 more.Sydney J. Vail, the director of the trauma center at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, said that Cho's choice of 9 mm hollow point ammunition had worsened the injuries.
Police took nearly five minutes to gain entry to the barricaded building. When they could not break the chains, an officer shot out a deadbolt lock leading into a laboratory; they then moved to a nearby stairwell. As police reached the second floor, they heard Cho fire his final shot. Police found Cho dead in Jocelyne Couture-Nowak's classroom, room 211, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. During the investigation, State Police Superintendent William Flaherty told a state panel that police found 203 live rounds in Norris Hall. "He was well prepared to continue on," Flaherty testified.
Virginia Tech student Jamal Albarghouti used his mobile phone to capture video footage of a part of the attack from the exterior of Norris Hall. This was later broadcast on many news outlets.
Steven Kazmierczak used a shotgun and three handguns to kill 5 other students and wound 19 more before committing suicide at Northern Illinois University. He was not a student at the time of the shootings. At approximately 3:06 pm CST, Steven Kazmierczak entered a large auditorium-style lecture hall in Cole Hall with 150 to 200 students, where an oceanography class was in session. The door he used led directly to the stage in front of the classroom where Kazmierczak stood and fired into the crowd of students with a shotgun and three handguns; the shotgun was smuggled in using a guitar case and the handguns were concealed under his coat. The gunman was a former NIU Sociology graduate student and a current graduate student in the school of social work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. NIU Police Chief Donald Grady described him as "an outstanding student" who reportedly stopped taking medication recently and became "somewhat erratic".
A total of 24 people were shot, six of whom died (including the perpetrator, who shot himself before police arrived). One witness reported that at least 30 shots were fired by the gunman; police later collected 48 shell casings and 6 shotgun shells. By February 15, at least seven of the victims were in critical condition, one in good condition, one in stable and eight discharged, according to Kishwaukee Community Hospital. Two of the wounded were transferred by helicopter to Rockford's Saint Anthony Medical Center, three to Downers Grove's Good Samaritan Hospital, and one to Rockford Memorial Hospital. Two patients that had been hospitalized died as a result of their injuries. By 4:00 pm CST, school officials announced that there was no further danger and that counselors would be made available in all residence halls.
The Oikos University shooting occurred on April 2, 2012, when a gunman shot at people inside Oikos University, a Korean Christian college in Oakland, California, United States. Within a few hours, the number of reported fatalities reached seven. 43-year-old One L. Goh, a former student at the school, was taken into custody and identified as the suspect in the shootings. Along with the California State University, Fullerton massacre, this was the third-deadliest university shooting in United States history, after the Virginia Tech massacre and the University of Texas Clock Tower shooting and the seventh-deadliest U.S. school massacre overall.
The shooting happened at approximately 10:30 am Pacific Daylight Time on Monday, April 2, 2012, when a gunman opened fire with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with four fully loaded 10-round magazines on the university's campus, located at the Airport Business park in East Oakland, near the Oakland International Airport. The suspected gunman, 43-year-old One L. Goh, stood up in a nursing classroom while class was in session, ordered classmates to line up against the wall, and fired at them. The gunman was reported to have said "Get in line ... I'm going to kill you all!" before opening fire, according to a witness. Seven were reported dead, and three others injured. The attacker continued to fire shots as he fled the campus, driving away in a car belonging to one of the victims. Hours later, he surrendered to authorities at a Safeway supermarket in the nearby South Shore area of Alameda, about five miles away from the scene of the shooting.

13. Active Shooter Incidents Can Occur Anywhere
Malls (Utah, Oregon, etc.)
Theatres (Aurora, CO)
Athletic Facilities
Military Bases (Ft. Hood)
K-12 Schools (Columbine, Sandy Hook)
Grocery/Retail Stores (Arizona)
Places of Worship
Workplace
Active Shooter Incidents Can Occur Anywhere
It is extremely important to remind students, faculty and staff on campus that educational institutions (K-12 and higher ed) only account for nearly 1/3 of most active shooter incidents. Therefore, the information learned in this presentation and on the video should be employed at all times, not just while on or near campus. Most shootings occur in very public and populated places that students, faculty and staff frequent on a daily basis. If a mass shooting can happen at Ft. Hood, one of the nation’s most well-protected and secure military facilities, one can happen in a crowded mall in your town or potentially in a place of worship. No venues are immune.
Basic crime prevention and situational awareness strategies (personal emergency planning) will be discussed later in the presentation.

