Active attacker simulation to take place on Jan 5; building closures
Toronto Metropolitan University is located at one of the busiest intersections in North America. With thousands of people moving through our campus daily, our top priority is the safety and security of our community.
As a team, Community Safety and Security takes a proactive approach to safety and security on campus by innovating new approaches and expanding training for Community Safety and Security staff in order to respond to the complex needs on our campus.
As part of this, on Sunday, January 5, TMU Security will be participating in training under the Toronto Police Service (TPS) immediate rapid deployment program to practice shared response in an active attacker simulation with the Toronto Police Service and emergency responders on our campus. While the chances of an active attacker occurring on campus are extremely low, participating in this type of training allows our security team and the emergency services teams to assess their response, including the effectiveness of procedures, as well as internal and external coordination.
As you may recall, this training was originally scheduled to take place on October 15, 2023, but was postponed due to resourcing requirements for Toronto Police Service.
When and where will training occur?
Training will occur on Sunday, January 5 between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m.
The training has been scheduled to take place during the mid-year closure, during which community members do not have OneCard access to campus as the university is closed. The training will take place in the following locations:
- Rogers Communications Centre
- Kerr Hall, including North, South, East and West
- The Kerr Hall Quad
- The Recreation & Athletics Centre
This exercise exclusively involves TMU Community Safety and Security staff, senior leadership from TMU and TPS, and emergency responders. Unless otherwise authorized or a member of the scenario planning team, no TMU staff, faculty or students will be involved in the scenario.
While we have scheduled this training to take place at a time to minimize impact on our community, those on campus may notice an increase of TPS and emergency response vehicles on campus.
Build your own knowledge in responding to an active threat on campus
Active attacker situations can cause confusion and panic. Again, while the chances of an active threat situation occurring on campus are extremely low, it’s important for TMU community members to know what to do in case it happens. Research of active threat events across North America (specifically those involving active shooters) has shown that being prepared can increase your chances of survival should you ever find yourself in this situation.
In North America, active attacker training has become increasingly common and standardized across Canadian post-secondary institutions and is part of the university’s commitment to proactively plan for rare, but possible, emergency situations.
What is an active attacker?
An active attacker may: |
An active threat may: |
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Get out. Hide. Fight.
As a reminder, the simulation has been scheduled to occur at a time when limited students, faculty and staff will be on campus, and community members will not be included in the training itself. The Get Out. Hide. Fight training materials, including a training video, provide you with an opportunity to build your own ability to respond in the event of a real threat on campus.
The key message of "get out, hide, fight" is simple and memorable. It represents the options you should consider if you ever face an active attacker.
Keep in mind that the option you choose to adopt may vary depending on the active threat situation you are in. Each situation is different and unpredictable.
Moreover, while the options are presented in a sequence, there is no set formula, and these steps are not linear.
Get out
If you can, get out.
If you're in an open area, look for your nearest, safest escape and get there as quickly as you can. Keep solid structural objects between you and the attacker and get as far away from them as possible.
Hide
If you can’t leave, hide.
Hide with as many others as you safely can. Get behind solid structures that can't be penetrated by weapons or weapon fire. Lock, barricade and stay away from the door. Close windows, blinds and turn off lights. Stay quiet and mute phones. Wait until help arrives.
Fight
As a last resort, fight.
You should only confront an active attacker if you have somehow become trapped in a space with no escape. The goal is to create a counter measure. Use any object to attempt to distract, stop or incapacitate the active attacker so you can get away.
Empower yourself with the skills to respond by learning more
We encourage you to:
- Visit the Active Attacker page on the Community Safety and Security website and watch a short training video.
- Sign up for a training session to gain hands-on skills.
- Share this information with others.
Support available for community members
We recognize that a sense of safety and security is deeply personal. Learning about risks to one’s safety can profoundly impact our mental, physical and emotional well-being and contributes to a heightened sense of alert and concern about personal safety. We want to remind our community of resources available.
Student supports
- Centre for Student Development and Counselling offers various care, referrals and resources, including individual and group counselling. You can make an appointment by emailing csdc@torontomu.ca or calling 416-979-5195.
- The Medical Centre provides TMU students, staff and faculty with a number of health care services, including mental health assessments. Please note that the Medical Centre has returned to offering in-person appointments (virtual and phone appointments are no longer available). To see a nurse and/or physician, please contact the Medical Centre at 416-979-5070 or by email at medicalct@torontomu.ca to schedule an appointment.
- Good2Talk (external link) is a free, confidential mental health support service for Ontario post-secondary students available 24/7/365. Students can access private support in 100+ languages by calling 1-866-925-5454 or by text “GOOD2TALKON” to 686868.
- Peer Support is available for TMU students seeking connection and support. Peer support is described as emotional and practical support between two or more people who share a common lived experience. This can be the experience of a mental illness, mental health concern(s), or any other life event which has an impact on our overall wellbeing. To chat with one of our Peer Supporters, please book an appointment (external link) .
Employee supports
- The Employee and Family Assistance Program provides employees with a variety of confidential resources to help support wellbeing.
- Workplace Wellbeing Services is available to discuss other supports and services.
Reminders about security supports and resources
We encourage all community members to take advantage of Community Safety and Security resources, including:
- The WalkSafe Program: This provides a uniformed security crew member to escort you to various locations on campus, including the subway and nearby parking lots. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To request WalkSafe, call 416-979-5040 or email walksafe@torontomu.ca.
- Get Out. Hide. Fight. Training: While the chances of an active threat situation occurring on campus are extremely low, it’s important for TMU community members to know what to do in case it happens. In addition to the information on the Community Safety and Security website, you can sign up for workshops on the topic.
- Download the TMU Safe app to your phone and sign up for text messages. This app is the university’s tool for mass notification in the event of an urgent situation that poses an immediate safety or security risk to the community.
- Already downloaded the app but haven’t used it in some time? If you’re an iPhone user, make sure your phone hasn’t offloaded the app. If it has, you may need to redownload it. If you’re an Android user, make sure you double check that the app has not gone into hibernation mode. To prevent app hibernation from occurring, redownload the app and TMU Safe will prompt you to disable this feature within the app’s settings on your phone. If the app has been offloaded or gone into hibernation mode, you will not receive notifications.
TMU Community Safety and Security committed to a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to community safety and security on campus
As we have shared previously, at TMU, we recognize that increased security personnel alone will not address the complex challenges faced by our campus. The Community Safety and Security team focuses on a community-centric approach that reflects the realities of the local environment and includes partnerships and innovative solutions to support the well-being and safety of our community and we encourage our community to learn more about TMU’s multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to safety and security, and community partnerships that support this.
Frequently asked questions
No. This exercise exclusively involves the TMU Community Safety and Security staff, senior leadership from TMU, and TPS and emergency responders.
Unless otherwise authorized, or a part of the scenario planning team, no TMU staff, faculty or students will be involved in the scenario.
We understand that there are important and sensitive research projects happening within the spaces designated for closure. If you are a researcher who must access these spaces between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, please contact security@torontomu.ca.
The university is closed for the mid-year break during this time. If you anticipate needing access to a campus building for any reason, please contact security@torontomu.ca.
Prior to the simulation taking place, TMU Security will walk through the closed spaces to ensure no community members remain in the spaces. Additionally, during the event, TMU Security staff will be stationed at all entrances to the spaces being used for the training to ensure no one is able to access who is not involved in the simulation.
