NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Local colleges are talking about safety after another mass shooting in the United States. On Monday, three students were killed and five were critically injured during a shooting at Michigan State University.
Vanderbilt University’s guidelines for an active shooter incident prepare students and faculty to think ahead:
“The best time to consider how to react is in advance. By familiarizing yourself with your surroundings and possible escape routes, and considering how you might react in such a situation, you can act quickly and more efficiently if the need arises. There are three options to consider if faced with an active shooter incident: Run, Hide, or – as a last resort – Fight, if your life is in imminent danger,” reads the guidelines.
Middle Tennessee State University said their officers go through regular training, but this school year, they took it a step further and offered active shooter training for campus departments.
Austin Peay State University also offers active shooter training for students, faculty, and staff.
“Campus safety is a top priority on our campus. We have our own campus police force who train with local agencies and coordinate with TBI regularly for multiple scenarios, including active shooter situations,” said Bill Persinger, Executive Director of Public Relations at Austin Peay State University. “Our emergency management team facilitates table-top crisis exercises with our leadership and campus community, including the most recent being focused on an active shooter situation.”
All three campuses have an emergency notification system that will send texts, calls, and post online in the case of a potential safety risk.
“Situations like the one in Michigan only reinforce the importance and need for diligence in constantly assessing how prepared we are as an institution,” said Persinger.
Looking at school safety for grades K-12, National Association of School Resource Officers Executive Director Mo Canady says their training is focused on how to take down an active shooter, crack down on trespassing and monitor security around the perimeter of schools.
“Certainly any type of active assailant situation it is really, it’s one of those things that’s high-risk, low-probability situations, but we have to be trained for that,” said Canady. “Most of us in the SRO will never face that situation but we have to be completely prepared for it, so that’s always at the top of the priority list.”
School officials say school safety plans are continuously being reviewed, updated and shared with the hope that they will never have to be used.
