UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
It is important for faculty and staff to be mentally and physically prepared in case a situation with an Active Armed Assailant arises. Review the Run!-Hide!-Fight! training materials or request a training session with campus police. Always be aware of your environment and any possible dangers, and take note of the nearest exits in any facility you visit.
An Active Armed Assailant (a.k.a. Active Shooters, Active Assailants, Hostile Intruder) is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, they will use firearms and/or weapons, and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Situations involving Active Armed Assailants are unpredictable, evolve quickly, and are often over within minutes. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the armed assailant and mitigate harm to victims.
When an Active Armed Assailant is in your vicinity you should quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life.
In most emergency situations, the human response is to freeze. You are instead encouraged to develop a mental preparedness to MOVE. Be sure to:
If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide that is out of the assailant's view and which provides protection if shots are fired in your direction.
As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, you should take action against the assailant and attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate them. When the assailant is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you distract or attack the assailant by:
Police officers responding to an active armed assailant are trained to proceed immediately to the area in which shots were last heard. Their purpose is to stop the assailant(s) as quickly as possible.
The first responding officers will normally be in teams. They may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or they may be wearing external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment.
The officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, or handguns and might be using pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation. Regardless of how they appear, remain calm. Do as the officers tell you and do not be afraid of them. Put down any bags or packages you may be carrying and keep your hands visible at all times. If you know where the assailant is, tell the officers.
The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured people. Rescue teams composed of other officers and emergency medical personnel will follow behind the first officers to treat and remove injured people.
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that even once you have escaped to a safer location, the entire area is still considered a crime scene. Police personnel will usually not let anyone leave until the situation is fully under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Until you are released, remain at the location which authorities have designated.