14. Some Attackers Have Concealed Weapons Guitar Cases Athletic Bags
Blankets
Under Loose Fitting Clothing
Some Attackers Have Concealed Weapons in Common Items:
The Northern Illinois University shooter concealed his shotgun in a guitar case prior to committing his rampage. Other areas of concealment, along
with other potential indicators, might be in athletic bags, book bags, wrapped up in blankets or clothing or under loose fitting clothing. Long guns are
typically concealed in these areas due to their size. Remember, handguns are much easier to conceal and, as a result, more difficult to spot prior to an incident.
Other indicators might be excessive sweating, nervousness, avoidance of others, looking around frequently or in a trance or oblivious to things around them. Always
call “911” or your campus public safety specific number to report any suspicious behavior.

15. K-12 Schools vs. University Setting
Unlike most K-12 public schools, college and university facilities and classrooms typically do not feature:
K-12 Schools versus the University Setting
This slide is intended to briefly explain the differences in the K-12 and Higher ed environment regarding security, access control and emergency planning – these settings are very different.
Despite what the media has relayed to the American public, lock-downs on college campuses are virtually impossible. The presence of many buildings and open spaces that do not have access controls such as fences and visitor management systems make a lock-down on a college campus difficult to implement. The majority of buildings on college campuses do not have intercoms allowing announcements to be made throughout the building. Also, there is no centralized point where visitors are required to sign in. College campuses are generally open to the public and it is difficult to distinguish between faculty, staff and visitors.
The U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA and the U.S. Health and Human Services released in 2013 Guides for Developing Emergency Operations Plans. Active Shooter planning for K-12 Schools, Institutes of Higher Education and Houses of Worship are embedded within these guidebooks. The link to these planning guides is
Two-way intercom systems
Visitor sign in area & procedures
Centralized administrative office
Campus-wide lockdown protocols

16. Law Enforcement Response-Rapid Deployment
Columbine High School Shooting brought about a change in law enforcement tactics
Losses can be mitigated with proper training and education and rapid deployment
Law Enforcement Response – Rapid Deployment
During the Columbine High School shooting incident in Colorado in April 1999, responding law enforcement agencies were criticized about their lack of an immediate response to enter the school stop the shooters and save lives. Law enforcement was operating under traditional standard operating response procedures by containing the situation, setting up a perimeter, and waiting on special response teams (SWAT and EOD) to assist in resolving the incident. The presence of over 90 explosive devices, an unknown number of shooters and weapon types, and active fires prevented immediate entry into the facility.
Later, law enforcement response tactics changed to Rapid Deployment or Immediate Action Rapid Deployment techniques whereby the first arriving single officer or multiple patrol officers form a quick entry team (or solo entry in the case of a single officer) in order to quickly enter a structure to confront an active shooter. Using these Rapid Deployment techniques, time is critical and the officers move swiftly toward the shooting without clearing rooms in order to neutralize and stop the shooter.
Students, staff and faculty need to be aware that these law enforcement teams (or possibly single officer) may initially bypass injured people or those who may need evacuation assistance. The goal of the initial patrol officers responding to the active shooter incident is to stop the shooter to prevent additional loss of life. Once the shooter is stopped, in custody or killed, then law enforcement, EMS and fire will work to assist individuals who need medical care or evacuation assistance.

17. Personal Emergency Planning
Always be aware of your environment and any possible dangers
If you “See Something, Say Something” – report suspicious activity
Program local and campus emergency numbers into your cell phone
Participate in campus emergency notification systems
Personal Emergency Planning: (Slide 1 of 2)
Awareness - There are a number of individual preparedness measures that students, faculty and staff can implement before an active shooter situation or any emergency occurs. One of the most important safety and prevention methods is to always be aware of your surroundings and environment at all times. For example, a student who walks around campus listening to their I-Pod while talking on the phone is not practicing good situational awareness. Trust your gut feeling…if something does not feel right then likely it is not right and danger may be near.
Report suspicious people (behaviors) and/or items to your campus public safety agency or to the local law enforcement agency. The United States Department of Homeland Security has a campaign called “If You See Something…Say Something” which encourages citizens to report suspicious people, behaviors and items to local or campus law enforcement.
Program 911 and/or campus police or security numbers into your cell phone or office phone to ensure that you have only one or two buttons to push to reach emergency dispatchers. Often, in emergency situations, logic and finger dexterity are limited and you may find it difficult to perform simple tasks.
Emergency Notification - Campus (or municipal) emergency mass notification systems are making it easier to reach students, staff and faculty on their preferred methods of receiving information. Be sure to participate in your campus emergency notification systems. Always make sure that you have multiple ways or methods (text, voice, social network, computer crawls, etc.) of receiving emergency messages about severe weather and other emergencies.

