Campus Safety Corner: Run – Hide – Fight

Run, hide, fight is our campus response to an “active aggressor,” an individual who is committed to and
currently causing harm to others, typically in a public area. It is important to know that an active
aggressor situation is not limited to guns; aggressors also use knives, bats, bombs and many other
methods to inflict pain and suffering on victims. Run, hide, fight is about how not to be a victim.
You may be asking yourself, “How, when and what do we do in the event of an ‘active aggressor’
situation?” These guidelines will help keep you from becoming a victim, whether you are on campus or
halfway around the world.
● Run – Run only when you know where the danger is and when it is not in your immediate area.
This is not running out of panic or fear; try to plan ahead so that you know where you are
running to. Run away from danger, never through the danger area. Ensure that the location you
are going to is far enough away from the incident that you will not have to run again.
● Hide – Hide only when the location of danger is unknown, or the danger is between you and
your only means of exit. This is not cowering in a corner behind a couch or under your bed;
always hide in a defensible location, get behind a solid and lockable door, silence your phone,
turn off the lights and stay out of view.
● Fight – Fight only when the threat is in your immediate area. If you have to fight, do so as if your
life and others’ lives depend on it; most likely they do. Try to coordinate the fight with others.
Remember, there are no rules to fighting an active aggressor, so fight dirty and use any means
necessary to disarm, subdue and contain the attacker.
● Report – Regardless of whether you run, hide or fight, always be a good witness. Pay attention
to what you see and hear, and gather as much information as possible. Then report what you
know to the authorities. Please feel free to tell campus authorities and family where you are,
whether you are safely away from campus or hiding on campus. Campus administration will let
you know when it is safe to come out of hiding or return to campus.