JOPLIN, MO.--- Pittsburg State University Campus Police and Emergency Management Team held an active shooter response training session today for about a hundred Pittsburg State employees and students.
"It gives me a chance to go back and evaluate where I'd take my students in a situation like this, or how I would react in a situation like this," states Trent Aling, PSU Employee.
"You have 3 basic choices when something like this happens. You can either evacuate, you can take cover or you can fight. Obviously the best choice is to evacuate and get a way from the threat," states Chief Mike McCracken, PSU Police Chief.
Chief McCracken urges you to plan an escape from every room you enter. If there is no way out, he says your second best choice is to hide, by getting in a closet, hiding under a desk or behind a shelf. The last option is to fight, by yelling or improvising weapons.
"It's important for each individual to decide for themselves what level of comfort they have with self defense," states Chief McCracken.
Those who attended say this information was invaluable, but they hope they don't ever have to face what many already have all over the country.
"Just to think what they went through, I can't even imagine," states Kayla Deveruaux, PSU Employee.
When reporting a shooting, officers say to not assume someone has already called. Give a detailed account of what happened, a description of the gunman, and how many and what weapons they had. PSU's officer response time averages 2 to 3 minutes.
"It gives me a chance to go back and evaluate where I'd take my students in a situation like this, or how I would react in a situation like this," states Trent Aling, PSU Employee.
"You have 3 basic choices when something like this happens. You can either evacuate, you can take cover or you can fight. Obviously the best choice is to evacuate and get a way from the threat," states Chief Mike McCracken, PSU Police Chief.
Chief McCracken urges you to plan an escape from every room you enter. If there is no way out, he says your second best choice is to hide, by getting in a closet, hiding under a desk or behind a shelf. The last option is to fight, by yelling or improvising weapons.
"It's important for each individual to decide for themselves what level of comfort they have with self defense," states Chief McCracken.
Those who attended say this information was invaluable, but they hope they don't ever have to face what many already have all over the country.
"Just to think what they went through, I can't even imagine," states Kayla Deveruaux, PSU Employee.
When reporting a shooting, officers say to not assume someone has already called. Give a detailed account of what happened, a description of the gunman, and how many and what weapons they had. PSU's officer response time averages 2 to 3 minutes.
