The threat of active shootings has put the nation in a state of constant fear. In the last two years alone, there have been over 150 shooting incidents in the United States, and the numbers are still climbing.
So what is Quinnipiac doing to prepare for an active shooter situation? Prior to this week, Quinnipiac has never had an official active shooter protocol. In addition, the University has never offered any kind of training to students, faculty or staff.
On Monday, the Quinnipiac community received an email from Executive Vice President Mark Thompson stating the University’s newly implemented protocol. The email also listed dates and times for “Active Shooter Awareness” training sessions, which are as follows:
These training sessions are open and encourage to be attended by everyone on campus.
Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez says that for the last eight months, his department has been working on a two-part plan.
“Our goal was to train Public Safety just in case God forbid something happened, so our people knew what they needed to do,” Rodriguez said. “And the second part of this is now awareness training for students, faculty and staff.”
The training sessions include a slideshow presentation, a simulation video as well as a question and answer session. During the Q-and-A, members of the audience asked about getting locks on every classroom door, when to dial 111, the university emergency line, instead of 911. One student veteran asked about changing the school policy to allow students or professors to defend themselves with their own personal registered guns.
Chief Rodriguez told the student that it is law enforcement’s job to diffuse the situation. The student then asked how long it would take for the first officer to arrive on the scene, and Rodriguez told him “minutes.” The student then responded by saying “[a few] minutes is a long time… those are crucial minutes,” and the Chief responded by repeating the word “minutes.”
Last year Quinnipiac decided to add armed officers to campus. While these staff members are allowed to carry weapons on campus, page 67 of the Quinnipiac University Student Handbook states that “Possession, transportation, storage or use of firearms, air guns, paint ball guns, BB guns, any other dangerous weapon or weapon facsimile is prohibited.”
But without metal detectors or other scanning equipment Public Safety cannot guarantee the 28 permitted officers are the only ones carrying weapons on campus.
“Right now it’s on an honor system,” Rodriguez said. “Not only students but faculty and staff. It’s in the employee handbook, there’s something that says you’re not allowed to have any weapons on campus so right now that’s what the policy is and we hope that everyone is respecting that.”
While Public Safety puts its trust in the students and staff to respect those rules, Chief Rodriguez says the department plans to conduct at least two drills per semester in order to follow up the training and practice in a simulated environment.
“You can tell people all day long ‘This is what you need to do,’” Rodriguez said. “But if they don’t practice it, they won’t do it.”
