All faculty, staff and administration at the university have been ordered to complete a state-mandated “Active Shooter Situations: What Should You Do?” online training before May 18.
The web-based video training course is intended to comply with a December 2017 executive order from Gov. Phil Bryant and includes a roughly 20-minute video series that has three quizzes. All state employees are required to complete the course by the May deadline.
Amanda Drew, emergency management coordinator for the University Police Department, said this training will add onto the already existing practices for incoming students and faculty.
“Our crime prevention unit has always been active in running these types of courses, and there are courses for faculty as well,” Drew said. “Active shooter events are unique … because they happen and end quickly and occur for several minutes before intervention. Those involved are not always trained well enough to protect themselves. This web training will just add on to what we’re already doing.”
Despite the fact that the executive order resulting in this online course was released last December, the university only recently began instituting its compliance efforts in a March 8 email from the Office of the Provost to faculty. A notice of the training has also since appeared in UM Today’s daily newsletter.
According to information presented in the training videos, there were 179 active shooter incidents across the United States from 2000 to 2014. In 2018 alone, there have been 18 active shooter situations. Drew said it is especially important now for this material to be presented.
“The recent events have really emphasized the importance of being prepared for an (active shooter),” Drew said. “Some may feel unprepared or nervous about the training, but we want those involved to be prepared.”
The videos and quizzes cover relevant topics, such as what workplace violence is, who active shooters are and how individuals should respond. According to the video narration, “There are three key responses that you can make. You can avoid. You can deny. And you can defend.”
According to MSPB’s communications director, Brittany Frederick, the state modeled the “Avoid, Deny, Defend” response techniques on material taught by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University.
“The training emphasizes that although paying attention and reporting threats/suspicious behaviors from coworkers, clients and visitors may serve to prevent an active shooter situation, survival will generally come down to preparation and taking action,” Frederick said.
Meek School Associate Dean Charlie Mitchell completed the video series over spring break. He said he sees this program as more of a preparatory course rather than one geared toward prevention of active shooter situations.
“(The video series) was pretty much prepare, know how to react in a situation, and these are things University of Mississippi employees have done already,” Mitchell said. “We already have active shooter training online.”
Mitchell, however, said the online training stressed the importance of being cautiously attentive on campus.
“One of the things they tell you is that anyone can be an active shooter,” said Mitchell. “It doesn’t encourage you to do any type of profiling, but it does tell you that you should be alert to changes in behavior and, of course, report it. Err on the side of caution and report to the responsible authorities.”
Mitchell said it was necessary for the governor to act in response to the string of recent active shooter incidents.
“If you’re an elected official and something bad happens, you’re obligated to try to present a solution,” Mitchell said. “This presentation was about preparation, and that’s the important part (of the video series).”
The required online seminar is located on the Mississippi State Personnel Board’s website. According to the narration of the video, the curriculum was developed “in conjunction with the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security and the Mississippi Gaming Commission as well as MDOT Law Enforcement and the Capitol Police.”
This article was submitted to The Daily Mississippian from an advanced reporting class.