18. Personal Emergency Planning
…continued
Be familiar with your campus behavioral threat reporting procedures
Ask about building emergency action plans
Be familiar with two exits whenever you enter a building or room
Mentally rehearse how you would react in various types of emergency situations
Be prepared to be an “emergency leader” and assist others during an emergency
Personal Emergency Planning: (Slide 2 of 2)
Threat Reporting – Most campuses have a threat assessment team, comprised of key campus administrators (public safety, mental health, student affairs, Legal, etc.), who are responsible for reviewing reports from students, faculty and staff regarding individuals who might pose a threat to themselves or to others. Become familiar with how to report individuals of concern to the appropriate campus administrators and/or public safety.
Emergency Plans - Ask your professor, building manager, Dean or other administrator about emergency plans for your building. Make sure that the building has an emergency plan.
Two Exits - It is important to always be familiar with several ways out of any building that you frequent on campus. Actually, this should become something that you do for any building,
whether it is on campus or not. If a typical exit that you use out of a building were blocked due to a fire, do you know another route to quickly get out of the building? Remember, if you practice identifying two exits of every building you enter one of the first things that you do when you enter a structure and it will become habit.
Use Visualization Techniques (or mental rehearsals) is a great technique of mentally rehearsing your options during an emergency. Practice thinking about how you would react if there were a fire in your dorm room, apartment or house. Would you evacuate out the window? How would you notify others in the area? It works the same way for an active shooter situation. Practice makes perfect. Researchers and combat experts are discovering that mental rehearsal is a vital part of success in high-conflict and dangerous scenarios. High performance athletes have known for decades the power of visualization exercises. Research has shown that athletes who regularly take part in intense visual imagery exercises perform better than athletes who don’t. It’s only recently that military and police forces have begun to apply this technique to combat and emergency situations.
Be an Emergency Leader – Have you ever noticed when a fire alarm goes off in a building, at the mall or anywhere for that matter, typically everyone looks around to see how other people are reacting to get their cues on what to do. Well, it should be somewhat instinctual. It is a fire alarm and you do not know whether a real fire exists or if it is only a false alarm. Evacuate every time. Try being an emergency leader instead of a follower during an emergency by remaining calm, reacting appropriately in a timely manner and assisting others as needed. Thousands of lives were saved in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 at Morgan Stanley Investments because their Security Director had an evacuation plan and had everyone practice it. He even blocked some routes during the drills to make his employees think about alternate evacuation routes during an emergency. As a result, the Security Director saved over 2,700 lives because the Morgan Stanley employees practiced their plan and new several exits out of their areas.

19. Your Options: Run/Escape
Run if it is safe to do so
Leave your personal belongings
Visualize possible escape routes
Warn and help others, if possible
Avoid escalators and elevators
Call 911 or your campus police when it is safe to do so
Let a responsible adult know where you are
Your Options: Run/Escape
During an active shooter situation, you may have to make a quick decision about what action to take. No one can really make this decision for you as it will be based on the information presented to you during the incident. Every situation is different, complex and dynamic., so it is difficult to provide faculty, staff and students with a generic, single response template. Generally, you have three options. Run in a direction away from the shooter if you feel it is safe to do so. The second option would be to barricade yourself in a room or hide out in area where you feel the shooter may not be able to locate you. The third option is a difficult one to think about and discuss. It involves fighting back as a last resort if there is no other option and your life is in imminent danger. No one really knows how they will react in a very traumatic, life or death situation.
If it is safe to do so, the first course of action that should be taken is to run out of the building and move far away until you are in a safe location.
Students and staff should be trained to
Leave personal belongings behind;
Visualize possible escape routes, including physically accessible routes for students and staff with disabilities and others with access and functional needs;
Warn others
Avoid escalators and elevators;
Help others escape, if possible;
Call 911 when safe to do so; and
Let a responsible adult know where they are.

