School shootings are scary to think about, but you still have to be prepared for one.

With schools like Columbine and Virginia Tech, no one ever knows who could be next.

Although Shippensburg University has never had a school shooting, it never hurts to be ready.

Luckily, SU has a contingency plan in case of a school shooting.
The first action for the police after confirming the report would be to notify the campus community of the emergency and provide it with basic instructions.

The university’s actions would be similar to the police.
“The first thing my office would do is communicate with the campus community.

“In such a case, the very first thing is police would respond,” said Peter Gigliotti, executive director for university communications and marketing at Shippensburg University.The University has a number of ways it communicates emergencies with students.

University officials send out emails to every student when emergencies happen.

There is a text messaging system that sends out a mass text to all of the students that are signed up.

Any student can sign up for free. They also have a twitter account and tweet when emergencies are going on (@shippensburgU).
The university would use a PA system on campus to alert everyone about the shooting.

After the police were called and students were notified is when the police would step into action.

“The police department has specific protocols for responding to active shooter situations. Those protocols would be implemented and followed,” said SU Police Chief Cyntha Grissom.
Campus police do not see much action on campus, but they are still well equipped for an attack.

“The officers of this department participate in active shooter training on a regular basis,” said Grissom.
No one knows when a shooter could let loose, but the university is prepared for such a situation.

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