For many current Binghamton University students, the Downtown Binghamton shooting in 2009 is in the distant past. But when Jiverly Wong entered the American Civic Association Center, a building just off Main Street, on the morning of April 3, the danger for local residents was very real.

In just a few minutes, Wong had locked members of a citizenship class inside the building and proceeded to shoot 18 people, killing 13 and himself in what was the nation’s deadliest shooting since the infamous Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.

To prepare students and faculty for the possibility of another active shooter situation, the University Center for Training and Development and the University Police Department (UPD) hosted “Surviving an Active Shooter” on Thursday morning.

University Chief of Police Timothy Faughnan said that due to the harm that can be done in the first few minutes of a shooting, the policy is to stop the shooter as quickly as possible.

“We can have virtually every car on the scene within a minute and a half to two minutes anywhere on this campus,” Faughnan said. “The first two officers on the scene can make a building entry. We prefer three, but we train in multiple formations. These two officers can enter the scene of an active shooter and our goal is to stop the killing.”

Faughnan said that the first police team to enter will follow the sound of gunshots, and will normally be unaware of whether those they come into contact with are threats. He instructed civilians not to yell or make rapid movements, but calmly show their hands with fingers spread and relay information to the police about the location or description of the shooter.

“We will pass someone on the ground who has been shot, pass people screaming for help, because we have to first and foremost stop what’s going on,” Faughnan said. “That is really tough for cops.”

The seminar contained a video from the Center for Personal Protection and Safety about what individuals should do if there is an active shooter. The video pointed out that the average person may not recognize the sound of gunshots, which make a popping sound that is unlike the TV and movie effects people are used to. It also addressed different safety measures for civilians to take in order to protect themselves and the ones around them.

Faughnan stressed the importance of preventing the shooting before it starts. He said students should call the police if someone is acting strangely or violently. According to Faughnan, prevention can start long before the shooter is armed. He recommended the confidential Students of Concern Committee in the Dean of Students office, which meets weekly to discuss students’ concerns about safety and threats they feel from other students.

“After something happens you always hear on the news, ‘Someone should have connected the dots.’ We are trying really hard to connect those dots,” Faughnan said. “The Students of Concern Committee is the centralized point where the dots begin to get connected.”

Students should also be aware of warning systems in place, like the B-Alert system and the outdoor emergency siren system, Faughnan said. Additionally, students should always be aware of the very real risk for an active shooter.

“We will do this program every day if we have to,” Faughnan said. “Not to spread fear but to spread awareness.”