ACTIVE SHOOTEREXERCISE ON CAMPUS:A COMMUNITYPERSPECTIVE

ACTIVE SHOOTEREXERCISE ON CAMPUS:A COMMUNITYPERSPECTIVE

Safe Campus SummitLas VegasFebruary 23, 2015

Utah Valley University

Utah County Emergency Management

Metro SWAT (Provo/Orem/UVU/BYU)

PERSPECTIVE OF KEY PLAYERS

Discuss purpose of an active shooter exercise? Isthere really a threat?

Review what community partners were involvedand why? Review planning process and exercisedesign

Lessons learned from both exercises

Discuss changes as a result of the exercises

Discuss the importance of planning as acommunity for this scenario

Review Active Shooter Exercise Part 2, TheAftermath

OBJECTIVES FOR:UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY

Discuss purpose of an active shooter exercise? Isthere really a threat?

Review what community partners were involvedand why? Review planning process and exercisedesign

Lessons learned from both exercises

Discuss changes as a result of the exercises

Discuss the importance of planning as acommunity for this scenario

Review Active Shooter Exercise Part 2, TheAftermath

The following is video and photos taken duringthe exercise that was held at Utah ValleyUniversity on December 17, 2013 in the BrowningAdministration Building

VIDEO INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Rationale for an Active Shooter Exercise –What isthe threat level?

Value to campus community

Strengthening internal/external partnerships

Opportunity to test systems (response, comms)

Administrative imperative

PERSPECTIVE OF ADMINISTRATION:UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY

Rationale for an Active Shooter Exercise –What isthe threat level?

Value to campus community

Strengthening internal/external partnerships

Opportunity to test systems (response, comms)

Administrative imperative

Top down Put your money where your mouth is

Participate in Training and Exercises Activate EOC/Policy Group

ADMINISTRATION’S ROLE

Top down Put your money where your mouth is

Participate in Training and Exercises Activate EOC/Policy Group

• Pros and Cons

NEWS MEDIA INVOLVEMENT

PD participates in ongoing training UVU LE interface with community LE frequently

Outside agencies visit campus to becomefamiliar with campus

What the PD learned from this exercise Dispatch issues with outdated equipment Public announcement system volume Officer paging system (all hands on deck)

PERSPECTIVE OF PD:UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY

PD participates in ongoing training UVU LE interface with community LE frequently

Outside agencies visit campus to becomefamiliar with campus

What the PD learned from this exercise Dispatch issues with outdated equipment Public announcement system volume Officer paging system (all hands on deck)

Exercise Planning: Who was involved and why?The process UVU:

Police Department

Police Dispatch

Emergency Response Team (EMTs/Paramedics)

University/Media Relations (PR)

IT

College of Emergency Services

Facilities

Emergency Management

Student Health Services (Medical/Mental Health)

Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT)

PERSPECTIVE OF UVU:EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Exercise Planning: Who was involved and why?The process UVU:

Police Department

Police Dispatch

Emergency Response Team (EMTs/Paramedics)

University/Media Relations (PR)

IT

College of Emergency Services

Facilities

Emergency Management

Student Health Services (Medical/Mental Health)

Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT)

County Agencies: Metro SWAT Team Members Orem City EMS Orem City Dispatch Center Utah County Sheriff’s Office Provo City Police Orem City Police Medical Control(ER Physician/Medical Oversight) Utah State Division ofEmergency Management

EXERCISE PLANNING

County Agencies: Metro SWAT Team Members Orem City EMS Orem City Dispatch Center Utah County Sheriff’s Office Provo City Police Orem City Police Medical Control(ER Physician/Medical Oversight) Utah State Division ofEmergency Management

