Northwestern creates active violence training video
Graphically simulates shooter on campus
Northwestern University is introducing a chilling new video this fall to help prepare students, staff and faculty on how to respond to a situation of active violence.
The eight-minute video graphically simulates a shooter on the Evanston campus, then portrays students, faculty and staff modeling portions of the “Run, Hide, Fight” response depending on their location.
“Run, Hide, Fight” is a protocol recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The video was produced over the summer but comes in the wake of two high-profile mass shootings in less than two weeks: the killing of 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue and the killing of 12 people at a bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Though the video demonstrates an active shooter, Northwestern officials note an aggressor could also use a different type of weapon or a car in an active attack.
The simulation portrays a young man pulling a handgun out of the waistband of his jeans and quickly shooting two people near the Jacobs Center. One young woman instructs viewers not to hesitate when hearing gunshots, to run away if it seems safe to do so and to call 911 upon reaching safety. The woman also advises viewers to give as much specific information as possible to a dispatcher, including an exact location and a description of the attacker.
Part of the messaging, Northwestern officials say, is to eliminate the mindset that such violence could not occur within the campus and community. It is imperative that students, staff and faculty are prepared to react quickly and smartly were such a situation to unfold.
“Even with our safeguards in place, knowing how to respond can make all the difference,” said Bruce Lewis, Northwestern chief of police and associate vice president of safety and security. “Preparing for an emergency before one occurs makes you much more likely to be able to respond appropriately if such an event happens. It is important to pay attention to where you are and think through what you could do if a threat appears.”
The university’s emergency management department is holding several briefings on the video this fall.
Shootings and similar violent crime are rare at Northwestern, though the campus experienced a scare in March when it was targeted in a swatting hoax. A false report of a shooting at a residence hall sent scores of emergency personnel to campus that afternoon and triggered a lockdown for about two hours.