What to do in an active shooter situation
Of nine major school shootings that have occurred in Texas since 2010, four were at institutions of higher education.
UNT Police and the Office of Emergency Management handle emergency situations other than fire and disaster preparedness.
Together the departments offer emergency guidelines
and training for situations involving active shooters, bomb threats and hostage situations.
The Office of Emergency Management and UNT Police suggest taking the steps below in an active shooter situation.
Get out
Leave the area if possible.
Individuals should have an escape plan ready. Leave all belongings behind and try to help others escape too. Try to keep others from going to the area where the active shooter may be.
Hide
If evacuating is not possible, hide.
Ideal hiding spots should also provide protection in case shots are fired in that direction. If that is not possible, make sure the hiding spot is out of the shooter’s sight. If the hiding spot is in a room, lock the door if possible and make a blockade with heavy furniture.
Engage
The departments only suggest action if an individual is in imminent danger.
They suggest trying to take out an active shooter by throwing things or improvising weapons. They also recommend committing to actions.
“I think that means if you’re trying to do something like harm [an active shooter] or injure them, you can’t fake out,” psychology junior Rachel Lyles said.
The Office of Emergency Management also focuses on their Emergency Readiness Training, which touches on a variety of topics including severe weather, active shooter training and medical emergencies and response.
“[The training] is very brief as far as that goes,” said Major Youngblood, an international risk control coordinator. “It’s meant to highlight all emergency situations on a [basic] level, introducing them and getting you some different information.”
Another training hosted in conjunction with Medical City Denton is Stop the Bleed, a national campaign that trains individuals on how to stop bleeding while waiting for professional help. These trainings are meant to be useful in any emergency situation where someone is bleeding out. The last session was held Feb. 20.
“A lot of cases in an active shooter event, a lot of individuals could have survived, but they may bleed out,” Youngblood said. “[We teach] how to be the first responders for the actual individuals who are close to the individuals who are injured.”
During the training, they are taught how to stop the bleeding on a fake wound.
The Office of Emergency Management also offers certification for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The course costs $35 and is certified by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Training session turnout ranges from three to four people on average.
UNT will host Responding to an Active Shooter training on March 21.
Featured Image: Will Pingry applies defibrillator pads as instructed by a picture showing where to place them. Kathryn Jennings
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