Utah County EM

Utah DEM

Provo City EM

Orem City EM

BYU Police

BYU Dispatch

EVALUATORS/YELLOW VESTS

Utah County EM

Utah DEM

Provo City EM

Orem City EM

BYU Police

BYU Dispatch

Over 200 participants Over 100 employees/students

Real and simulated roles

Just under 100 people with agencies responding

PARTICIPANTS AND OTHERSTATISTICS

Over 200 participants Over 100 employees/students

Real and simulated roles

Just under 100 people with agencies responding

Training started in October of 2012 (130presentations given to all staff and faculty over 6months) Prevention measures/ “Run, Hide, Fight”video

Table Top Exercise/January of 2013 Planning started in May of 2013 with the

committee meeting multiple times until just daysbefore the exercise

Planning for Part 2 of the exercise began inJanuary 2014 Active Shooter Exercise Part 2: October 8, 2014

Objectives guided the design and what wewanted to test overall and as individual agencies

EXERCISE DESIGN/TIMELINE

Training started in October of 2012 (130presentations given to all staff and faculty over 6months) Prevention measures/ “Run, Hide, Fight”video

Table Top Exercise/January of 2013 Planning started in May of 2013 with the

committee meeting multiple times until just daysbefore the exercise

Planning for Part 2 of the exercise began inJanuary 2014 Active Shooter Exercise Part 2: October 8, 2014

Objectives guided the design and what wewanted to test overall and as individual agencies

What went well? There were some positive news stories

Better to work with them, with clear boundariesthan to ignore them hoping they will go away

What didn’t go so well? An institution cannot control the medias opinions,

attitudes, or agendas

MEDIA: FRIEND OR FOE?

Critical to plan with outside agencies

Find the gaps in agencies

individual plans, before the exercise

and during the exercise

Work to fix the problems before a

real event The only way to do that is practice

together

It is all about relationships!

INVOLVEMENT OF OUTSIDE AGENCIES

Critical to plan with outside agencies

Find the gaps in agencies

individual plans, before the exercise

and during the exercise

Work to fix the problems before a

real event The only way to do that is practice

together

It is all about relationships!

Normal response is to stage a safe distanceaway from incident and then respond as policehave “cleared” the scene.

Active Shooter response has evolvedovertime and the way we respond andwho responds and when

Columbine High School (SWAT Teams) Virginia Tech (Higher Education)(Need for TAT/BAT teams) Aurora, Colorado (Theater) (EMS need to getto injured quicker)

During the Exercise EMS: Staged with Law Enforcement Entered a “warm zone” with LE escort andhelped take injured out. The outcome wasinjured got to ambulances and hospitals faster

EMS INVOLVEMENT EARLY ON

Normal response is to stage a safe distanceaway from incident and then respond as policehave “cleared” the scene.

Active Shooter response has evolvedovertime and the way we respond andwho responds and when

Columbine High School (SWAT Teams) Virginia Tech (Higher Education)(Need for TAT/BAT teams) Aurora, Colorado (Theater) (EMS need to getto injured quicker)

During the Exercise EMS: Staged with Law Enforcement Entered a “warm zone” with LE escort andhelped take injured out. The outcome wasinjured got to ambulances and hospitals faster

Identify key stake holders: Dispatch (city/county),EMS/Fire, EOD, Universities, Hospitals, other criticalorganizations

Community based Partnerships: Proactively find and approach other

organizations (planning)

Prevention: Work on emergency plans andresponse in advance

Training: With identified partners throughexercises

REPEAT!

PERSPECTIVE OF:UTAH COUNTY METRO SWAT

Identify key stake holders: Dispatch (city/county),EMS/Fire, EOD, Universities, Hospitals, other criticalorganizations

Community based Partnerships: Proactively find and approach other

organizations (planning)

Prevention: Work on emergency plans andresponse in advance

Training: With identified partners throughexercises

REPEAT!

