Campus police promote participation in personal protection training for students

In the past 30 years, 62 mass murders have occurred in the United States alone, according to Mother Jones Magazines. What if one took place at Wright State? In order to prepare for a violent event on campus, Wright State Police Sargent and Crime Prevention Coordinator Patrick Ammon urges students to participate in personal protection training, to report suspicious activity, and to be aware of their surroundings. Wright State offers two training programs that educate participants on how to protect themselves if there is an active shooter on campus. One program used is called A.L.I.C.E by Response Options. This program involves a PowerPoint presentation, a movie called “Zero Day” (modeled after the Columbine footage), and a role-play situation and a session for questions and answers. “It’s probably one of the biggest ones in the country right now,” said Ammon. “It’s got some role play scenarios in it, and it shows them that the concepts really work.”

The other program is the “Shots Fired on Campus Training Video,” which is a 30-minute video training program provided by the Center for Personal Protection and the Safe Travel Institute. It is available on Wright State’s website, along with other downloadable documents that inform on different ways that violent situations can be handled. “’Shots Fired’ is getting used by a lot of places,” said Ammon. “The video is a little bit more watered down, but it still gets the concepts out there.” Ammon said that the concepts in the videos and role-playing demonstrate that people do not necessarily need to be armed for defense. “We don’t have to have everybody armed,” said Ammon. “That’s usually the direction many want to go in, that everybody should be carrying guns.” Wright State police officers are trained throughout the year on active shooter response, and how to handle violent situations on campus, but most violent situations are over by the time that police arrive, according to Ammon. He said that students should always be aware of their surroundings, and that they should not hesitate to report a person or action that they find suspicious. “If something looks suspicious, report it to the police,” said Ammon. “Don’t second guess yourself.

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