20. Your Options: Open Areas/Hallways/Outdoors
If you are located outside a building, seek cover immediately
Put something between you and the shooter
If you are in a hallway, escape out the nearest exit if it is safe to do so
If any doubt exists, find a safe area and barricade the door with any available items
Your Options: Open Areas/Hallways/Outdoors
If you are outside when a shooting begins seek shelter immediately. Try and put something substantial and solid between you and the shooter (concrete barriers, trees, etc.). If possible get out of the area and call 911 or campus police as soon as it is safe to do so. You may be in the hallway or in the restroom when a shooting incident occurs in your building. Restrooms are generally not safe places to be in this type of situation. Most restroom doors cannot be locked and the shooter may check this area. In fact, in several active shooter incidents, the shooter has changed and prepared to initiate their plans in a restroom in the facility that they were targeting. Escape out of the area if it is safe to do so or barricade and hide in a nearby room or area.
It is important to remember that you may not be able to seek refuge in your classroom or office space as these areas may have already been secured and barricaded. Your classmates or co-workers may not be able to let you back in for fear that you may be a suspect or the shooter may use you as a ruse to enter the classroom. Your options at this point may be to run/escape if it is safe to do so or to quickly find a room or area that you can secure and get out of sight. Call 911.

21. Your Options: Hide/Barricade
If evacuation is not possible, locate a safe location to hide
Lock or barricade the door
with heavy furniture
Turn off the room lights
Call 911 or campus public safety
Remain in place until given all clear
Your Options: Hide/Barricade
If running is not a safe option, hide in as safe a place as possible. Students and staff should hide in a location where the walls might be thicker and have fewer windows.
If evacuation is not possible, locate a safe location to hide
Lock and barricade the door with heavy furniture
Turn off the room lights
Call 911 or your campus public safety number
Remain in place until an all clear is given by identifiable law enforcement
The actions listed on the slide need to be accomplished quickly and quietly. Use tables and desks to block the entrance to the room. If you are on a ground floor consider using a window as an escape route. Time may not permit you to accomplish all of the actions listed on the slide. The main goal when hiding/barricading is to put something between you and the shooter which prevents bullets from striking you and prevents the shooter from entering the area you are located in. Use any and all available furniture and other items to block the door.

22. Your Options: Stay Safe While Hiding
Silence your cell phone/remain quiet
Hide behind large objects in room
After securing room, stay out of sight
Look for possible window exits
if you are near ground floor
Have a plan if shooter enters room
Your Options: Stay Safe While Hiding
Once you feel it is appropriate, based on your situation, to hide/barricade in a safe location, there are several important things to remember to do. Read off slide.
Silence your cell phone and remain quiet (you are attempting to make the shooter think the room is not occupied or being used)
Hide behind large objects in the room (furniture, interior closets, etc.)
Position people out of sight as best as possible (be sure that occupants in the room cannot be seen through a window in the door from the hallway)
Look for possible window exits if you are on or near the ground floor if it is safe to do so
Have a plan should the shooter enter the room (Discuss with other room occupants, find potential weapons or areas that might provide initial cover for an attack on the shooter)
Do not let anyone in the room until law enforcement gives you the all clear from public address systems, emergency mass notification systems, or via a phone call from emergency dispatchers. You may wish to verify with local 911 communications or the campus public safety communications center that the officer outside the doorway is legitimate. Exit windows only if you can do so safely or if you make the personal decision that your life is in imminent danger. Also, it is advisable to develop a plan with the other room occupants on how you will respond if the shooter enters the room.

