Aurora, Sandy Hook, Charleston and now Roseburg. We are heartbroken to see yet another depraved atrocity go on in this country. At the latest tally, 10 are dead at Umpqua Community College and far more are injured.

Though we may desperately pretend that it is not the case, the reality is that mass shootings are a far-too common part of the world in which we Americans live. And though we may currently be helpless to stop this senseless violence from occurring again — maybe next week, maybe next year — we can still prepare ourselves in the event that a shooter makes his or her way to our doorstep.

There is an extremely valuable resource available on campus in the University Police Department’s active-shooter training. It is free and available to anyone and everyone who spends time on campus. The only thing you need is interest. The Editorial Board urges the University community to utilize this extremely valuable resource, and get informed.

Suzanne Howell, the director of residential life, must require residential assistants in all on-campus housing communities to go through UPD’s training. RAs are given the option to take the session during their pre-semester orientation, but it is not mandatory. In the event of an emergency, residents should be able to count on their RAs to know the proper protocol needed to save lives.

The Editorial Board also encourages any professors who teach large lectures — think: a packed Lecture Hall 1 — to participate in this training. When chaos occurs, students will look to the leaders in the room. It’s important that those leaders on our campus are prepared and informed. In case of disaster, others will follow their lead.

There have been over 160 school shootings since Columbine in 1999. Grade schools and high schools have lockdown drills several times a year — they have a plan in place in the event that the worst happens. We also need to be prepared for the worst.

And before the Editorial Board is accused of drumming up fear, let us not forget that tragedy visited Binghamton not too long ago. In 2009, 13 people were massacred at the American Civic Association on Front Street. It was the deadliest mass killing in New York since the 9/11 attacks. That we still do not have mandatory drills on campus is, frankly, remarkable.

Pipe Dream’s staff has been planning on doing UPD’s active-shooter training for weeks, but now there is an extra sense of urgency. The Editorial Board encourages all student groups, especially those with office space, to request UPD’s training. According to UPD, there is always a spike in training requests in the immediate aftermath of a mass shooting, and that they all but disappear as the national dialogue moves forward.

We ultimately decided to write about this now because the fear is still fresh. School shootings are terrifying; we are reminded that these horrific acts of violence can — and do — happen anywhere, at any time, from shopping malls to movie theaters to kindergarten classrooms. We are afraid, for our safety and for our lives. But it is better to be scared and informed than ignorant and dead.

President Obama said yesterday Americans have become numb to the constant barrage of death and carnage, to the endless stream of tragedy. It is time for us to stop, to feel it and to take action.