UPDATE: The emergency response exercise originally scheduled for April 17 has been postponed. The exercise will be rescheduled for a later date. 

Temple University will test its plans, policies and response capabilities for an active-shooter scenario on Main Campus. Exercises such as these identify strengths and areas of improvement while also unifying universitywide emergency preparedness efforts. 

During this exercise, which will start at approximately 10 a.m., Campus Safety Services and Emergency Medical Services will simulate their responses to an active-shooter event in and around the Liacouras Center (1776 N. Broad Street). Actors will pretend to be victims, who will be triaged inside the Liacouras Center lobby. The areas reserved for the exercise will be clearly marked. For your safety, and in order to complete the exercise in as realistic of an environment as possible, the exercise area will not be open to the public. If you are not involved in the exercise, you do not need to take any action. 

On the morning of the exercise, a TUalert message will be sent to remind the Temple community of the emergency response exercise. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive TUalerts by visiting the TUready website. In addition, the university will conduct a test of the outdoor TUsiren at approximately 10 a.m. on Main Campus. (No sirens will sound at the Health Sciences Center.)

An active-shooter situation is a matter of personal preparedness and survival. To learn more about what you can do, watch this video, which outlines federal guidance to run, hide and fight in the event of an active shooter. In addition, Sarah Powell, Temple’s director of emergency management, leads workshops about emergency preparedness for students, faculty and staff. Contact Sarah at 215-204-7470 or sjpowell@temple.edu for more information or to schedule a training. 

Preparedness exercises are a critical component of emergency management efforts at any college or university. Through the training described here, as well as many other initiatives, we continuously evaluate and optimize our resources and services for the Temple community. Thank you for your partnership and support of our public safety efforts. Your safety and well-being are our highest priority. 

Charles Leone
Executive Director
Public Safety
Temple University