The entire NMU campus can be locked down in just one minute and 38 seconds with a push of a button from Public Safety.

This lockdown system has been in place for at least two years, Crime Prevention and Community Policing Specialist Lt. Don Peterman said.

Every exterior door will lock when the lockdown system is activated, unless a door is propped open at the time. Doors that don’t close come up on dispatch so that an officer can respond in minutes to make sure the door isn’t propped and the building is fully secured.

In an incident on the Ohio State University (OSU) campus Monday, a student ran his car into a crowd, attacked several students with a knife and left 11 injured. These emergency situations are not unheard of on college campuses lately and NMU has a thorough response system set in place for similar cases.

“I would tell people to take a little time to go to our website and become familiar with it and our services. There is a guide for five things to do in an emergency and our active shooter policy is on there,” Peterman said.

Public Safety’s website can be found at nmu.edu/publicsafety. On this page, students are able to learn about all of the safety services available on campus and sign up for emergency text alerts under the emergency guidelines tab. A student can add family members to the text alert system as well.

In an emergency situation, Public Safety has the ability to send a text alert and to take over student laptops with an emergency alert, Peterman said.

“The big thing with security is to try to get that information out there so it’s accurate for people and so they don’t get false information,” Peterman said.

Students can also prepare for potential emergency situations by reading the active shooter guide on the Public Safety website. There is also a training system available on MyNMU under the student services tab that provides a PowerPoint and video guide for an active shooter situation.

According to the Public Safety website, the closest person to an emergency situation should first remove themselves from danger and call 911. A Public Safety official will phone the Office of the President. Public Safety Dispatch can also be called at 227-2151.

Peterman encourages students to be aware of their surroundings.

“Some kids probably come and go through the main door and have never looked any further,” Peterman said. “It’s time to take a look around and say, ‘Well if I can’t get out that door I’ve been coming in for two years, I might have to find another way out because I might need that door someday.’”

Junior clinical lab sciences major Sara Carlson said she feels fairly secure on campus because of the high presence of public safety officers. Incidents like the stabbing at OSU leave students scared, Carlson said.

“I think it’s really scary that it can happen and it can happen everywhere, even when it’s not a gun, but a knife,” she said.

Carlson encourages students who are unaware of security amenities on campus to talk to a Public Safety official or use online resources to ensure that they are prepared for any situation.