Seminole State College employees participated in an active shooter and shelter in place training session on Sept. 22. Two training drills were held in partnership with the Seminole Police Department.

On the morning of the training, classes were dismissed. The first session took place in Tanner Hall, where faculty and staff spread out in classrooms across the building. At 9:00 a.m., a campus alert was issued through text messages, emails and desktop notifications. Employees locked the doors to each classroom.

During the drill, an officer from the Seminole Police Department entered the building and simulated an active shooter situation. The officer walked through the building and discharged blank rounds, replicating the sound of gunshots without actual bullets. Additionally, the officer tested doorknobs to determine if any doors were left unlocked. Following this, other police

officers entered the building to simulate apprehending the shooter. An “all clear” alert was issued a few minutes after the completion of the drill.

The second drill was held in the Walkingstick Student Services building at 10 a.m. The drill followed the same procedure as the Tanner Hall session.

“The safety of our campus community is our top priority. These drills are designed to better prepare us for potential emergency situations. We appreciate the participation of our employees, and we’re grateful to the Seminole Police Department for making this training possible,” Dr. Bill Knowles, SSC Vice President for Student Affairs, said.

To receive campus alerts directly, students and employees are encouraged to sign up for text alerts using the College’s Rave Alert System. Throughout the year, reminder emails are sent out to the campus community to sign up for the alerts. Signups can also be completed by visiting sscok.edu and selecting “Life at SSC” and then “Police/Campus Safety.”