NGU: What to do in the case of school shooting
Courtesy of North Greenville University.
Jonah Losh, Staff Writer
In the wake of the horrific Parkland school shooting, it is crucial that we as NGU students be aware of how to act in the case of an active shooter on campus. For visual demonstration, please visit Campus Security’s active shooter training video, which shows how you can lock and block doors.
Faculty and staff are trained in what to do if a shooter is on campus, but students need to know what to do as well.
Chief Rick Morris gives these directions to students:
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Be aware of your surroundings. Know where you are and don’t be zoned out; keep a warrior mindset. When you enter a room, think, “How can I escape, hide, or fight?”
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Pay attentions to the “DLRs”—the don’t look rights. If you see something that does not fit or look right, like a suspicious vehicle that has been hanging around different parts of campus—if you see something, say something. Call Campus Security.
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Keep situational awareness: how do I secure this room? How can I be prepared in case something were to happen? If you are in a building, know whether the door opens into or out of the room, and use a belt or chair to jam it closed (like the video shows) and form a barricade of chairs and desks to slow someone from entering.
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If a shooting occurs, a team of students ready to fight needs to be formed. Someone needs to make sure everyone gets in a safe spot, and then have a plan for worst case scenario, getting something as a weapon. A fire extinguisher will work well to spray in a shooter’s face, and then doubles as a club.
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Know cover versus concealment. Cover is hiding in a protective place that will protect you from gunshots; concealment is hiding without protection, like hiding behind a curtain.
Take responsibility for your safety.
Here are the measures that Campus Security is taking to prevent a shooting:
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Constant patrols to monitor the campus, looking for what doesn’t look right: vehicles, people, over-sized book bags.
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Parking tickets. Chief Morris said that major crimes have been solved because a parking ticket was issued, giving a time, place and license tag number for a suspicious vehicle. Campus Security gets an undue amount of grief for parking tickets, but they are a critical aspect of what they do to keep us safe. Permits let them know that the people on campus are supposed to be there, and cars without permits raise suspicion. Lives could be saved because of parking tickets, so it is important that we as students park where we are supposed to and obey the guidelines, like obtaining a temporary permit when we are driving a different car. This is how we can cooperate and work together with Campus Security to make sure that NGU remains safe.
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The Security staff trains during breaks for active shooters. While we are on spring break, they will be in training sessions.
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Cameras are deployed across campus displaying real-time data. The only problem here is that someone cannot monitor the cameras all of the time, so again it is important for students to be aware of their surroundings.
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Nighthawk Locks are being installed across campus to secure every door. They will allow the door to be bolted to the floor. It is an added protection, Morris said, but still barricade and jam doors. Any system can fail.
“No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the LORD’s servants. Their victory comes from me,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17, GNT)
