With incidences of gun violence becoming more apparent across the country, Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety is developing a plan to combat such situations to make sure everyone on or near campus feels safe.

DPS suggests one of three options — run, hide or fight — when encountered with a shooter situation.

“(During) the last two years, we’ve been pushing the run, hide, fight model in the conversations had with residence life, at floor meetings and other various presentations that we know student groups are going to attend,” said DPS Associate Chief John Sardino.

DPS has been making presentations at various schools and departments across the SU campus in which a PowerPoint and a short film about the run, hide, fight model are presented, Sardino said.

“We’ve stepped up those presentations in the last 18 months in hope of getting the message out in person to as many people as possible,” Sardino said.

Since the time he was hired by the university in 1985, Sardino said the department has evolved significantly — growing in size from a 30-person staff to 104 full-time employees, shifting from security guards to peace officers and requiring new hires to have graduated from 16- or 22-week police academies followed by an additional 16-week field training program.

Over the years, though, Sardino said the department has not changed its focus on campus safety.

He added that during his time at DPS, each chancellor who has passed through the university has prioritized campus safety on a large list of chancellor responsibilities since they understand that if students feel unsafe on campus, it may lead to a bad college experience for students.

To keep students safe and comfortable and to be transparent, DPS uses the Orange Alert system to notify students about an ongoing situation on or near campus.

The system, which sends messages through email, text and phone calls, has expanded by the recent growth of technology which allows DPS to connect with campus quickly and efficiently, Sardino said.

DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado said in instances when the Orange Alert system must be used, SU’s public information officers meet at a designated command post during a situation where the involved parties disseminate the message.

The last Orange Alert was sent on Oct. 14, 2015, when there were shots fired two miles from campus, killing a 15-year-old male. Syracuse city police were the main force in this situation, but DPS works hand in hand with the city police unit and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office to combat local occurrences, Sardino said.

“I would suggest that if off-campus students are at home that they stay there and don’t come to campus at all,” said Elin Riggs, director of Off-Campus and Commuter Services at SU. “I would tell commuter students to stay at home if they can, and if not to find a safe place inside to stay until you are given clearance to leave.”

Since off-campus students do not have residence hall staff to take directions from, Riggs said they must pay strict attention to Orange Alerts, lock their doors and stay away from windows.

Maldonado has previously said he was interested in training students for active shooter situations, similar to the already mandated alcohol, drug abuse and sexual assault online course that students take for freshman year. Sardino said active shooter safety training should be said in the same breath as alcohol abuse and sexual assault training.

A required active shooter training course for students has yet to be put in place.

“Whenever you walk into the building, try to give a couple extra minutes to get to know the building. Always have a plan,” Sardino said. “Just like when you’re going out at night, have a plan, and you have the buddy system. If you’re going to the Hall of Languages for the first time, get to know where the exits are, look at your surroundings and know what is outside the windows.”

Published on October 5, 2016 at 7:46 pm

Contact Kenneth: kmintz@syr.edu