UI encourages students to take violent incident training

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa offers Violent Incident Survival Training sessions, and officials are encouraging students to participate.

Chuck Green, director of the UI Police, sent a campus-wide e-mail Thursday with information about the training.

“It is an unfortunate reality that in our society we must be concerned about the possibility of someone using a firearm to harm members of the University community,” Green said in the message.

Education institutions are attempting to prepare for such events by establishing methods of emergency communications, police response, threat assessment and campus wide training, Green said. The training isn't intended to alarm, but rather to inform and to enhance personal safety, he said.

Violent Incident Survival Training is based on the nationally recognized ALICE program which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. VIST involves a set of survival principals that can be modified to fit any violent situation. VIST teaches individuals proven techniques and provides them with several options that are effective in avoiding, escaping and, if necessary, protecting intended victims from active shooters. Additionally, the training is intended to mentally prepare participants to recognize, assess and respond to immediate threats of violence, Green said.

“Although the reason behind this training is offensive to consider, it is similar to training for other disasters such as severe weather events, fires or earthquakes,” Green said in the message.

The UI Police Department employs six officers trained as VIST instructors who conduct a two-hour training component for students, faculty and staff. In 2010, these trainers conducted 32 classes involving 772 participants. While the UI continues to hold classes for all university affiliates, they are extending a special invitation to students who have not had the opportunity to receive this training, Green said.

Each class is limited to 30 people. For students wanting to sign up, the website is:

http://police.uiowa.edu/services/educational-programs/violent-incident-survival-training/