UTC ACTIVE SHOOTER GUIDELINES
Run, Hide, Fight
An active shooter is someone with a gun attempting to kill people in a confined, populated area. The best scenario is to intervene before someone turns violent. If you see warning signs in a person’s behavior, don’t hesitate to share your concerns with authorities.
Responding to an active shooter requires decision-making specific to the incident underway. A campus-wide emergency notification will communicate the latest known location of the threat, but the shooter may have moved. In most cases, the best action is to barricade. You should evacuate only if you are sure of the shooter’s location, and you have a clear path to an exit.
Active Shooter Response Actions
Run
- Have an escape plan in mind.
- If you’re outside a building near the threat, go to the closest cover immediately.
- If you’re inside the building and you’re confident you know the shooter’s location and have a clear path to an exit, evacuate immediately. Take others with you, if possible.
- Prevent others from entering the building.
- Keep your hands empty and visible and follow all instructions from police.
- Tell police anything you know about the shooter (location, weapons, other).
Hide
If you’re inside a building and the shooter(s) location is unknown, the safest option is normally to barricade.
If you're unsure that you can safely exit the building, secure the area by:
- Locking and barricading doors with heavy furniture
- Staying away from doors or windows
- Turning off lights
- Blocking windows
- Turning off radios and computer monitors
- Keeping yourself out of sight (take cover/protection from bullets by using concrete walls or heavy furniture) AND
- Silencing your cell phone
Fight
Attempt to stop the attacker by:
- Working as a group if possible
- Improvising weapons
- Committing to your actions
- Acting with physical aggression
Be Prepared for the Police Response
- Follow all instructions given by police officers
- Understand that the first actions by police will be to address the threat
- Make sure empty hands are in plain view
- Tell police any information you know about the shooter
Self-report for Tracking
- Attempt to contact your immediate family
- Provide information to University officials for rosters upon request
- Register on the emergency database (RECONNECT) designed to share information in an emergency
Active Shooter FAQs
- If an active shooter is outside your building:
-
- Go to a room that can be locked or barricaded.
- Lock all doors and windows, turn off lights and stay away from and lower than the windows. Barricade the door if you can’t lock it.
- Silence your cell phone. Dial 911 and quietly tell the dispatcher what’s happening and where you are. If you can’t speak, stay on the line so the dispatcher can hear what’s happening.
- Stay in the room until police or an official campus notification gives the “all clear.”
- If an active shooter is inside the building where you are:
-
- If the room can be locked, lock it and stay away from the door.
- If the room can’t be locked, determine if you can safely get to a nearby room that can be locked.
- Barricade the door if you can’t lock it.
- Silence your cell phone. Dial 911 and quietly tell the dispatcher what’s happening and where you are. If you can’t speak, stay on the line so the dispatcher can hear what’s happening.
- Stay in the room until police or an official campus notification gives the “all clear.”
- If an active shooter enters your office or classroom:
-
- Dial 911 on your office phone or cell phone, if possible.
- If it’s possible to talk, give the shooter’s location and description.
- If it’s not safe to speak, keep the phone line open so the dispatcher can hear what’s happening.
- If possible, attempt to negotiate with the shooter.
- Attempting to overpower the shooter with force should be a last resort after running and hiding are no longer options.
- If the shooter leaves the area, attempt to lock or barricade the door or go to a safe location.
- If you are able and decide to flee an active shooter situation:
-
- Have an escape route in mind.
- Leave behind everything except your cell phone.
- Keep your hands visible and follow police instructions.
- Don’t stop to assist or attempt to move wounded victims. Tell police where these victims are.
- What you should expect from responding law enforcement to an active shooter:
-
- Police are trained to proceed as quickly as possible toward the sound of gunfire. Their purpose is to stop the shooter.
- Officers may be in uniform or in plain clothes and armed.
- Do as police direct you and keep your hands visible at all times.
- If possible, tell police where the shooter was last seen and what they look like.
- The first police officers to respond will not stop to assist injured people. Others will follow to treat the injured. First responding officers are trained to stop the shooter(s).
Even once you are in a safe location, you are still in a crime scene. Police usually require everyone to remain in place until the situation is completely under control. Police may ask you to describe what you heard and saw.