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Point Park professors trained to identify threats

PITTSBURGH — Professors at Point Park University have been trained to identify threats, and they also train students to deal with them.

Dr. Eric Stennet told Channel 11 he will be speaking to his students Thursday night about what happened in Florida and, more importantly, about what they can do if something like that happens here.

"I think people are starting to wake up and start doing something," the academics instructor said. He's giving his students lessons on how to survive active shooter scenarios. "Every semester, every eight weeks, I spend time in the room we are in, (talking about) how we should react (so) our options (are) well-informed."

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Stennet was trained by law enforcement officers and active shooter experts several years ago when he was principal at Hampton Middle School.

He told Channel 11 that, watching the students in Parkland, Florida, react to the shooting, you could tell they had been trained on what to do.

"You think about Columbine and how students reacted then -- we teach students a different way on how to react," Stennet said.

He teaches students the acronym ALICE: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate -- but not necessarily in that order.

Stennet said students and teachers need to know what to do if they are in a life-threatening situation.

"We don't want them to be targets and sit there and not take action. We want adults to help students and students to react appropriately," Stennet said.

Point Park University police told Channel 11 they train faculty once a semester on what to look for.

On Friday, police will be holding simulation training for active shooters, which was already scheduled before the mass shooting in Florida.

 

Cox Media Group

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