External Partners pictured with SAU team: Major Derek Ford, Captain Robert LaTour, & Lieutenant Ken Klos-Weller, Raleigh Police Department, Sergeant Gene Lambert, North Carolina State Capital Police, Lieutenant Billy Boyd, UNC Hospital Police, Corporal Edward Washington, Wake Technical Community College Police, and Emergency Manager Travis Auman, North Carolina Agricultural & Technology State University Police Department.

On Thursday, April 20, 2023, an active assailant tabletop exercise brought together multiple Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) departments, emergency personnel, local police departments, and campus police departments from other institutions to test, evaluate, and strengthen campus safety procedures in the event of an active assailant emergency. The exercise was facilitated by Katelyn Lea, Crisis Management Specialist for EnviroSafe Consulting, as a part of SAU’s ongoing campus safety outreach programs.

“This exercise has united our university and given us the understanding of how our emergency operations must unfold to strengthen our commitment to campus safety for our students, faculty, and staff,” said SAU President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. “I wish to thank Chief Simpson, Envirosafe Consulting, and our community partners in law enforcement for providing us with the insight to close any gaps and allow our institution to establish a sustainable policy for everyone to follow.”

Participants included representatives from the Raleigh Police Department, North Carolina State Capital Police, UNC Hospital Police, Wake Technical Community College Police, and the North Carolina Agricultural & Technology Police Department. The purpose of the tabletop exercise was to allow participants to evaluate current response concepts in preparation for a response to an active assailant event on SAU’s campus. The tabletop exercise also focused on critical decisions and the role of public information strategies that are critical to the overall response effort. In addition, participants tested SAU’s emergency plan in an informal, low-stress environment.

“I am excited that with the support of our off-campus partners, this exercise now clarifies the roles and responsibilities, identifies additional campus mitigation and preparedness needs, and strengthens the SAUCPD’s efforts to keep our campus safe,” said SAU Campus Police Department (SAUCPD) Chief Charles Simpson. “I look forward to continuously implementing exercises to strengthen the university’s response to possible threats.”

The SAUCPD aims to provide the university community with a safe environment. The SAUCPD is committed to utilizing best practices and providing the highest professionalism possible, using the continued motto “See Something, Say Something – One SAU.”

Click here to learn more about the SAUCPD.