Violent Intruder Safety

It’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in a potentially threatening situation. Putting time and distance between you and the threat is the best way to enhance your safety. The Department of Homeland Security provides the following guidance:

RUN – Escape the situation, if you know you can safely evacuate without coming in contact with the threat.

HIDE – If escaping is not an option, barricade access to your space, hide, silence your devices, and stay as quiet as possible.

FIGHT – As a last resort, and only if the above two strategies fail, act aggressively toward the person or persons creating the threatening situation using whatever weapons are available to you at that time.

The above strategies are not sequential. Use whichever option enhances your safety the most given your circumstances.

If your school, program, or department is interested in receiving violent intruder training presented by members of the University’s Office of Emergency Management and the Campus Safety Division, please email emergencymanagement@uchicago.edu.

For more information on how to stay safe or to learn more about the University of Chicago’s efforts in planning for emergency situations, please visit the Emergency Management website.