Annual Report 2012 Ferris State University Department of P ublic ...

Active Shooter Preparedness, Prevention and Response and Flash Point
Training Programs
An active shooter on campus is something that no one wants to experience, but the threat does
exist and the consequences of not being prepared are devastating. The Department of Public Safety
continues to educate the Ferris community with the Active Shooter Preparedness, Prevention and
Response and Flashpoint programs. These programs are taught to all incoming staff and faculty
during their new employee orientation, to all housing staff during the yearly training for hall
directors, resident advisors and desk staff, and to all groups or classes that request it. Since their
inception in 2008, approximately 4,000 individuals have been trained with these programs on Ferris’
campus.
Flashpoint is a program designed to teach faculty, staff and students methods of identifying and preventing
acts of violence on campus. It is presented by DPS personnel and uses both a professional video specifically
designed for the University environment. Our officers’ knowledge of lessons learned from incidents that
have occurred on campuses across the nation help participants understand how to identify behaviors of
concern and dispel the myths that often accompany acts of violence. The training also includes discussion
on overcoming the roadblocks that often discourage the reporting of behaviors and threats, and who may be
contacted in case of such an incident. Flashpoint is a prequel for the Active Shooter Program.
Studies of active shooter incidents have shown that a person’s behavior and actions have a
tremendous impact on their chances of survival. The Active Shooter Program put on by Public
Safety teaches appropriate responses and survival techniques. Attendees learn the University’s
extensive communications systems, how they may be used and how the area police departments will
respond to the report of an active shooter. Ferris Public Safety reaches beyond the University
community by partnering with the Big Rapids City Police Department and the Mecosta County
Sheriff in putting on active shooter training and live demonstrations for the Mecosta County Area
Chamber of Commerce Leadership Mecosta Public Safety Day program.
Personal and Professional Preparedness Education in Ferris and
Extended Communities
“When someone’s heart is at home their heads aren’t in their work,” Director Bledsoe has often
remarked to people he has helped prepare for an emergency. It is well documented that workers who
are not given guidance on how to care for matters at home during an emergency have a real struggle
staying on the job during critical times when their work organization needs them most. Also, people
who are trained on what to expect and how to respond are much safer and more helpful to others
during a critical incident of whatever type. It’s for these reasons and others that public safety
professionals regularly help to orient new employees to Ferris and other community leaders how to
best prepare for and respond to emergencies. The practical and secondary benefits to our institution
and all of those in close and distant contact cannot be overstated.
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