September 11, 2008

Video helps students prepare for, react to active shooter on campus

"Shots Fired on Campus: When Lightning Strikes," is a 20-minute video that illustrates what to look for and how to prepare and react, said Carol Shelby, senior director of environmental health and public safety.

The video is available online at https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/police/video . A Purdue career account and password are necessary to log on to view the video. Its release to the Purdue community coincides with National Emergency Preparedness Month.

"This video stresses awareness, preparation and rehearsal, the keys to safety," Shelby said. "Students, faculty and staff can take the training on their own and access it anytime they want, but some professors also may want to play it in their classrooms."

The site also includes links to enable viewers to contact Shelby by e-mail.

The video was produced by the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, based in Spokane, Wash., and is being shown at several college campuses around the nation, Shelby said. The center is composed of former U.S. Department of Defense and FBI officials and is dedicated to researching and disseminating best practices in workplace violence prevention and travel safety. It is responsible for much of the federal government's current teaching and training on crisis negotiations, workplace violence, abduction prevention and hostage survival situations.

Shelby said Purdue linked with the center through the university's participation in the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, an organization involved in safety and security on college campuses.

Writer: Jim Bush, (765) 494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu

Source: Carol Shelby, (765) 494-7504, cshelby@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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