Active Shooter / Violence Threat
When a violent threat is in your vicinity, you must be prepared mentally and physically to deal with the situation.
You have three options: Run | Hide | Fight
Homeland Security’s Quick Reference Guide (PDF format)
If you see someone with a weapon on campus or you are told someone has a weapon:
- Dial 911 and/or active the Panic Alarm for emergencies
- Give the 911 operator:
- Your name
- The exact location of the person with the weapon or where they were last seen
- The name of the person suspected to have the weapon (if known)
- A brief description of the person such as their clothing, race or gender
- Their physical characteristics such as hair color and length, complexion, approximate age build, height and weight
- The weapon type such as shotgun, rifle, handgun or knife
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- If you can’t speak, leave the line open, so the dispatcher can listen to what’s taking place.
- Shelter in place (wait for further instructions)
- Faculty and staff are responsible
- Direct people to remain or go to the nearest room or office
- Lock and barricade doors
- Close blinds/block windows
- Turn off the lights
- Silence cell phones
- Seek protective cover
- Keep occupants calm, quiet and out of sight
- Keep yourself out of sight and take adequate cover/protection
- Do not answer the door
*The weapon prohibition does not apply to handguns in a closed compartment inside the locked vehicle of an individual who has a legally obtained concealed handgun permit
Do not approach the person or inquire about the weapon!
Abduction
If you observe or become aware of an abduction:
- Move to safe location
- Call 911
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- Provide the this information:
- Your name, location and phone number
- Specific location of event
- Number and description of hostage takers
- Number of possible hostages
- Description of any weapons hostage takers may have
- Wait for further instructions
- If unwitnessed, verify that the student is missing
- Have building searched as needed
Bomb Threat
In case of a bomb threat click on checklist or follow the below:
- Do not hang up or put the caller on hold, do not transfer the caller, and do ask the following questions:
- When will the bomb explode?
- Where is the bomb?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What does it look like?
- Why did you place the bomb?
- Where are you calling from?
- Make note of:
- Time of call, characteristics of caller – male/female
- Voice of caller – excited, calm, accent, etc.
- Background noise such as traffic, music, etc.
- Notify Public Safety and Security: 910-678-8433
- Call 911 (Do not use cell phones or radios to communicate with others as they could activate a device.)
- Give the 911operator your name
- Provide the location and nature of the situation
- If possible, close all windows and doors in your immediate area
- Do not activate the fire alarm
- Await instructions from law enforcement or security personnel regarding evacuation
- If told to evacuate:
- Beginning going door -to-door announcing an evacuation
- Evacuate the building via the nearest exit
Do not re-enter the building for any reason until you have been instructed by the proper authority.
Criminal Act or Suspicious Person
In the event that you are the victim of a crime, observe a crime in progress, believe a crime may be in progress or observe a suspicious person:
- Do not attempt to apprehend or interfere with the possible criminal, except in cases of self- protection
- If a life threatening emergency, call 911 first, then call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- If safe to do so, remain where you are until contacted by a Security Officer:
- A description of the suspect(s) would be useful. Note height, weight, sex, color, approximate age, clothing, method and direction of travel and the person’s name, if known
- If the suspect is entering a vehicle, note the license number, make, model, color and any outstanding characteristics of the vehicle
- Do not disturb the crime scene
- Shelter in place and wait for further instructions if person is armed, an intruder, gunshots are fired, an abduction has occurred or other situation where being outside may be dangerous
- Remain in sheltered or safe areas until you are advised it is safe to do otherwise
- Faculty and staff are encouraged to take charge of the areas in which they are located
Fire
In case of fire or presence of smoke in the building:
- Make determination that an emergency situation exists
- Activate the nearest fire alarm (know the location of fire exits and alarm systems in your work area and know how to use them)
- Faculty and staff are needed to take charge of the areas in which they are located:
Promptly assist individuals in exiting the building! Do not use the elevators during a fire!
- Evacuate disabled individuals by stairs Smoke is the greatest danger in a fire, so stay near the floor where the air will be less toxic
- Once outside, move to a clear area at least 50 feet away from the affected building
- When safely away from building, call 911
- Notify Public Safety and Security immediately at 910-678-8433
- Notify others of the emergency through all means available (verbal messages, text messages, etc.)
- If possible, close all doors and windows, but do not lock doors
Do not re-enter the building for any reason until you are instructed by the proper authority (Fire/ Rescue Responders, Security, or College Officials).
Hazardous Materials/Gas Leak
Do not turn on lights or use electrical equipment! Do not activate the fire alarm!
