This semester, the university’s faculty and staff are undergoing active shooter preparedness training. The training, conducted by SUNY Brockport Emergency Manager Timothy Durfee and Chief of University Police Daniel Vasile, utilizes a plan called “Run, Hide, Fight.”
According to Durfee, the plan was developed through collaboration between the Office of Emergency Management and University Police. While the plan provides guidance on how to respond to an emergency situation, it also allows for flexibility.
“The plan is designed to allow each department on campus to assess their workspaces for how they could practically implement ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ and secure their office areas in the event a lockdown order was issued to campus,” Durfee said.
Durfee and Vasile have worked to provide these trainings to the university’s many departments and offices. Each training includes group discussions, as well as exercises that go through the different aspects of an emergency situation with faculty and staff, like how they can communicate with each other during an situation and how they can apply “Run, Hide, Fight” in the specific building they are in.
The training also incorporated a video titled, “Run. Hide. Fight.— Safe in Schools.” Produced by the FBI, the video goes through how each step can be implemented and provides further resources for viewers who want more information.
The emergency response plan given during these trainings includes information on how to implement “Run, Hide, Fight” during an active shooter incident, as well as how to stay prepared before an incident and steps to take after an incident.
Before an incident, the plan encourages faculty and staff members to know their environment, prepare ahead and trust their instincts. This includes:
- Finding at least two exits from the building where their classes and offices are located
- Knowing if a building’s doors lock from the inside or outside, as well as white items can be used to barricade a room
- Going over what to do in an emergency at the start of each semester
- Reporting troubling behavior to University Police
During an incident, the plan states that the first option is to evacuate, or “Run.” When evacuating:
- Leave belongings behind
- Help others, if able
- Stop others from entering an unsafe area
- Find a safe location
- Call University Police
This option is encouraged if the threat is in the building, or on the same floor.
If evacuation is not a safe option, the plan encourages members of the Brockport community to “Hide.” For this option:
- Lock and barricade doors,
- Turn off lights
- Silence phones and electronic devices
- Close blinds
- Remain quiet
- Stay out of sight away from windows and doors
- Wait for an “all clear” to be given, or to be instructed by law enforcement
This option is encouraged if the threat is not in the building, or on a different floor of the same building.
In an active shooter situation, the last resort is to “Fight.” To follow this step:
- Ambush the attacker
- Work as a group to control the weapon
- Improvise defense weapons based on what objects are nearby, like fire extinguishers or chairs
- Fight aggressively and decisively
After an incident, the plan instructs faculty and staff to do the following:
- Follow the instructions of law enforcement
- Keep hands empty and avoid sudden movements
- Go to designated reunification areas
- Keep track of students and contact supervisors
- Find necessary support services
The safety training has allowed Durfee and Vasile to provide faculty and staff with a more confident understanding of campus safety procedures.
“Going to each office and conducting the trainings have helped us to identify gaps within offices or buildings that need to be addressed, or reveal information other staff members within the building may not have known,” Durfee said.
The training has given faculty and staff who don’t usually work together an opportunity to collaborate on plans to ensure a campus community.
“This type of planning can’t be done in a vacuum – in terms of effecting a building lockdown – it requires everyone in the building to assist in some capacity, and seeing departments organically begin planning and thinking through how they can solve certain problems to make their spaces more secure, is really what this initiative was about,” Durfee said.
This semester’s active shooter preparedness training is just one of many initiatives the Office of Emergency Management and University Police plan to implement on campus.
“The focus right now is active shooter and lockdown, but don’t be surprised when the next year’s focus is evacuation or sheltering-in-place,” Durfee said. “There’s a lot of different hazards out there, and quite a few protective actions we can apply to keep everyone safe from them, but in order for them to work it takes bringing everyone to the table and having a conversation.”
To be best prepared for an emergency, Durfee recommends registering for Brockport’s Emergency Alerts System, as well signing up for Monroe-Alert and NY-Alert. To join the Brockport Emergency Alert System, fill out the SICAS Everbridge Emergency Contact Survey. In the event of an emergency on Brockport’s campus, call (585) 395-2222 for University Police.
