The university community is encouraged to become familiar with how to respond to an “active shooter,” should such an event ever occur.
An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms, and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.
As active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly, all employees should learn how to help prevent and prepare for potential active shooter situations.
Learn What to Do
A self-paced, independent study course titled “Active Shooter, What You Can Do” (IS-907) is offered through the Department of Homeland Security. This course will provide guidance on how to prepare for and respond to an active shooter crisis. The course is free of charge and takes approximately forty-five minutes to complete.
This online training opportunity is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute’s website. The EMI will award 0.1 CEUs for completion of this course.
What Will Happen in the Event of an Active Shooter?
- If an active shooter is identified (either by gunfire or by visual observation of an unauthorized person on a building roof, etc.), the University Police (724-357-2141) should immediately be notified.
- Northpointe and Punxsutawney regional campuses and Monroeville Center: call 911.
- The university police will respond to the scene and immediately notify Indiana Borough police (724-349-2121), the State Police (724-357-1960), Sheriff’s Department 724-465-3930), the Indiana County EMA number, and 911.
- During an active shooter situation, the safety of university employees and students and responding police officers is paramount; therefore, all decisions will be made with regard to their safety.
- In the event that an active shooter is identified, every available communication means will be employed to notify students and employees to stay in their respective buildings, to seek cover inside buildings, or not to come to campus. Individual room doors should be locked; seek cover in the room.
- A team of officers will proceed into the area in which the active shooter is located and take necessary action to stop the shooter.
- IUP Police officers, Indiana Borough, State Police, and Sheriff’s Department personnel will attempt to secure all entrances to the building that the active shooter is occupying to prevent the active shooter from moving to another building. IUP Police officers, Indiana Borough, State Police officers, and Sheriff’s Department personnel will also attempt to evacuate and secure both the floor from which the active shooter is firing and the floor immediately below the active shooter, if possible. Safety of all the occupants within the active shooter-occupied building is critical.
- A command center will be established. A Campus Emergency Command Center will be set up near the disaster site. Keep clear of the command center, unless you have official business. The following people representing the university will be in the command center: the president, the vice president for Administration and Finance, emergency personnel, the director of Public Safety or designee, and the director of Media Relations.
- A second center will be set up in 218 Sutton Hall. This center will be for members of the President’s Cabinet and the associate vice president for Marketing and Communication.
- All police radios will be switched to National Police Band.
