In the event of an active shooter incident, responding quickly can make all the difference. That's why it's vital to prepare. By familiarizing yourself with your surroundings and considering possible escape routes, you ready yourself to react more quickly and efficiently.
The most important thing to remember is that in case of an active assailant, you have three options: Run, Hide, or Fight (as a last resort, in the case of imminent danger). By envisioning your response in advance, you empower yourself to act quickly should the situation arise.
Below are our guidelines for staying as safe as possible.
If you’d like to talk to our Public Safety team, please reach out to them via the VandySafe App or email them at publicsafetyinfo@vanderbilt.edu.
Content Warning
If you've been a victim of violence or anticipate a strong reaction to the following content, consider watching the training video or reviewing the written guidelines at your own pace. Support resources are available if needed:
• Faculty and staff can reach out to Lyra at 877-804-2856
• Students can find support at the Student Care Network, 615-322-2571
• Everyone else can call the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life, 615-322-2457
How to Prepare Yourself Right Now
- Save VUPD’s emergency line on your phone: 615-421-1911
- Download the VandySafe app and familiarize yourself with its contents
- Leverage AlertVU: Regularly review and update your contact information to ensure you receive critical alerts promptly.
- Familiarize yourself with Shelter in Place and Evacuate protocols for youth and those with disabilities
- Review the contents of this page in depth
Keep Protecting Yourself Every Day
- Maintain situational awareness at all times
- Know your nearest exits, stairwells, windows, locks, equipment, etc.
- Consider the best evacuation routes or hiding spots wherever you are
What To Do During An Active Assailant Incident
The following measures will significantly increase your chances of staying safe during an active shooter incident. Please review them thoroughly.
If there is a way to escape the threat and you are reasonably sure you can do so without being harmed, do it. This is your first and best option.
What you can do:
- Plan your escape route:
- Consider a clear escape route
- Prepare yourself to act swiftly and decisively
- Evacuate promptly:
- Regardless of others' decisions, evacuate immediately if you assess it’s safe to do so
- Leave belongings behind, keeping only your cell phone in your pocket
- Assist others:
- When you are able, do help others to escape safely (especially people with special needs)
- Warn others:
- Inform people not to enter the area where the active shooter may be
- Maintain visibility:
- Keep your hands visible at all times to avoid confusion or suspicion
- Cooperate with authorities:
- Follow the instructions of law enforcement officers promptly and without hesitation
- Prioritize safety:
- Do not attempt to move injured individuals unless absolutely necessary
- Contact emergency services:
- When it's safe to do so, call 911 and provide the following essential
information:- Your name and location to let your loved ones know you are safe
- Specific location of the incident to help police act swiftly
- Number of shooters (if known) Estimate the number of individuals involved
- Estimate the number of individuals involved
- When it's safe to do so, call 911 and provide the following essential
If evacuation is not possible, the second best thing to do is to Secure in Place, meaning to find a safe place to hide wherever you are.
- Select your hiding place:
- Choose the best space that is available quickly—this is why it’s so
important to consider your options ahead of time - Ensure it's out of the shooter's view
- Opt for a location that provides protection from gunfire, such as a room
with a lockable door - Avoid spaces that may trap you or limit movement
- Choose the best space that is available quickly—this is why it’s so
- Prevent access:
- Turn off lights to make your location less visible
- Lock all doors and windows if possible
- Use heavy furniture to block entry points, especially if doors cannot be secured
- If you have time, consider securing doors with a belt or electrical cord to prevent them from opening
- Stay safe while hiding:
- Maintain silence to avoid drawing attention
- Conceal yourself behind large items like cabinets or desks
- Silence your cell phone and turn off any noise sources like radios or TVs
- Refrain from responding to voice commands or moving barricades until you're certain they come from law enforcement
- Talk to authorities:
- If possible, discreetly call 911 to alert authorities to the situation
- If unable to speak, leave the line open for the dispatcher to listen
- Utilize the university safety resources like the VandySafe app for further guidance or text communication with dispatchers (if you haven’t already downloaded the app, please consider doing so now)
- If you’re caught outside:
- Drop to the ground immediately and lie flat
- Move or crawl away from gunfire, using any available obstacles for cover
- Once in a relatively safe location, remain still and avoid any unnecessary movement or peeking
- Wait for further instructions from law enforcement personnel
As a last resort, if escape or hiding is not possible, or if you've been discovered, you should be prepared to fight.
- Before the confrontation:
- If you have the time to do so, consider what items are close by that could be used as a weapon or distraction
- Consider which areas the assailants might enter from, and if you can gain any strategic upper hand through more advantageous positioning
- Prepare yourself mentally for the possibility of a confrontation—take deep breaths in and try to steady your mind as much as possible
- Within the confrontation:
- Act as aggressively as possible towards the shooter
- Utilize any available objects as improvised weapons to distract and incapacitate the attacker, such as books, backpacks, or nearby furniture like chairs
- Consider using larger items like fire extinguishers as weapons
- Yell loudly to attract attention and potentially intimidate the attacker
- Fully commit to your actions and do whatever is necessary to protect yourself and others around you
When You’re at the Evacuation Point
If directed to a designated assembly area, remain there until instructed otherwise. Law enforcement will coordinate the situation and allow you to leave once it's deemed safe to do so. Avoid leaving the evacuation point until given the all-clear by authorities.
How to Cooperate When Law Enforcement Arrive
Law enforcement's primary objective during an active assailant situation is to neutralize the threat swiftly. It’s important to know that upon arrival, officers will secure the area before attending to injured individuals or facilitating evacuations. They also will not know who represents a threat, so it’s important for you to immediately follow orders when prompted.
