By SAMI MCGUIRE
Sports Editor
School shootings are trending. It is a scary thing to say, but there have been 18 school shootings or incidents so far in 2018, according to CNN.
On April 10 and 12 Northwestern Oklahoma State University will take action to protect our campus. The Northwestern police department and student services have joined forces to hold a “Response to Active Shooter Incidents on Campus: A Guide for NWOSU Campus Safety Authorities, Faculty and Staff.”
Each training session will be one hour long on each day at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Heading this event is Joel Johnson, Northwestern chief of police, with the help of Caleb Mosburg, dean of student affairs.
This event is only for staff and faculty, but in the near future training will be offered to the student body.
“The exact content, structure and format of that training is currently under discussion and development,” Johnson said.
Although the event is closed to students it is strongly encouraged that staff and faculty attend.
This workshop is a condensed version of the CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events) training. Johnson is a certified instructor for CRASE as well as ALERRT.
ALERRT is Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training. This program is currently in use on campus, and is accredited by the State of Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training.
North western’s protocols are constantly evolving to remain state of the art. All protocols are based upon research from industry experts.
Protecting campus is what campus police is here to do. The workshop aims to help the staff and faculty become a part of that protection for the school. Northwestern have a low crime average, but that doesn’t mean it is immune from the threat of a shooter.
“Preparation and safety mindset are two of the most important components to ensuring safety and minimal loss of life in the event of this type of tragedy,” Johnson said. “The “Response to Active Shooter Incidents on Campus” workshop is designed to prepare all campus staff and faculty to respond in a timely, coordinated, and efficient way to best protect students and other innocent lives on campus.”
Since the year 2000, there have been 220 mass murders in the US involving an active shooter. About 25 percent of those incidents occurred at educational institutions.
“Nothing is a higher priority to the NWOSU Police Department than the protection of human life and overall safety of the University’s students, faculty, staff and guests,” Johnson said.
For more information about the event contact Joel Johnson at (580) 327-8511 or jpjohnson@nwosu.edu. To learn more about campus safety visit https://www.nwosu.edu/campus-safety.