In cooperation with the Evansville Police Department, the University of Evansville is planning an Active Shooter Drill.  In order to maintain the integrity of the drill exercise, the exact date and time will not be published in advance.  Note:  the drill is scheduled for some time between 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25 and 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, 2016.  When the drill begins, all members of the campus community are expected to respond as if reacting to a real emergency situation. 

Participants are asked not to call 9-1-1 during the drill so that there is no disruption to the delivery of emergency services in the city.

Things to know:

  • The drill will be announced to the campus community via an Ace Alert message. The alert will clearly state “THIS IS A DRILL” and will provide specific information relative to the location of a fictitious shooter. Only the Ace Alert message will activate the drill. 
  • The drill will not involve simulated gunshots or an individual(s) posing as a shooter. The Evansville Police Department will be present to provide constructive input during the drill and will provide direct feedback to those who are in the selected area(s). 
  • Whether or not you are in the direct area of the fictitious emergency, you should respond as you would if this were a real campus emergency. 
  • The drill will conclude approximately 10-15 minutes after it begins with another Ace Alert message indicating the drill is over. 
  • At the conclusion of the drill, classes and/or activities will resume as normal. 

A post active shooter drill survey will be emailed to all faculty, administrators, staff, and students on or before Friday, October 28. We ask that everyone respond to the survey as soon as possible after the drill.

How to Respond During the Drill:

Assess the situation! What do you know about the circumstances? What is the best response for you personally to insure your safety? Then choose:

  • RUN: If the best way to keep yourself away from the fictitious danger is to flee the building, do so immediately.  (For the drill, there is no reason to drive off-campus.)  NOTE: In a real situation, if you hear gunshots on the other side of the building and you are close to an exit, law enforcement recommends running from the building. If you are outside, get as far away from the threat area as possible. In some situations, you might decide that you can safely run away from the campus if the reported gunman is a good distance away from your campus location.  
  • HIDE:  If you are in a position to lock a building door and can do so safely, do so. In addition, seek shelter inside of the building (classroom, closet, office, etc.). If there is a lock on an interior door, lock yourself in the space. Go to a location in the room where you cannot be seen and stay in place until you are notified the threat (drill) is over. Turn ringers and other tones off of cell phones and turn off lights if possible.
  • FIGHT:  Note:  There will be no need to FIGHT during this drill. In a real situation - If you are confronted with a gunman, you (and those with you) stand a better chance of surviving if you do something rather than nothing. Look around you. What would you use to help defend yourself?  

Remember: All exterior doors to buildings may be locked if the occupants within the building can do so safely. Electronic card access may also be shut off. Use your best judgment in determining the safest course of action to protect yourself. Seconds count!

Watch the video, Run, Hide, Fight.

As a reminder, you can find information about emergency situations and procedures on the safety and security website including a video on the Run, Hide, Fight response and additional information such as sheltering in place, outside and inside threats, and so forth.