23. Your Options: Fight Back
Do not provoke shooter if he is not shooting
Fight back as a last resort when your life is in imminent danger
Act as aggressively as possible
Throw items and improvise weapons
Commit to your actions
--do not be a victim!
Your Options: Fight Back
If neither running nor hiding is a safe option, as a last resort when confronted by the shooter, adults in immediate danger should consider trying to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter by using aggressive force and items in their environment, such as fire extinguishers, chairs, etc. In a study of 41 active shooter events that ended before law enforcement arrived, the potential victims stopped the attacker themselves in 16 instances. In 13 of those cases, they physically subdued the attacker.
It is important to note that you should never attack an intruder who is brandishing a gun but not shooting anyone, a suicidal person armed with a weapon, or an armed individual who is a hostage taker.
Do not provoke the shooter if he is not shooting (Don’t throw books, attack or otherwise attempt to overpower the shooter if he does not intend to kill you or others in the room)
Fight back only as a last resort and when your life is in imminent danger
Act as aggressively as possible against him/her
Throw items and improvise weapons (coffee, fire extinguisher, shoes, laptop, books, bags, paper weights, etc.)
Commit to your actions – do not be a victim
While talking to staff about confronting a shooter may be daunting and upsetting for some staff, they should know that they may be able to successfully take action to save lives. To be clear, confronting an active shooter should never be a requirement of any IHE employee’s job; how each individual chooses to respond if directly confronted by an active shooter is up to him or her. Further, the possibility of an active shooter situation is not justification for the presence of firearms on campus in the hands of any personnel other than law enforcement.

24. Your Options: Assist Others
Call 911 or campus law enforcement ASAP
Be a leader-attempt to calm others down
Do not let others in the room if you do not feel it is safe to do so
Attempts to rescue people should only be made if it can be done without endangering people inside the secure area
Assist injured people in secure areas with available equipment and supplies, advising 911 of injured people
Your Options: Assist Others
Your actions during any type of an emergency situation can improve the situation or make matters worse. Always attempt to remain calm if you are taking a leadership role
during the emergency. Additionally, attempt to assist or help others only if it is safe to do so.
Call 911 or campus public safety as soon as possible (most active shooter incidents are over in less than 12 minutes)
Be a leader – attempt to calm others down and have a plan should the shooter enter your area
Do not let others in the room if you do not feel it is safe to do so or f you cannot identify/recognize the person
Attempts to rescue people should only be made if it can be done without further endangering the persons inside the secure area
Assist injured people in secure areas with available equipment and supplies (advise 911 of injured persons)
Stay Calm as best you can. As mentioned previously, be a leader. In times of crisis, when there is no leader, people become paralyzed by inaction, endlessly milling about and asking each other, “What should we do?” Studies have shown that groups that had leaders in a disaster were more likely to survive than groups that didn’t. For example, one study by the U.S. government that looked at three different mine fires found that the commonality among the eight groups that were able to escape was that each had a clear leader.
If you can remain reasonably calm it will help you to think through the situation and to come up with a response plan that is more likely to be successful. If you are in a room, only let others in the room if it is safe to do so. If you are not sure who the person is or if you think the shooter may be using a classmate or a co-worker in a ruse to enter the room, then do not open a door that has been locked or barricaded.
Treat injured persons to your level, ability and experience. Use blankets, shirts, jackets and other available items to stop wounds that are bleeding.

25. Your Options: Persons with Disabilities
If you are a person with a disability, make others aware of what assistance you may need during an emergency
Identify voluntary emergency assistants to help
Consult with your disability services, campus police and emergency management to create a Personalized Emergency Plan (PEP) to address your needs
Be proactive about your safety before an emergency occurs
Your Options: Persons with Disabilities -
For persons with disabilities, functional needs, mobility issues or other impairments, it is best to develop a personal emergency plan as soon as possible for any building they frequent.
This may involve coordination with the campus public safety department, emergency preparedness, equal opportunity office, student life, etc. Be sure that voluntary emergency assistants
are identified to potentially assist individuals with disabilities in classrooms, office areas, residence halls, cafeterias, athletic venues, and other work and academic buildings.
If you are a person with a disability, make others aware of what assistance you may need during an emergency
Identify voluntary emergency assistants to help students, faculty and staff during emergencies (emergency notification, evacuation, shelter-in-place, deny entry)
Consult with your disability services, campus police and emergency management to create a personalized emergency plan to address the needs of persons with disabilities
Persons with disabilities should be proactive regarding their safety before an emergency occurs
Persons with mobility issues may have difficulty evacuating quickly during an active shooter incident in your building. It may be safer to hide/barricade in a room with others. Options inside a barricaded room could include flipping over tables and desks to make an area of cover for the person with a mobility issue, particularly if they are in a wheelchair. Additionally, interior rooms, restrooms or offices that may provide additional shelter and protection should be considered (as available). Always consult with the person with a disability to ask how you can help them.

