Heywood Case
Member
I work at a university that one might expect would have a stereotypically head-in-the-sand approach to preparing for a violent incident. I was therefore pleased to see in a recent edition of the student paper:
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University Police Chief Kirk Gaston and SF State’s emergency preparedness coordinator Gayle Orr-Smith were on site for the drill.
Orr-Smith said maintaining a “survival mindset” can be crucial in an active shooter crisis, adding it’s important not to give in to despair.
“Never count yourself out,” she said. “Not as long as you’re breathing.”
Orr-Smith’s first advice is to avoid being an available target, that getting away or hiding out should be the first priority.
But if you find yourself trapped and confronted, she added, you may want to fight back.
“It’s one gun,” she said. “One bullet.” Attempting to disable the assailant with a book or a chair might buy time or save your life, Orr-Smith said.
She acknowledged that campus shootings are a sensitive subject. Many people would prefer not to think about the issue at all, but preparation and honesty are key.
Ultimately, Orr-Smith said, the police response to an active shooter crisis is only part of the answer.
“Thirty thousand people on this campus need to take care of themselves as individuals,” she said.
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Now this is San Francisco so I can hardly hold it against the individuals quoted that they did not care to discuss the possibility of students or faculty carrying firearms. But I was certainly pleased that the individuals quoted are emphasizing personal responsibility and that students should be prepared to fight back.
The full article is at http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/010791.html.
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University Police Chief Kirk Gaston and SF State’s emergency preparedness coordinator Gayle Orr-Smith were on site for the drill.
Orr-Smith said maintaining a “survival mindset” can be crucial in an active shooter crisis, adding it’s important not to give in to despair.
“Never count yourself out,” she said. “Not as long as you’re breathing.”
Orr-Smith’s first advice is to avoid being an available target, that getting away or hiding out should be the first priority.
But if you find yourself trapped and confronted, she added, you may want to fight back.
“It’s one gun,” she said. “One bullet.” Attempting to disable the assailant with a book or a chair might buy time or save your life, Orr-Smith said.
She acknowledged that campus shootings are a sensitive subject. Many people would prefer not to think about the issue at all, but preparation and honesty are key.
Ultimately, Orr-Smith said, the police response to an active shooter crisis is only part of the answer.
“Thirty thousand people on this campus need to take care of themselves as individuals,” she said.
----
Now this is San Francisco so I can hardly hold it against the individuals quoted that they did not care to discuss the possibility of students or faculty carrying firearms. But I was certainly pleased that the individuals quoted are emphasizing personal responsibility and that students should be prepared to fight back.
The full article is at http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/010791.html.