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Basic Procedure 

  • 1) Run - try and get away from the area of the shooter(s) 

  • 2) Hide - if you cannot get away, try and hide from the shooter(s)

  • 3) Fight - if you cannot avoid the shooter(s), fight for your life

  • Guidelines for Violent Threat (OSU Libraries & Press)

  • Call 9-1-1 if safe to do so

Important Links

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
excludeTable of Contents


Procedure in Detail

Expand
titleActive Shooter: Response & Recovery

Response: If an active shooter is outside your building or inside the building you are in, you should:

  1. Try to remain calm.
  2. Try to warn faculty, staff, students, and visitors to Run away (get out/evacuate)
    1. Have one person call 9-1-1 and provide: “this is (name), (give your location) and we have an active shooter at (building on OSU campus) gun shots fired.” If you are able to see the offender(s), give a description of the person(s) sex, race, clothing, type of weapon(s), location last seen, direction of travel, and identity – if known.
    2. If you have observed any victims, give a description of the location seen and a description.
  3. If you cannot run away, Hide (lock out/shelter in place).
    1. Proceed to a room that can be locked or barricaded.
    2. Lock and barricade doors and windows. Turn off lights. Close blinds. Block windows.
    3. Turn off radios and other devices that emit sound.
    4. Keep yourself out of sight and take adequate cover/protection, e.g. hide inside a closet, get behind concrete walls, thick desks, filing cabinets, or any other object that will stop a bullet penetration.
    5. Stay close to the ground after locking the door and finding a hiding place
    6. Silence cell phones.
    7. Have one person call 9-1-1 and provide: “this is (name), (give your location) and we have an active shooter at (building on OSU campus) gun shots fired.” If you are able to see the offender(s), give a description of the person(s) sex, race, clothing, type of weapon(s), location last seen, direction of travel, and identity – if known.
    8. If you have observed any victims, give a description of the location seen and a description.
    9. If you observed any suspicious devices (improvised explosive devices), provide the location seen and description.
    10. If you heard any explosions, provide a description and location.
  4. Wait patiently until a uniformed police officer, or an OSU official provides an “all clear”. Ask for identification to confirm the responder’s status.
  5. Unfamiliar voices may be an active shooter trying to lure you from safety; do not respond to commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being issued be a police officer, or OSU official.
  6. Rescue of people should only be attempted if it can be accomplished without further endangering the persons inside the secure area.
  7. Depending on circumstances, consideration may also be given to exiting ground floor windows as safely and quietly as possible.
  8. If a lockdown is implemented, no one will be allowed enter or leave the building.

If an active shooter enters your office or classroom, you should Fight (knock out):

  1. Arm yourself with any kind of weapon possible
  2. Fight for your life

If you are in an outside location and encounter and active shooter, you should:

  1. Try to remain calm.
  2. Move away from the active shooter or sounds of the gunshot(s) and/or explosion(s).
  3. Look for appropriate locations for cover/protection, e.g. brick walls, retaining walls, large trees, parked vehicles, or any other object that may stop bullet penetration.
  4. Try to warn other faculty, staff, students, and visitors to take immediate cover.
  5. Call 9-1-1 and provide the information listed in the first guideline.

Recovery:

  • Be prepared to be interviewed by officials
  • Contact your supervisor to seek counseling services
Expand
titleActive Shooter: Be Prepared

Mitigation:

  • Install locks or devices on doors that allow the door to be locked from the inside
  • Obtain keys to lock exterior doors

Preparedness:

  • Review with staff and faculty how to respond to acts of violence
  • Identify who has the capability and responsibility to lock exterior building doors
  • An active shooter is a person or persons who appear to be actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in populated areas on the campus. Active shooter situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate response by the community and immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the shooting and prevent harm to the community. Be aware that the emergency phone lines become overwhelmed in this type of situation.
  • Know the response by law enforcement
    • They will by-pass wounded and anyone else as they go directly to the shooter
    • They evaluate every person as a shooter. Keep your hands above your waist, stay on the floor, do not distract the responder from finding the shooter.
    • When directed out of the building, keep your hands empty, keep them above your head and move quickly in the direction responders tell you.
  • OSU Bridge Training: 

Training Materials


Active Shooter FAQ

During an Active Shooter Event

What can be used as a weapon/defense tool in the library against an active shooter in a "fight" situation.

Most anything can be used as a weapon in your work environment including staplers, chairs, coffee cups, scissors, laptop computers, phone, monitor, fire extinguishers, etc. Throw things at their head to distract and hurt them, attack to incapacitate. Fight to Survive.

Can library window glass be broken to exit the building?

Yes but only as a last resort if cornered. Breaking the window glass would need excessive force and there is a danger with glass shards. It would also be very noisy possibly attracting attention and there are very few areas in the building where this might be necessary. Overall it would be best to evacuate through emergency exits if possible.

Can all library doors be locked from the inside?

No, many cannot be locked from the inside.

What do I as an individual need to do? What are my responsibilities?

