Active Shooter

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
  1. If an active shooter is OUTSIDE YOUR BUILDING:
    1. Go to the closest room that can be locked.
    2. Once you are in a secure room, close and lock all the doors and windows.
    3. Turn off lights and get everyone in the room down on the floor so no one is visible from the outside.
    4. Have someone in the room call Tulane Police. Tulane Police Emergency Numbers are:
  • Tulane National Primate Center Police emergency:  985-871-6411
  • Tulane Downtown Campus Police emergency: 504- 988-5555
  • Tulane Uptown Campus Police emergency: 504-865-5200, or pick-up the nearest emergency blue-light phone.
  • Other Campuses: Call 911
    1. Tell the TUPD Dispatcher quietly what you know about the situation, where you are, how many people are with you, what you are wearing, if there are any injuries.
    2. When you are finished talking to the TUPD Dispatcher, put the phone on silent/vibrate so the dispatcher can call you back; answer only if you are sure it is safe to do so.
    3. Remain in place until the police give you instructions.
    4. An unknown voice may be the shooter trying to lure you from safety; do not respond to any voice commands unless you can verify it is a police officer.  TUPD has keys to most buildings on campus; they may be able to enter the room without asking you to unlock the door.
  2. If an active shooter is INSIDE YOUR BUILDING:
    1. Remain calm and follow the steps listed in #1 above.
    2. If you cannot find a secure room, look for an exit you can reach safely, moving away from the shooter.
    3. Do not carry anything so you can move quickly and not be mistaken for the shooter.
    4. Keep your hands visible for police and do exactly what they tell you to do.
    5. Do NOT stop to help any injured victims or try to remove them.  Leave them where they are and notify police or emergency responders of their location once you have reached a safe location.
    6. Do not leave the area until you have been cleared to do so by the police.
  4. If an active shooter ENTERS YOUR OFFICE OR CLASSROOM:
    1. If possible call the Tulane Police emergency line or 911.
    2. If you cannot speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is going on.
    3. If the shooter is giving commands do not resist.  Remain calm and comply.
    4. If there is no opportunity for escape or concealment, a possibility to negotiate may exist.
    5. An attempt to overpower the shooter may also exist.
    6. ATTEMPTS TO NEGOTIATE OR OVERPOWER THE SHOOTER MAY RISK YOUR LIFE OR THE LIVES OF OTHERS.  THIS DECISION WILL BE MADE QUICKLY BASED ON WHAT GIVES YOU THE BEST CHANCE AT SURVIVAL.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN

 
  1. TUPD will respond IMMEDIATELY to the scene.
  2. TUPD Dispatcher will activate NO Police Department, Tulane EMS, and NO EMS.
  3. The first officers on the scene will enter the building to locate the suspect. Police officers are trained to respond directly to the area where shots were last heard. Their purpose is to stop the shooting as quickly as possible.
  4. Police officers may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or may be wearing tactical uniforms consisting of external bulletproof vests, helmets, boots and dark clothing.
  5. Police officers may be carrying a shield and be armed with rifles, shotguns, and/or handguns They may also use teargas or pepper spray.
  6. Regardless of how they appear, remain  as calm as possible. Do not be afraid of officers and follow their instructions carefully.
  7. Put down anything you are carrying and keep your hands visible to the police at all times.
  8. The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured persons. Rescue teams of other officers and medical personnel will follow the first officers into secured areas to treat and remove injured persons.
  9. Continue to follow instructions of police and emergency responders until you are released.
  10. The Tulane emergency alert system will be activated when the active shooter is verified. If you are not in the vicinity of the shooting scene, follow all instructions issued through the system. 
  11. If you are not in the vicinity of the shooting, and are outside, seek shelter in the nearest building and wait for the “all clear” signal.  Shooters may continue to move from building to building so remain indoors and alert to any threats.
  12. Once the incident is over and the threat is neutralized, an “all clear” will be issued via the emergency alert system.

The emergency alert system notifications include cell phone call, text message, email, Alertus, and Everbridge App notifications. The emergency alert system notification will not include building intercom systems.