Recent school shooting reinforces need for colleges to prepare for emergency situations

The recent school shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon has reiterated the need for colleges to prepare for and prevent active shooter situations. One of the best ways to prevent this type of situation is to say something if you see something, said Brittany Schaal, university director of emergency management.

“We encourage our faculty, students and staff to be aware and prepare on the front end of any type of incident,” Schaal said.

In the case of an active shooter, this preparation includes being aware of suspicious behavior and knowing multiple ways to get in and out of buildings, Schaal said. Students often develop a daily routine where they use the same doors of the buildings they visit, but it is important that students know where multiple exit points are, including doors that say emergency exit only.

The three main options students have in an active shooter situation are to run, hide or fight, Schaal said. If possible, students should flee the area where the shooter is located. If students can not escape safely, they should try to hide quickly and quietly. The last resort in this type of situation is to fight back.

Students should use the information they have about the situation to make a decision on how to respond, and an important way the university gets this information to students is through the UR Alert system, Schaal said. UR Alert is the university’s emergency notification system. Students who sign up for the system can opt to receive emergency messages via text, email or phone call.

UR Alerts will only be sent out for immediate, life-threatening emergencies, Schaal said. The message will include what the emergency is, where it is occurring and what action the recipient needs to take.

“We want the messaging to be concise and make sense so that you can interpret it when there is an actual threat,” Schaal said. “The goal is that you understand what options are available to you and that you are easily able to execute them.”

The UR Alert system is tested once a semester, and this limited testing is to ensure that when students receive a real alert, they take it seriously and respond, Schaal said. UR Alert has previously been used about ten times a year.

Before an alert is sent out, the campus police department or the office of emergency management will attempt to verify the threat, Schaal said. Verification can happen in several ways, including by sending police officers to the area or receiving multiple notifications about the same threat. For many situations, an all clear will be sent out once the situation is under control.

The campus police department’s training is up to date with the most recent tactics used to deal with an active shooter, Schaal said. The university has a no-weapons policy, which prohibits anyone besides police officers from carrying guns, stun guns or other objects that can cause bodily harm.

The National Rifle Association, a gun rights advocacy group, has argued against university policies that prohibit people from carrying guns.

“Its ridiculous, this idea that your Second Amendment right stops when you enter onto a university campus,” said Lexy Higgins, the grassroots assistant manager for the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “If you look at these shootings, of course they are tragedies, but they are in gun-free zones where only the criminals are carrying.”

Umpqua Community College had a policy banning people from having guns and other weapons on campus except for those with a concealed firearms license, according to The Oregonian. This exception was required by a 1989 Oregon law that forbids public bodies from restricting the rights of concealed firearms permit holders.

If someone has a weapon on Richmond’s campus, they are not breaking the law, but they are in violation of university policy, Schaal said. If the person is not a threat, campus police will not arrest them, but they may take their weapon and hold it until they leave campus. Students, faculty and staff could also face other sanctions from the university for violating its policy.

The main thing students can do to prevent these dangerous situations from occurring is to be aware of their surroundings and report behavior that seems out of the ordinary, Schaal said. If a student is concerned about changes in behavior of someone they know, there are a number of options for them to convey their concerns, including giving this information to the police, a dean’s office or a faculty member.

“There are resources that we can provide to faculty, students and staff,” Schaal said. “But if we don’t know that resources are needed, we can’t provide them. Don’t assume someone else has said something.” 

Contact reporter Jack Clark at john.s.clark@richmond.edu.