Protecting yourself is your only responsibility. Know where to run, where you can hide, and how you can fight if necessary.

Is there an evacuation assistance area in the building, such as for persons with disabilities?

If everyone in the area is exiting the building, others should help those with disabilities out of the building. If evacuating a person with disabilities is not possible, they should hide, call 541-737-7000 and report their location and situation. Elevators can be used to exit the building if it is safe to do so.

Accounting for Everyone after an Event

How do we account for our coworkers if there is an event on campus? 

Supervisors are responsible for accounting for their employees. Each supervisor should organize a plan to account for their employees in an Active Shooter Event.

Do we have a place we should gather to make sure everyone is accounted for?

Our general evacuation procedures do not apply to Active Shooter Events so there are no "staging" areas where departments/units would meet. You should not pre-identify areas to meet or hide as a shooter with inside information may know where that is. You should hide as an individual and if safe you would evacuate the building and find a safe place to go. Emergency personnel may be outside to assist you. 

What if we are out and about on campus? If there is an incident somewhere else, do we need to account for the library people out of the building? Should those people come back to the library so we know they're OK?

You should contact your supervisor and keep up on campus alerts. You should have a contact list in your phone of people you can call. Supervisors should have a contact list of all of their employees.  Do not try and return to the library - shelter in place if at all possible.

Training and Preparation

Is there training to recognize the sound of gunshots?

The sounds of firearms vary widely depending on the type of weapon, where you are in the building, how the sound travels, and other variables. You may not hear anything at all in a building this size. If you hear something that you think may be a firearm, assume the worst and take preventive measures. Check your phone for alerts. Stay hidden and quiet. Listen for screams and yelling. 

What other numbers should I program into my phone so that I can call for help immediately (other than 911?)

  • Public Safety 541-737-7000.
  • Your supervisors phone number.
  • Sign up for OSU Alerts

I guess I don’t feel very prepared at all for this kind of thing and the Run, Hide Fight slogan, while somewhat useful, doesn’t fully help me think how I might actually respond. Where would I run? Where would I hide, how would I fight? I might be a person who needs to do a kind of drill, although I know that is triggering for others.

Drills are not practical for Active Shooter Events due to so many variables. You should think through, as an individual, where you would run (nearest emergency exit), where you would hide (in your work area or in the library), and how you would fight (what objects are available for you to use as a weapon). Feel free to do this with a co-worker.

Policies and Procedures

How does the library lock down the building? What are the procedures?

There is a wiki page that goes into depth on the library's lockdown/lockout procedures.

Does Oregon's law preventing open carry in public buildings apply to OSU buildings and surrounding grounds?

No. Oregon's open carry law only prohibits carrying a gun in public buildings without a handgun license. However, Oregon's laws do allow the State Board of Higher Education broad authority over all of its properties. In general, the internal policy governing firearms for the Oregon University System prohibits possession of a firearm, regardless of possessing a concealed handgun license, on all its properties. This policy can be found on the University's Policies and Standards website.

What do you do if you see someone with a possible weapon on campus?

Call Public Safety at 541-737-7000 immediately with as much descriptive information as possible.


Expand
titleAccuracy TBD

Q: What will the campus alert system say? How would it be used in this type of situation?

A: The current draft message would say:

Shots fired?(LOCATION).  Secure doors. Take shelter. Be silent. Run.Hide.Fight if in danger. Silence cell phones. Call 541-737-7000 for help. 

 A: The OSU Alert system will be used only when a significant emergency, dangerous situation or sudden campus closure/delay occurs on a university campus. An Alert is a message that will provide a timely warning or notification of an emergency and include instructions for the recipient to follow.  Due to the limit of message length, the instructions may direct the recipient to a web site for additional information. Emergency Preparedness will administer the system and authorize all use of it. At the very minimum, an email will be sent to everyone in the campus community with an ONID account. If you have signed up with the OSU Alert portal you will also recieve phone calls and text messages depending on your choices.(OSU Alert FAQ)

Q: Can all library doors be locked from the inside?

A: No, many cannot be locked from the inside. The library is currently reviewing better options for locks and doors with no windows or frosted/opaque glass. (Has this been done or is it ongoing?)

Q: Would it be possible to have presentations on this on an annual or semi-regular basis, possibly more tailored to the library building?

A: Yes, the Valley Safety Committee plans to include timely information and include activities during Safety Week and presentations.

Q: How do we account for our coworkers if there is an event on campus? 

A: Supervisors are responsible for accounting for their employees. Don has created an Emergency Contact Roster Google Sheet for supervisors to record employee phone numbers along with other information. Current supervisors have access to this list, and only current supervisors. (Does this list still exist?)

Each supervisor should organize a plan to account for their employees in an Active Shooter Event.

I found the training to be really valuable. I’m concerned that all students across campus don't have the opportunity to receiving this training, too. I also hope it is, at least, possible to have this training available to our student staff at Orientation Day.

 A: Yes, the Safety committee will work on providing training for our student employees and the Student Orientation Day is a great idea.