Why we exercise as a community? Recent Exercises/Trainings:

Active Shooter at BYU/UVU The Great Shake Out/Statewide Earthquake Exercise County Earthquake Exercise with National Guard

Real Incidents: Summer Wild land Fires Mudslides/flooding H1N1 Pandemic Flu (infectious disease: Ebola, Measles, Pertussis)

What will tomorrow bring? More…March 7, 2015 (Countywide Terrorism Exercise, detonations,

chemicals) More…

PERSPECTIVE OF:COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Why we exercise as a community? Recent Exercises/Trainings:

Active Shooter at BYU/UVU The Great Shake Out/Statewide Earthquake Exercise County Earthquake Exercise with National Guard

Real Incidents: Summer Wild land Fires Mudslides/flooding H1N1 Pandemic Flu (infectious disease: Ebola, Measles, Pertussis)

What will tomorrow bring? More…March 7, 2015 (Countywide Terrorism Exercise, detonations,

chemicals) More…

Fast response of UVU LE and community LE, andUVU dispatcher UVU LE took 4 minutes to neutralize the shooter Outside LE responded into the Administration Bld.

within 5 minutes UVU dispatcher

Response of employees and students whoparticipated

Community Involvement EMS PA system, iNotify (computer screens, digital

monitors in hallways)

WHAT WENT WELL?

Fast response of UVU LE and community LE, andUVU dispatcher UVU LE took 4 minutes to neutralize the shooter Outside LE responded into the Administration Bld.

within 5 minutes UVU dispatcher

Response of employees and students whoparticipated

Community Involvement EMS PA system, iNotify (computer screens, digital

monitors in hallways)

Communications: PA system Text messaging system Dispatch equipment Continue training on campus, involve more student

groups

Outside agency lessons: Become more familiar with campus Continue practicing this type of exercise, speak the

same language EMS continued involvement, still some hesitancy…

LESSONS LEARNED

Communications: PA system Text messaging system Dispatch equipment Continue training on campus, involve more student

groups

Outside agency lessons: Become more familiar with campus Continue practicing this type of exercise, speak the

same language EMS continued involvement, still some hesitancy…

Active Shooter Part 2: The Next Several Hours Activate EOC and Policy Group Communications: Media, family, student, staff, faculty,

others Continue with Incident Command at the scene

NEXT STEPS FORUTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY

Active Shooter Part 2: The Next Several Hours Activate EOC and Policy Group Communications: Media, family, student, staff, faculty,

others Continue with Incident Command at the scene

Reviewed the first 30 minutes of the ActiveShooter Exercise from the past December

Split into four groups University EOC/Primary designated location

Policy Group/President’s Office

Incident Command at the scene/Admin. Bld.

Simulation Cell/A room on campus

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Reviewed the first 30 minutes of the ActiveShooter Exercise from the past December

Split into four groups University EOC/Primary designated location

Policy Group/President’s Office

Incident Command at the scene/Admin. Bld.

Simulation Cell/A room on campus

There was one shooter: male, student, recentlydivorced , lost a job, and failing a couple ofclasses Shooter was killed

Three victims were killed Student Employee (One Stop) Full time employee (Accountant) Student

Eight victims injured Students, staff, and one faculty

AFTERMATH INFORMATION

There was one shooter: male, student, recentlydivorced , lost a job, and failing a couple ofclasses Shooter was killed

Three victims were killed Student Employee (One Stop) Full time employee (Accountant) Student

Eight victims injured Students, staff, and one faculty

University EOC: Overview of activities Communicating with the scene Facilities set up road blocks to control ingress/egress Designated EMS routes Food delivered to first responders Making arrangements for clean up of building once

released from Law Enforcement Found alternate locations for essential operations Found alternate classroom situations for the next

semester Set up a helpline for families/concerned citizens Arranged for mental health services (country

resources, BYU, Red Cross) Set up a location for media Set up a location for families/friends of victims

OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS

University EOC: Overview of activities Communicating with the scene Facilities set up road blocks to control ingress/egress Designated EMS routes Food delivered to first responders Making arrangements for clean up of building once

released from Law Enforcement Found alternate locations for essential operations Found alternate classroom situations for the next

semester Set up a helpline for families/concerned citizens Arranged for mental health services (country

resources, BYU, Red Cross) Set up a location for media Set up a location for families/friends of victims

