Emergency Management

Evacuate, Hide-out, Take-action.

Responding to an Active Assailant

How one responds to an active assailant situation will be determined by the specific circumstances of the encounter. If you find yourself involved in an active assailant situation, try to remain calm and use the following guidelines as a strategy for survival.

 

If you ever find yourself in an active assailant situation, the simplest thing to remember is Evacuate, Hide-out, Take-action!

Evacuate

• • • • • If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:
        • If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate.
        • Evacuate whether others agree to or not.
        • Leave your belongings behind.
        • Help others escape if possible.
        • Prevent others from entering the area.
        • Call 9-1-1 when you are safe.

Hide-out

• • • • • If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active assailant is less likely to find you.
        • Lock and/or blockade the door.
        • Hide behind large objects.
        • Silence your cell phone.
        • Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)
        • Remain very quiet.
        • Your hiding place should:
        • Be out of the shooter’s view.
        • Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
        • Not trap or restrict your options for movement.
        • Remain calm:
        • Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active assailant’s location.
        • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen.

Take-action against the active assailant

• • • • • As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to
        • disrupt and/or incapacitate the active assailant by:
        • Acting as aggressively as possible against the assailant.
        • Attempt to incapacitate the assailant.
        • Improvise weapons.
        • Committing to your actions.

Information to provide to law enforcement or 911 operator:

• • • • • Location of the active assailant.
        • Number of assailants, if more than one.
        • Physical description of assailant/s.
        • Number and type of weapons held by the assailant/s.
        • Number of potential victims at the location.

How to react when law enforcement arrives:

• • • • • Remain calm and follow officers’ instructions.
        • Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets).
        • Always keep your hands visible.
        • Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling.
        • Know that help for the injured is on its way.

What you should expect from law enforcement responding to an active assailant:

• • • • • If possible, tell the officers where the assailant(s) was last seen and a description of the assailant(s).
        • Do as the officers direct you and always keep your hands visible.
        • Police are trained to proceed as quickly as possible to the sound of the gunfire; their purpose is to stop the assailant(s).
        • Officers may be in plainclothes, patrol uniforms or SWAT Uniforms armed with long rifles, shotguns, and handguns.
        • Also be aware that the first responding police officers will not stop to assist injured people. Others will follow to treat the injured. First responding officers are trained to proceed as quickly as possible to the threat and to stop the assailant(s).
        • Keep in mind that once you are in a safe location, the entire scene is a crime scene. The police usually will not let anyone leave until the situation is completely under control. Police may ask for your statement of what you heard and observed. Please cooperate with the police.

 

ECSU Administration, University Police and Office of Emergency Management are committed to maintaining a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and guests. To insure that all necessary emergency notifications are received in a timely manner, ECSU has developed an Emergency Notification System. This system includes Blackboard Connect (e-mail, text messaging), ECSUALERT (campus wide email), and Audible Alert Tones (Sirens) followed by instructions. 

The Emergency Notification System requires testing to ensure that the mechanics of the systems are working properly and to maintain proficiency. To ensure this process, test dates have been established. The testing may include all phases of the Emergency Notification System.

Test dates will be publicized in advance, so the campus community and people living and working in neighborhoods surrounding the campus will be aware that the system is being tested on a particular date. 

The test dates for the 2022 - 2023 school year will be the third Wednesday of each month @ 3:00 p.m.

All testing will be conducted at 3:00 p.m. on scheduled date unless otherwise stated by University Police or Office of Emergency Management. Testing will consist of distribution message through Blackboard Connect (email to campus and registered email accounts, text to registered numbers), scrolling informational banner on ECSU Homepage and audible siren activation followed by voice test message.

Building	Date	Time
Viking Village	TBD	TBD
Viking Tower	TBD	TBD
University Towers	TBD	TBD
University Suites	TBD	TBD
Bias Hall	TBD	TBD

• All students must evacuate the building as quickly as possible.
• All students will assemble a MINIMUM OF 1000 FEET away from entrance of building.(not steps, entrance or lobby area)
• Residence Life Staff will conduct headcount and account for residents in building.

