With security concerns reaching a record high in the country, the Phi Mu Kappa Eta chapter and the University Police department are working to keep students informed should any emergency situation involving an active shooter arise on campus.

Phi Mu and the Nicholls Police department are co-sponsoring an active shooter presentation on Wednesday, March 9, at 4:30 p.m. in Peltier Auditorium.

Jordan Logarbo, Phi Mu’s risk manager, said their organization “found that it is relevant and necessary to educate the entirety of Nicholls State University campus on what to do in case of an armed and dangerous person on campus.”

According to Everytown, a research organization that promotes gun safety, there has been an average of nearly one school shooting per week, totaling 170 school shootings in America since 2013.

University Police Chief Craig Jaccuzzo will be leading the presentation during next Wednesday’s event.

Jaccuzzo said that most of the time active shooter situations occur within five to seven minute time periods, and the situation is dissolved when law enforcement officials arrive. This presentation and training is for instances when students, faculty and staff are alone, so they have information “on how individuals involved can survive and suffer minimal damage.”

Specifically, Jaccuzzo said the presentation will include, “when you can run and think you can escape the situation, when you are too close to the threat and are forced to hide and when you cannot avoid confrontation and must actually fight for your life.”

Jaccuzo calls universities “cities within cities” and his presentation was developed along with other university law enforcement officials who have an innate understanding of how universities are operated.

“As comfortable as we life in today’s society and think that things happen to everyone else but us, our mindset has to change,” Jaccuzzo said. “We need to take some responsibility for our own personal protection and must educate ourselves for when those kinds of confrontations occur.”

Campus Police have resources available on the University website about procedures to follow in case of an active shooter on campus. The cache of information includes scenarios and active solutions for persons involved in a sensitive situation. The overall theme of how to approach an active shooter situation is summed up in three words, “Run. Hide. Fight.”

Logarbo said, “This is an educational event so that every student will know that their lives and safety have value and are of extreme importance. Students need to have the knowledge and skills necessary to react safely in the event of an armed and dangerous person on campus,” Logarbo said. “It is pertinent for students to be aware of their daily surroundings and know when something is not right.”