HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Following the mass shooting at Michigan State University on Monday, colleges and universities in Connecticut are doing what they can to protect their campus community better. At Quinnipiac University, active shooter training will be made available to students.
“We felt it was timely to do it on the heels of what occurred in Michigan and just to really help students have a perspective on what they should do if something unfortunate were to happen on campus,” said Tony Reyes, Chief of Public Safety at Quinnipiac University.
Reyes emailed students about this training on Thursday. He said the training is online and self-paced.
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“The 15-minute training gives them a baseline understanding of what situational awareness is and what run, hide, and fight means and what it looks like in a real-time situation and how they would apply it in an active shooter situation,” Reyes said.
Reyes told News 8 it’s not a course students will only take once.
“Every year we’re going to put this out to our students as a reminder, it’s a refresher,” Reyes said. “It’s going to be what we include in their orientation as well, so this is not just a one-off.”
Madison Murphy, a graduate student and captain for Quinnipiac University EMS, knows firsthand that seconds count in an emergency. She said trainings like this are helpful.
“It’s important to have this information in this repertoire of skills because you just never know when you’re going to have to use it,” Murphy said.
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Quinnipiac University’s public safety officials will also host a community forum later this semester where they’ll discuss active shooter incidents and provide strategies while offering an opportunity to address questions or concerns.
“It’s about creating awareness, giving our community the tools to keep them safe,” Reyes said.
This training will be sent out in the coming days and students will have 60 days to complete it.
