Local colleges train for active shooter situations

Local colleges say they have developed emergency protocols and have alert systems in place to deal with an active shooter on their campuses.

More higher learning institutions are relying on training exercises and drills to prepare students and staff for how to handle or deal with a gunman in their institution.

On Thursday, a 20-year-old man opened fire at Umpqua Community College in rural Oregon killing at least 10 people and wounding seven before dying in a shootout with police, according to an Associated Press report.

Sinclair Community College officials declined to discuss specifics of plans in place to thwart a campus shooter, but said at least three systems are ready to immediately get vital information to students, faculty and staff.

In August, Sinclair officers joined other area law enforcement in a scenario-based active shooter trainer exercise on campus, said Adam Murka, a Sinclair spokesman.

The community college’s department has 26 full-time police officers aided by 75 security information officers. Sworn officers carry firearms, a Taser, and are equipped with body cameras. Security information officers carry radios and provide police additional eyes and ears. They all communicate through Sinclair’s dispatch center.

In addition to Sinclair’s police force, Murka said other law officers could be on campus at a moment’s notice.

“We are right across the street from the (Montgomery County) sheriff and city of Dayton police. They can see us,” he said.

Central State University held an active shooter exercise to test the university’s emergency operations plan in July. About 45 personnel and safety representatives from the City of Xenia, Xenia Township, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Wilberforce University and Greene County Emergency Management participated in the exercise.

“We determined it was time and we wanted to test the protocols in our emergency operations plan,” said Edwina Blackwell-Clark, the CSU spokeswoman. “We had an opportunity to debrief after the exercise and we are continually updating the plan.”

CSU has 12 sworn armed police officers.

Clark State Community College employees have participated in training sessions specifically focused on active shooter situations on campus, including Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate. The most recent active shooter training was held in August.

The college continuously evaluates emergency procedures and will make necessary adjustments to its emergency procedures as more information about the shooting in Oregon becomes available, said college officials.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the faculty, staff, and students at Umpqua Community College at this time,” said Jo Alice Blondin, Clark State Community College president, in a written statement.

Miami University Middletown, which employs an armed police department, has several response procedures for everything form a chemical spill to an active shooter on campus.

Claire Wagner, a Miami University spokeswoman, said she attended an FBI training session this summer and found all of their procedures were in line with the agency’s recommendations.

Once every summer, members of the emergency management team, which is made up of local first responders, Oxford and Miami University police officers and the college’s employees, do emergency training. They practice their response to several possible scenarios, including severe weather or bomb threats, throughout the day.

“We’re thinking of doing a more active drill next year,”

Wagner said the university has several ways to communicate with students and staff during emergencies.

Wright State University offers active shooter training to students, faculty and staff and it sends alerts using texts, emails, and automated phone calls, according to a News Center 7 interview in September. The university also updates its crisis plan once or twice a year. The university said it takes national shootings into account when updating its security plan, but it will not take immediate action following an incident outside of Ohio unless school officials discover a possible connection or tie to the university.

The University of Dayton, which has 28 full-time and four part-time officers declined to discuss its security plan, however it confirmed it has an emergency alert system to send text alerts and autocalls when there is an emergency such as an active shooter.

Wittenberg University, in Springfield, has a full service police and security division. The university did not return phone calls seeking comment for this story.

About the Author