OSHA Education Sessions

Subject	Date	Time	Location
Office Safety	TBD
Office Safety	TBD
Workplace Violence	TBD
Workplace Violence	TBD
Building Emergency Coordinators	TBD
Building Emergency Coordinators	TBD
Bloodborne Pathagens	TBD
Bloodborne Pathagens	TBD
Personal Protection Equipment	TBD
Hazard Communications	TBD
Lifting/Carrying Safety	TBD
Lifting/Carrying Safety	TBD

 

The purpose of a lockdown is to minimize accessibility to rooms/buildings on campus to reduce the risk of injury or danger to faculty, staff, students or visitors.

A lockdown would be implemented when requested by the Chief of Police, the Chancellor or the Executive Cabinet. Under circumstances where a delay in seeking direction from the Chancellor or the Executive Cabinet would result in significant risks to the lives of the University community, lockdown procedures may be initiated immediately by University Police.

Incidents Requiring a Lockdown

Person(s) armed with a firearm or weapon on campus property, gunshots directed at or near the University campus, police incidents involving dangerous person(s) that are adjacent to or within a short distance of the campus, intruders, hazardous chemical spills, gas leaks, electrical conditions, or disasters close to the campus. These examples are not absolute but reflect the type of situation that may require a lockdown.

In the event of an emergency and notification of a campus lockdown, please follow the procedures below:

• Remain calm. Encourage others to remain calm.
• Immediately cease all activity (i.e. teaching, group work, meetings etc...)
• Lock or barricade all doors where possible; use furniture or desks as cover
• If possible, cover any windows or openings that have a direct line of sight into a hallway.
• Shut the blinds or pull the shades down. Turn off the lights and try to give the impression that the room is empty.
• Stay low, away from windows and doors 
• Sit on the floor or crouch under or behind desks and bookshelves where possible, so as to be as invisible as possible.
• Immediately put all cell phones on "Vibrate" or "Silent" mode. Calls to University Police should be made only if specific information becomes available regarding the location or conduct of the intruder or if the status of the emergency changes.
• Be as quiet as possible.
• DO NOT respond to anyone at the door until an "all clear" message is received via campus notification systems (See ECSU Alert Notification Information below) or if you are certain it is safe to do so (i.e. if police are at the door). 
• If you are directed by police to leave your secured area, assist others in moving as quietly and quickly as possible.
• Do not sound the fire alarm in the building unless there is a fire. People may be placed in harms way when they are attempting to evacuate the building. If a fire alarm does go off during a lockdown, do not evacuate unless you smell smoke or see fire in your area.
• If you are outside of a building when a lockdown is announced, if it is safe to do so, run into the nearest building with hands raised above head and palms facing outward and follow the above lockdown instructions. If it is not safe to run into a building, hide behind a large heavy object (i.e. vehicle, tree). Notify University Police of your location when safe to do so. If off-campus do not return and follow official instructions from campus notification system. 
• Be aware of alternate exits if it becomes necessary to flee.
• Individuals should not attempt to leave the building until told to do so by police personnel.

All faculty or staff in control of students at the time of the lockdown becomes responsible for those students at that time. Faculty and staff members are responsible for accounting for students and ensuring that no one leaves the safe area. Students without staff must be directed to the nearest classroom or safe building. When the condition causing the lockdown has been eliminated, an "all clear- lockdown is over" announcement will be made through the campus emergency notification system.

• Anyone who receives information or observes an emergency situation should immediately call Campus
  Police or use one of the emergency phones located across campus.
• In the building, occupants will be notified of an emergency by fire alarm and word of mouth.
• Occupants will: 1) know at least two exits from which to leave the building 2) be familiar with the evacuation routes posted on their floor 3) know how to Call 911 to report a fire- Give your name and location of fire, including room number and floor. State exactly what is burning, what is smoking or what smells like a fire to you. Then notify the Residence Hall Director or other designated staff person and activate the fire alarm.
• When notified to evacuate, do so in a calm and orderly manner, i.e. - walk, do not run; keep conversation
  level down; close all doors behind you; use the stairs; help others in need of assistance.
  Go to the designated assembly area. At all times you must remain at least 1000 feet away from the building to allow
  others to safety evacuate the building and for emergency vehicles to gain access to the building.