Expect to see officers equipped with tactical gear, including vests, helmets, and rifles. They will take command of the scene and issue clear directives, possibly pushing individuals to the ground for their safety.
What you should do:
- Stay calm and composed
- Follow instructions promptly and without hesitation
- Drop any items you may be holding, such as jackets or sweaters
- Raise your hands above your head with fingers spread wide to show you're unarmed
- Keep your hands visible at all times and avoid sudden movements or gestures
- Refrain from seeking assistance or asking questions and simply comply with directives
- Proceed in the direction indicated by law enforcement without delay
How Different Vanderbilt University Groups Can Help
While the above safety guidelines apply universally across the Vanderbilt University community, specific groups are expected to take additional precautions or seek guidance from designated individuals.
Each group within the VU community plays a vital role in ensuring overall safety and preparedness. For example, members of faculty will be expected to step into a leadership role while students are expected to follow instructions from them.
By understanding their respective roles and responsibilities, each group contributes to creating a safer environment for everyone at Vanderbilt University. Please review the specific guidelines for your group and get in touch with the Public Safety team if you have any questions.
Guidelines for Managers
During active assailant emergencies, designated managers serve as crucial leaders, setting the tone for the entire community and guiding them to safety. As a manager, it’s important to:
- Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times
- Familiarize yourself with room and floor layouts, including the locations of exits and alternate routes
- Identify Shelter in Place areas and understand how to report incidents effectively
- Determine how doors can be secured and barricaded if necessary
- Identify objects that can be used for protection or defense
- Ensure all people in your area and individuals with disabilities receive necessary assistance and guidance during emergencies
- Keep contact information updated for receiving incident alerts via AlertVU
- After an active shooter event, inform supervisors of your whereabouts to facilitate accountability for staff
- Obtain departmental approval before leaving campus during or after such an incident
Managers who have questions or need assistance with planning ahead for their particular area can contact VUPS at publicsafetyinfo@vanderbilt.edu.
Guidelines for Staff
As students and visitors will look to you for help, staff play a crucial role in providing assistance during emergencies—as such, it's essential to be prepared. Here are some important steps to take:
- Familiarize yourself with evacuation procedures and participate in annual training sessions
- Stay alert to your surroundings and be proactive in ensuring safety
- Know the layout of your workplace, including room configurations and exit locations
- Identify alternative routes to exits and areas where you can shelter in place
- Understand how to report incidents effectively from the rooms you use
- Determine methods to secure and barricade doors if necessary
- Identify objects that could serve as shields or weapons in case of emergency
- Ensure that people in your area and individuals with disabilities receive appropriate assistance and guidance during incidents
- Keep your contact information updated for AlertVU notifications via telephone, email, or text messages
- After an active shooter incident, inform your department management of your location to assist in accounting for all staff on campus
- Refrain from leaving campus during or after an active shooter incident without prior approval from department management
If you have any questions or need assistance with planning for your specific area, please contact VUPS at publicsafetyinfo@vanderbilt.edu.
Guidelines for Faculty
In the eventuality of an active shooter situation taking place during and even outside of your classes, students are likely to rely on your leadership. They will look to you to know what to do if an emergency arises, which is why it’s crucial for you to be familiar and comfortable with the protocol.
At the beginning of each semester, it's vital to provide students with essential information regarding evacuation and Shelter in Place procedures. Please remind students to update their emergency contact information, sign up for Alert VU, and download the VandySafe app. Ensure that your own AlertVU contact details are current.
Your responsibility as a faculty member is to:
- Stay attentive to your surroundings at all times
- Familiarize yourself with the layout of your classroom or lab, including exits and alternative routes
- Know where to shelter in place and how to report an incident effectively
- Determine methods to secure and barricade doors if needed
- Identify objects that can be used for protection or defense in emergency situations
- Ensure that students and those with disabilities receive necessary assistance and guidance during emergencies
- After an active shooter event, you should notify your department chair or dean's office of your whereabouts to aid in accountability
If you have any questions or require assistance with planning for your specific building or classroom, please contact VUPS at publicsafetyinfo@vanderbilt.edu.
Guidelines for Students
As a student, it's crucial to be prepared for emergency situations in all environments you frequent, including classrooms, dining facilities, and student centers. Here's what you can do to ensure your safety:
- Stay Aware: Be mindful of your surroundings at all times
- Know Your Space: Familiarize yourself with room layouts and exit locations
- Plan Exit Routes: Identify primary exits and alternate routes to leave buildings
- Shelter in Place: Determine areas where you can seek shelter if needed
- Secure Doors: Understand how to secure and barricade doors if necessary
- Identify Resources: Recognize items that can be used for protection or defense
- Develop Habits: Make it a habit to observe these safety measures in new environments
- AlertVU: Update your contact information for AlertVU to receive incident alerts via telephone, email, or text messages at emergency
- VandySafe: Download the VandySafe app
- Cooperate: If required, after an incident, cooperate with police investigations by remaining in the area for interviews
- Contact: Get in touch with your family and friends to assure them of your safety
If you evacuated or witnessed the incident, email vupd@vanderbilt.edu to provide information.
Still have questions?
For more guidance in case of an active assailant:
- Download our Active Assailant Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Quick Reference Flyer
- Access the Active Assailant Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Training Resource Deck
- For the official guidance, please review FEMA’s Active Shooter Answer Key
- Please read the Public Safety FAQs [here]
- If you still have unanswered questions, please contact our Public Safety team at [phone number/email address] or chat to them live through the VandySafe app