September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, during which SMU will strive to inform students about how best to respond to potentially dangerous campus emergencies.

All month long, students, faculty and staff will receive information through email, web and social media focused on recommended emergency responses to a variety of threats. In the event of a real emergency, everyone on campus would be instructed through these same channels to lockdown, seek shelter or evacuate.

Anyone with a current SMU ID can attend a simulated campus “attack” by an armed assailant at 3:30 Wednesday in the Hughes Trigg Theater. It’s designed to instruct participants on what might happen in this incident, but also to allow them to understand how adrenalin, misperceptions and personal choices can alter the outcome of such situations.

“This simulation can be unsettling, but it’s designed to be,” said emergency management specialist Lisa Morris in a press release. “Participants tell us that the sights and sounds and rush of emotions they experience make them realize just how much they need information on responding to an emergency.

Short safety videos and FAQs are available for viewing online at smu.edu/emergency, and a Twitter contest will award Starbucks gift cards throughout the month to students who view the videos and are first to answer related questions tweeted from @SMU.

SMU community members will also be encouraged to verify their cell phone numbers through my.smu.edu so they can be reached during an emergency.

“We take emergencies very seriously on this campus,” said Anita Ingram, associate vice president and chief risk officer, in a press release. “What we know from our experience – our own, and those of other universities that have dealt with emergency situations – is that information, training and practice can save lives.”