If possible, close all doors and windows, but do not lock doors.
Hostage
If you hear or see a hostage situation:
- Immediately remove yourself from any danger
- Call 911
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- Be prepared to give Public safety and Security the following information:
- Location and room number of incident
- Number of possible hostage takers
- Physical description and names of hostage takers, if possible
- Number of possible hostages
- Any weapons the hostage takers may have
- Your name
- Your location and phone number
If you are taken hostage:
- 1. Remain calm, be polite and cooperate with your captor(s)
- Do not attempt to escape unless there is an extremely good chance of survival; it is safer to be submissive and obey your captors
- Speak normally; Do not complain; avoid being belligerent and comply with all orders and instructions
- Do not draw attention to yourself with sudden body movement statements, comments or hostile looks
- Observe the captors and try to memorize their physical traits, voice patterns, clothing, or other details that can help provide a description later
- Avoid getting into political or ideological discussions with the captors
- Try to establish a relationship with your captors and get to know them; captors are less likely to harm you if they respect you
Medical Emergencies
In case of a medical emergency:
- Make a determination that an emergency situation exists
- Dial 911:
- If possible, give the location and nature of the situation, type of medical emergency
- Be prepared to answer all of the following questions:
- Is the victim conscious?
- Is there severe bleeding?
- Is the victim breathing?
- How many victims are involved?
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- While waiting for assistance with a medical emergency, individuals at the scene should:
- Await further directions from the dispatcher. Do not touch or agitate the victim
- Make sure scene remains safe
- If the person’s safety is not at risk, consider calming them with soothing words, having them sit down or talking to them to distract them
- Once emergency responders arrive, answer questions, provide history of events and then leave the scene
- For minor injuries or illnesses, dial 88433 from any campus phone
First aid kits are located in each building.
Power Outage/Electrical Failure
In the event of a major power outage or electrical failure:
- Immediately notify Public Safety and Security and wait for instructions: 910-678-8433
- Faculty and staff are encouraged to take charge of the areas in which they are located
Psychological Emergency
In the event of a psychological crisis where an individual is threatening harm to himself/ herself or to others, or appears to be out of touch with reality:
- Call 911
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
Report Crimes
In case of a non-emergency crime:
- Call Public Safety and Security at 910-678-8433
- You are the victim of a crime if:
- You have something stolen from you personally or if school property is missing from your area (please realize that the value or lack of value of an item should not be a factor in deciding whether it should be reported)
- You are threatened/verbally assaulted
- You are assaulted
- You are involved in a hit-and-run accident
- You should also report to a Security officer when you witness crimes on campus, such as:
- Assaults
- Drug use or distribution
- Theft
- Threats/arguments /verbal abuse
- Traffic accidents
- Vandalism
Always report if you’ve been injured or exposed to body fluids!
Severe Weather
In the event of a severe weather:
- The campus community may be alerted through Watches or warnings. The alerts as defined by the National Weather Service are:
- Watch: Severe weather is possible in or near the watch area
- Warning: Severe weather has been spotted on weather radar
- Tornado Emergency: issued when a large violent tornado is expected to have an impact on a populated area
- A Weather Shelter-in-Place Alert will be issued (Shelter-in-Place events typically take place when the risk is outside) :
- Faculty and staff are encourage to take charge of the areas in which they are located
- Remain indoors; if outdoors, move into building
- Seek shelter immediately in a windowless area such as interior hallway ,restroom or room located on lowest level of a building
- Remain in protected area until notified by Department of Public Safety and Security or College Officials that the danger has passed
Tornado/Hurricane
In the event of a Tornado/Hurricane:
- Keep calm and remain where you are unless you’re in an elevator or not near a shelter
- Faculty and staff are encouraged to take charge of the areas in which they are located:
- Direct building occupants to the severe weather shelter area within the building
- Take center on lowest floor possible
- Gather along the sides of a hallway or under lab/classroom tables
- If outside, run to an open space away from trees, and electrical lines
- Keep away from windows and stay in position
- Do not attempt to enter or leave a building; you will be advised by security when it is safe to enter or exit a building
- Remain in sheltered or safe areas until you are advised it is safe to do otherwise
- Beware of fallen power lines
After tornado/hurricane:
- Make sure everyone is alright; take class rosters and account for all students
- Provide First-Aid if trained
- Notify the Public Safety and Security of damaged facilities or injuries 910-678-8433
- Gas leaks and power failures create special hazards; please report them as soon as possible.