After the tragic events in Oregon on the 1st of this month school shootings are once again at the forefront of the national conversation. The Georgia Southern department of public safety is providing active shooter training for faculty, staff, and students.

This training is meant to prepare the university community for any horrible possibilities. Preparedness is the best defense against the next one of these events.

Active shooter training for civilians is done on request. Officers from the department of Public Safety will meet with individuals seeking this training and teach them how to be prepared and how to act in an active shooter scenario.

If you ever find yourself in an active shooter situation immediately find a secure area. Either hide or if you are absolutely sure it is safe, run. If you are indoors lock and barricade the door, but try to have an exit in mind. If you are in a secure place, keep calm and quiet. Contact campus police or call 911. Fight back against the perpetrator only as a last resort.

The training is comprehensive but the application is not an exact science. It is meant to layout your options and let you know which is best for any given scenario. Chief of Police for Georgia Southern, Lauren McCullough said “…the biggest thing that we’re trying to get across to people is that there is more than one option and which option you choose depends on your personal preferences and your situation, so we cannot tell you absolutely what your choice must be; what we can do is teach you what your options are, and how to best make that decision.”

These incidents are very real and very scary but being ready could save your life. If you are interested in the training contact the department of Public Safety.

Sources: 

http://bf.georgiasouthern.edu/publicsafety/active-shooter-training/