Monday, June 13, 2022

As we continue to hear and see national reports on incidents of active attackers at schools and other public spaces, we must be intentional about safety preparations in the event such a devastating occurrence should take place on our campus. The UNCW Police Department has worked and continues to work closely with campus and community partners to offer training and plans of action to support the safety of our students and employees in the event of an active attacker on campus.

With your personal safety and the safety of your fellow Seahawks in mind, please take a few moments to review the vital information below. It is our deepest hope that our community will never experience an active attacker on campus, but we must prepare for a real occurrence.   

WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO PREPARE MYSELF?  

Participate in active attacker preparedness training available online and in-person. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to complete this training before the fall semester begins using one of the following options:  

• Participate individually in the online training available via Skillport. The short video and 5-question quiz should take less than 25 minutes; 15 minutes to complete the video and quiz and additional time to review other featured resources.    
• Request in-person training for your team by contacting UPD (910.962.2222 or police@uncw.edu).   

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I ENCOUNTER AN ACTIVE ATTACKER ON CAMPUS?  

“Run, Hide, Fight” is an emergency response recommended by federal, state and local first responders, including the UNCW Police Department. These three words will help remind you what steps to take:   

• Run: If you hear shots or see something occurring and can safely leave the area, do so.    
• Hide: If you cannot get away from the area safely, find a place to hide, preferably a room that you can lock. If locking the door is not an option, find a way to barricade it.    
• Fight: Should an attacker enter the location where you are hiding, use whatever is available to you to defend yourself and the others that are with you. A coordinated, defensive act against the attacker can save lives.    

WHAT IF I SEE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE SUSPICIOUS OR OUT OF THE ORDINARY?   
Contact campus police immediately. UPD can be reached by:   

• Dialing 911 from any UNCW extension, including courtesy phones     
• Dialing 910.962.2222 (non-emergency situations)    
• Using campus emergency call boxes located throughout campus. By pushing a button on a call box, an individual will be connected to UPD, and an officer will respond to the location. See the campus map for emergency call box locations.   
• The LiveSafe app: download if you haven’t already. It arms you with the ability to report a crime if you see one happening, and provides access to maps, essential safety information and emergency phone numbers and procedures.  
• Email: police@uncw.edu   

The UNCW Police Department is a fully sworn law enforcement agency dedicated to providing a safe and secure campus environment. The department is open 24 hours a day with officers patrolling campus seven days a week, 365 days a year.     

Please feel free to contact UPD with any questions or concerns about active attacker preparedness. Thank you, as always, for your collaboration in ensuring our campus community is as safe as possible.   

In Seahawk Spirit,   

Chris Bertram  
Interim Chief of Police, UNCW UPD