Campus Emergencies and Lockdowns

Navigation

What Should You Do to Shelter-in-Place

During certain hazardous situations, when it is safer to remain inside than to leave a building, students, staff, and visitors may be asked to shelter- in-place wherever they are. Students, staff, and visitors should stay indoors, because there is some form of threat outside. The threat may be from an environmental condition, or be as a result of police direction to stay inside until a threat is investigated, and the adverse condition is terminated. If you are outdoors, proceed inside to the nearest building quickly or follow instructions from emergency personnel on the scene. Once inside of a building take the following actions:

  1. Locate a room to shelter-in-place, an interior room (if possible) above ground with the least number of windows.
  2. Close and lock the door(s).
  3. Close the shades and lock the windows.
  4. If there is a large group of people inside a classroom, avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary.
  5. You may be directed to turn off air conditioners, heaters, and fans.
  6. If possible, close vents to ventilation systems.
  7. Unless directed otherwise, classroom activities may continue inside the affected buildings. Students, staff, and visitors must remain in the building until notified of an “All Clear” by Campus Public Safety, floor supervisors, or other college authorities or outside agency emergency personnel.
  8. Make a list of the people with you and inform Campus Public Safety so they know where you are sheltering in place.

What Should You Do When the Campus Goes into a Lockdown

Most common police emergencies involve financial aid, public cash transactions, domestic violence, theft, burglary, and vehicle prowls. Employees who deal with the public are recommended to attend training on defusing confrontations. Police emergencies vary from an incident of a single person committing a misdemeanor to a situation with multiple participants and crimes; the latter requiring a campus lockdown.

Worst-case scenarios involve one or more individuals on campus with firearms:

  • Upon a report of a person brandishing weapons on campus, call Emergency Services (Campus Phones-dial 9 first) 911
  • After calling 911, notify Campus Public Safety
    • x8224 (Campus Phones)
    • (425) 739-8224 (Cell Phones)
  • Campus Public Safety will notify LWTech Administration and a decision will be made about locking down campus access. If the decision is made to do so: Campus Public Safety and Campus Facilities staff will lock exterior access to the major buildings as needed, via card access or building keys.
  • Campus Public Safety and or Facilities staff will notify all areas of the Campus via Omnilert and PA system (ELC and Horticulture, via x8080/x8090) of the need to lockdown. 

The following PA system announcement will be made:

“Your attention please standby for an emergency announcement. (REPEAT). We've been notified of a potential armed assailant on campus. For your safety we're locking exterior doors. We strongly advise you to lockdown and remain inside classrooms and offices. Remain calm. Turn off or dim all lights, close blinds, silence cell phones, barricade doors, and stay away from all windows until the “All Clear” announcement from the Police or a LWTech Authority.”

  1. Staff and instructors will lock doors to office areas and classrooms.
  2. Turn off all lights. Close blinds/curtains. Barricade doors. Silence cellular phones. Avoid any line-of-sight through windows.
  3. Instructors will advise students to remain in classrooms for their safety. While LWTech cannot detain any adult who wishes to leave, the potential consequences should be explained as clearly and calmly as possible.
  4. When the emergency at hand has passed, an intercom announcement, “ALL CLEAR,” will be made three times.
  5. ELC and the Horticulture will receive a call, via  x8080/x8090 or in person response from Campus Staff to confirm the “ALL CLEAR” status.

Active Shooter/Weapons on Campus

An active shooter is a person/s who appears to be actively engaging in killing or attempting to kill people in a confines and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms, but may use other devices, and there is no apparent pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter events are extremely dangerous, unpredictable, and rapidly evolving. Situations like these require rapid response and decisive intervention by law enforcement.

During an active shooter incident, time is critical, if gunshots are heard, it is critical to avoid getting closer to the area to see what is happening. Instead, act quickly to get as far away as possible, warning others as they leave the area.

RUN

If an individual is observed with a weapon near an LWTech location:

  1. Try to escape the area or to find a safe location
  2. Call Emergency Services (Campus Phones-dial 9 first)
    • 911
  3. After calling 911, notify Campus Public Safety:
    • x8224 (Campus Phones)
    • (425) 739-8224 (Cell Phones)
  4. Find a safe location and await Campus Public Safety instructions
    • If appropriate, a lockdown may be initiated - be prepared to go into lockdown (see Campus Lockdown)
  5. The following PA system announcement will be made:
    • “Your attention please standby for an emergency announcement. (REPEAT). We've been notified of a potential armed assailant on campus. For your safety we're locking all exterior doors. We strongly advise you to lock classroom/office doors and remain inside classrooms and offices. Remain calm. Turn off or dim all lights, close blinds, stay away from all windows, silence cell phones, until the “All Clear” announcement from the Police or an LWTech Authority.”

HIDE

If you are unable to escape, making an office or classroom into a shelter may be the only possibility:

  • Doors should be locked, blocked/barricaded using desks, tables, or chairs and windows covered.
  • Call Emergency Services to notify authorities about what is happening and that you are trapped. Provide the room number where you are located; each classroom or office has the room number located on the inside of the door. (Campus Phones-dial 9 first)
  • 911
  • Do not answer the door if someone knocks. It may take quite a while for police officers to get to you, as they will first focus on stopping the shooter/s. Remember, the longer it takes to get to you, the further away from the actual shooting you are likely to be.

FIGHT

If you have been trapped and are able to find a means of escape do so as safely as possible. If directly confronted by the shooter, self-defense with whatever is available may be the only viable option.

  • Attempting to overcome the suspect with force and resistance is the last resort, which should only be considered in extreme circumstances. Only you can decide if this is something you should do.
  • Look for appropriate cover/protection (brick walls, retaining walls, large trees, parked cars, etc.).
  • There may be more than one shooter and there could be explosive devices in the area.
  • Do not touch anything in the area, as it is a crime scene.
  • When fleeing, get as far away from the shooting scene as quickly and safely possible - do not take/carry anything with you.
  • Police will quickly respond to the area in which a subject was last seen, or shots were last heard and attempt to immediately engage/contain the active shooter(s).
  • First arriving police officers will not stop to assist the injured, evacuate personnel or answer questions.
  • Keep your hands empty and visible at all times.