26. Reporting Information to 911
Your Specific Location (Building, floor, room number)
Number of people at your location, number of injuries and type of injuries
Suspect(s) Information:
-Location (if known)
-Number of shooters
-Name of shooter (if known)
-Overall description (physical/ clothing)
-Type of weapons (rifle, shotgun or handgun)
-Explosives
-Backpack or other items
-Other important information
Reporting Information to 911
Keep trying to notify emergency personnel either by calling 911 or your local campus police department. The more information that can be provided to them the better their response will be. If the situation allows consider placing a sign in the exterior window of the room that you are in stating number of persons in the room and if there are any injuries.
The dispatcher will immediately want to know where you are located, a description of the shooter, what type of weapons are involved in the incident, and the last direction of travel of the shooter. Be patient with the emergency dispatcher as likely he/she is dealing with multiple emergency calls.
Important information to provide to 911 Communication personnel:
Your Specific Location (Building, floor, room number)
Number of people at your location, number of injuries and type of injuries
Suspect(s) Information:
-Location (if known)
-Number of shooters
-Name of shooter (if known)
-Overall description (physical/clothing)
-Type of weapons (rifle, shotgun or handgun)
-Explosives
-Backpack or other items
-Other important information
Emergency lines will likely be busy so continue calling to report the incident as you may have critical information first responders may need.

27. Emergency Alerts-Active Shooter
Check your contact information for accuracy in your alert system
If you receive a campus emergency alert – follow instructions
If your building is not impacted, you will likely be advised to stay where you are
Be prepared to receive additional instructions
Develop a plan with family and friends to let them know you are o.k.
Emergency Alerts – Active Shooter
Most campuses have mass notification systems that allow campus public safety officials and administrators to send emergency messages quickly to students, faculty and staff. In most circumstances, this is the method that your institution will alert the campus community of an active shooter situation. It is important to make sure that your contact information is updated and correct in your campus emergency notification system.
Check your contact information within your campus emergency notification system to ensure that it is accurate
If you receive a campus emergency alert – follow the instructions provided
If your building is not impacted, you will likely be advised to stay where you are (this helps to prevent people from going directly to the scene or leaving campus quickly which might cause traffic issues)
Be prepared to receive additional instructions and information (Check your institution’s web page, watch for social media updates and for additional emergency alerts)
Preplan a way to let your loved ones know you are ok (an active shooter creates a lot of panic and anxiety for family and friends connected in some manner to the campus; however, because an emergency of this magnitude could cause the local cell system to crash, it is important for students to have alternate methods to contact friends and family to let them know they are o.k. – plan social media updates or texts, etc.)

28. How Will Law Enforcement Respond?
Law enforcement will immediately respond to area and form a team to enter the building
Law enforcement’s goal is to locate, contain, and stop the shooter
Law enforcement will bypass injured people initially to locate the shooter
Stay inside a secure room until instructed to exit
How Will Law Enforcement Respond?
The primary goal of law enforcement is to eliminate the threat and stop the active shooter as soon as possible. As the first responders’ primary responsibility is to eliminate the threat, they will not be able to stop to help injured persons until the environment is safe. Officers may arrive in teams with tactical equipment such as vests, helmets, and rifles. Officers will need to take command of the situation. Expect to experience officers shouting orders and even pushing individuals to the ground for their safety. Try to quickly answer any suspect information questions that law enforcement officers may ask as they move by in their attempt to locate the shooter.
Law enforcement will immediately respond to the area and form a team to enter the building
Law enforcement’s goal is to locate, contain, and stop the shooter
Law enforcement will bypass injured people initially to locate the shooter
Stay inside a secure room until instructed to exit by a law enforcement officer

29. Your Response When Law Enforcement Arrives
Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions
Put down any items in your hands
Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
Avoid quick movements toward officers such as holding on to them for safety
Avoid pointing, screaming, and/or yelling
Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating
Your Response When Law Enforcement Arrives:
There are several important things to remember when law enforcement arrives:
Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions.
Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets).
Immediately raise hands and spread fingers.
Keep hands visible at all times.
Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as attempting to hold on to them for safety.
Avoid pointing, screaming, and/or yelling.
Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating—just proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises.
Stay where you are if you feel you are in a safe location. If the room that you are occupying is entered by law enforcement follow all their commands. Remember, they do not know who is a suspect and who is not at this point so they may search you or otherwise confine you until everyone is sorted out. Follow the officer’s instructions and do not ask questions about the shooter, the status of your friends/co-workers, etc. It is very important to keep your hands visible so that you do not present a threat to the officers.

