UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With September marking National Preparedness Month and Sept. 25 designated as national “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day, Penn State University Police and Public Safety is reminding all students, faculty and staff of the steps they can take to help keep themselves and their fellow Penn State community members safe.
“We are encouraging all Penn Staters, as part of the national conversation taking place this month around safety and preparedness, to take an active role in helping to keep our campuses safe,” said Wesley Sheets, chief of Penn State University Police and Public Safety. “This includes reporting any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately, taking the time to familiarize yourself with Penn State’s official Active Attacker Response Program, and signing up to receive PSUAlert text messages to stay informed of safety-related messaging from the University.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated Sept. 25 as national “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day to highlight the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement. By paying attention to one’s surroundings, recognizing the signs of suspicious activity, and contacting University Police if something does not seem right, everyone can do their part to help keep Penn State’s campuses safe.
September also is National Preparedness Month, making it a good time for the Penn State community to learn more about how to prepare for and react if presented with a potentially life-threatening situation anywhere.
Based on the Run, Hide, Fight model developed by the city of Houston, Texas, Penn State’s Active Attacker Response Program offers the same three action steps if confronted with an active assailant, making it easy to remember and act upon in an emergency: run if you can, hide if you can’t, and fight if you have to.
“We like to remind the University community about the Penn State Active Attacker Response Program and its Run, Hide and Fight action steps on a regular basis because emergency preparedness requires everyone’s ongoing attention,” Sheets said. “It is important to have a plan in mind and be able to think clearly and act quickly and decisively as seconds absolutely count in the first moments of any emergency.”
The Run, Hide, Fight concept is endorsed at the local, state and federal levels, including by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. University Police and Public Safety routinely offers Active Attacker Response Program training to campus groups, and training can be requested on the University Police and Public Safety website. Enhanced online training opportunities also will be available and shared in the coming months on the LRN and Canvas platforms.
University Police and Public Safety has robust policies and procedures in place for active-attacker situations, and Penn State police officers train regularly for such potential circumstances. However, it is important that community members take the time to familiarize themselves with the Active Attacker Response Program, as it is designed to provide options to help survive an attack in the first crucial moments before police arrive on the scene. Depending on individual circumstances, it is important to note that the run, hide and fight action steps may not always occur in this exact order, so being familiar with them all as possible options, regardless of order, is urged.