Policy Group: Overview of the act ivies Decision to close the school Communication with:

Board of Trustees

Board of Regents/State School Board

Media (what is the message to staff, faculty, students, andcommunity)

Notification of the family of the victims Decision to cancel community events for the

evening When/how to plan a memorial service Communication with hospitals where injured

were transported

OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS

Policy Group: Overview of the act ivies Decision to close the school Communication with:

Board of Trustees

Board of Regents/State School Board

Media (what is the message to staff, faculty, students, andcommunity)

Notification of the family of the victims Decision to cancel community events for the

evening When/how to plan a memorial service Communication with hospitals where injured

were transported

Good participation: 90% President’s Cabinet waspresent

First time to work separately (EOC and PolicyGroup)

Could see the need to have separate groupsfocused on separate actions

President and his cabinet felt/thought the exercisewas of great value. Anxious to practice again

EOC Manager very calm and able to delegatetasks to appropriate EOC positions

Some of the EOC positions were filled by peoplewho had not been in an EOC before, they adaptedquickly to the environment and were able to excel

Policy group able to have good conversationsabout what needed to take place quickly. Didn’tbelabor any particular point

WHAT WENT WELL?

Good participation: 90% President’s Cabinet waspresent

First time to work separately (EOC and PolicyGroup)

Could see the need to have separate groupsfocused on separate actions

President and his cabinet felt/thought the exercisewas of great value. Anxious to practice again

EOC Manager very calm and able to delegatetasks to appropriate EOC positions

Some of the EOC positions were filled by peoplewho had not been in an EOC before, they adaptedquickly to the environment and were able to excel

Policy group able to have good conversationsabout what needed to take place quickly. Didn’tbelabor any particular point

Policy changes about notifications of the families ofvictims

Policy/EOC were calling or notifying the same groupsof people

Too long to actually write the message, too manypeople involved to review and approve messages

EOC not big enough (currently a conference room)

President’s Office not appropriate location

Messaging to University, community, media (whoshould write it, how fast should it go out)

Needed pre-scripted messaging or templates to start(immediate messages and others) Continued…

LESSONS LEARNED FROM PART 2IMPROVEMENT PLANS

Policy changes about notifications of the families ofvictims

Policy/EOC were calling or notifying the same groupsof people

Too long to actually write the message, too manypeople involved to review and approve messages

EOC not big enough (currently a conference room)

President’s Office not appropriate location

Messaging to University, community, media (whoshould write it, how fast should it go out)

Needed pre-scripted messaging or templates to start(immediate messages and others) Continued…

Need for customized Job Action Sheets in EOC

Phones numbers in the EOC needed to be assigned toJob positions

Would make changes about where the people whowere writing the communication points would belocated

Needed a person to handle phone calls and radios

Too many people were approving messages, it tooktoo long to get messages out

LESSONS LEARNED FROM PART 2IMPROVEMENT PLANS

Need for customized Job Action Sheets in EOC

Phones numbers in the EOC needed to be assigned toJob positions

Would make changes about where the people whowere writing the communication points would belocated

Needed a person to handle phone calls and radios

Too many people were approving messages, it tooktoo long to get messages out

The Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council (EPAC) Meet monthly and strategize solutions for issues identified

Crisis Communications Group (new group) Meets to address communications issues

Plan for the next exercise (retest) March 7, 2015 (bombs/countywide)

April 16, 2015 (earthquake/statewide)

IN CONCLUSION

The Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council (EPAC) Meet monthly and strategize solutions for issues identified

Crisis Communications Group (new group) Meets to address communications issues

Plan for the next exercise (retest) March 7, 2015 (bombs/countywide)

April 16, 2015 (earthquake/statewide)

Question andAnswer Time

Question andAnswer Time