30. Review Have a plan Take immediate action Escape or find a secure area
Calm, reassure, and quiet others
Call 911 or campus police directly
Treat injured people if it is safe to do so
Review/Summary:
Instructor: please review the 6 “Quick Review” points to ensure that your audience recognizes several important “take away” points from the program. Remind the participants that they should always be aware of their surroundings all the time and not just when they are on campus. Emergencies (and active shooter incidents) occur in movie theaters, restaurants, stores, malls, and even at church. No element of society is immune to emergencies.
Have a plan – Your survival in any emergency depends on how you plan and mentally rehearse various types of emergencies. Always think about how you would react in a variety of emergency situations.
Take immediate action – React and don’t just stand there and wait on others to tell you what to do. Think about self-preservation and what is the best and safest option available to you.
Find a secure area or run – Utilize the option that you think is the safest option for you based on the incident. No one can tell you what to do in every emergency because every emergency is different.
Calm, reassure, and quiet others – Attempt to minimize the chaos related to the incident. People will react in a variety of ways. Remind them that if you work together then you can all work to survive together.
Call 911 or campus police – Call 911 and relay as much critical information about your location, the shooter, and the incident as possible. Remember, you may have to call several times to get through to emergency responders. Keep trying.
Treat injured people if it is safe to do so – Treat others to your level of expertise and training. Use any and all available resources to assist in your treatment of any wounded individuals.

31. United States Department of Homeland Security
Additional Resource Information
United States Department of Homeland Security
and
Additional Resource Information – DHS Active Shooter Response booklets
There are many active shooter preparedness resources available from local, state and federal agencies. The information provided is only a sample of the available resources to colleges and universities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aims to enhance preparedness through a ”whole community” approach by providing training, products, and resources to a broad range of stakeholders on issues such as active shooter awareness, incident response, and workplace violence. In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature are unpredictable and evolve quickly. DHS offers free courses, materials, and workshops to better prepare you to deal with an active shooter situation and to raise awareness of behaviors that represent pre-incident indicators and characteristics of active shooters.

32. Additional Resource Information
Additional Resource Information – FEMA/DHS Online Training
There are many active shooter preparedness resources available from local, state and federal agencies. The information provided is only a sample of the available resources to colleges and universities.
FEMA has an independent study program (IS-907) available to any students, faculty and staff who wish to learn more guidance and emergency preparedness activities related to an active shooter incident .
All employees can help prevent and prepare for potential active shooter situations. This course provides guidance to individuals, including managers and employees, so that they can prepare to respond to an active shooter situation. This course is not written for law enforcement officers, but for non-law enforcement employees. The material may provide law enforcement officers information on recommended actions for non-law enforcement employees to take should they be confronted with an active shooter situation.
FEMA/DHS Online Training –
“Active Shooter, What You Can Do”

33. Additional Resource Information
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center – U.S. Department of Education
- Links to new planning guides
- Lessons learned information
- Training resources
Additional Resource Information – REMS Technical Assistance Center (U.S. Department of Education)
The United States Department of Education hosts a comprehensive emergency preparedness website (REMS TA Center), which includes many resources for active shooter preparedness. Additionally, this website contains information on how a college or university can develop an emergency operations plan that includes detailed information on responding to active shooter incidents.
The REMS Technical Assistance Center's primary goal is to support schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in school emergency management, including the development and implementation of comprehensive all-hazards emergency management plans. The TA Center disseminates information about school emergency management to help individual schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education learn more about developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive, all-hazards school emergency management plans. In addition, the TA Center helps OSHS coordinate technical assistance meetings and share school emergency management information, and responds to direct requests for technical assistance and training.

34. Questions?
For additional information contact your campus police department, emergency management, or local law enforcement agency
Questions
Seek questions and feedback on the training program. Be sure to carefully explain that there are only options available to students, staff, and faculty in active shooter situations due to the fact that all emergencies are different. Everyone needs to begin to think about how they would respond in any emergency situation whether it occurs in an academic building, at the mall, in a restaurant or at home.
Advise the participants that additional information about campus law enforcement and/or security resources and specific emergency plans may be obtained from their own campus public safety (or security or law enforcement agency depending on how things are structured) and/or local law enforcement/emergency management agencies.