Preparation Video: Shots Fired on Campus
Missouri State University recently posted a video for students, faculty and staff to view online. The video was, “Shots Fired on Campus” – by the Center for Personal Protection and Safety
Here is a brief recap of some of the items mentioned…
- While ‘shots fired on campus’ might be the last thing you’d expect to hear, the odds are similar to being struck by lightning.
- Maintain a survival mindset: awareness, preparation, rehearsal
- Figure out the best course of action: get out, hide out, or take out the shooter
- People who have trained will feel anxious and will recall what they learned. The untrained will be in panic and disbelief
- Awareness: note the emergency exits when entering a room, ask what-if questions to your peers, figure out the best place to call 911 if something were to happen, be aware of people on your campus
- The best way to survive an active shooter situation is not to be where he is and not to go where he can see you
- If shooting begins while you’re walking somewhere: stay in motion, find protection and use your surrounding environment
- When in classrooms or lecture halls, your only options might be to spread out, take cover and attack the shooter if he/she enters
- “Before the police get there it’s you against that bad guy. And you need to do everything you can to try and stop them because you can’t just sit and let him harm you or take your life or your friend’s life.”
- A hostage taker uses people as leverage; an active shooter just cares about killing people, not negotiating
- If it is a hostage situation, survival chances are best if you exercise patience and wait for police negotiations
The best statement of all was near the beginning of the video:
“The bottom line is you’ll need to take direct responsibility for your personal safety and security.”
“You must develop a survival mindset.”
We were unable to find a version of the video that can be linked to; but here is the full transcript from the video.
Comments (2)
I’m seeing a lot of suggestions that you actively engage an armed individual. I’m going over a few things in my head, and honestly I’m not coming up with an effective way to engage a shooter without being armed with an equivalent weapon.
If they insist that students are responsible for their own safety, and that a student could engage an active shooter, then they should be prepared for a student to carry a weapon. Weather it’s a firearm or not, they might want to think about what their video is telling them.
Rules or not, when my child attends MSU he will have the tools to engage an active shooter. Because he is responsible for his own safety and security.
Apparently when a shooter enters a classroom you’re supposed to have some people throw things at him while a few at the door take the shooter down. It’s all about using textbooks and crumpled papers to disorient the shooter i guess
Absolutely love your last two sentences!! Great commenting Jeff, thanks.