JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Following Monday night’s mass shooting at Michigan State University, campus safety is once again a top priority.

That is no different at East Tennessee State University.

News Channel 11 spoke with ETSU Chief of Police Cesar Gracia about the university’s safety plan and training for mass shootings.

Gracia said students, staff and campus police complete yearly training on active shooter situations.

That mainly revolves around the run, hide, fight method of response to an active shooter.

Gracia said he would like to see that training expanded to create more engagement for those taking the training.

“We’re trying to expand and do more one on one,” Gracia said. “Have an officer actually conduct a training as opposed to just sitting through and watching a video.”

Run, hide, fight involves running and hiding from the shooter, and fighting the perpetrator only as a last resort.

It is a valuable training that could mean the difference between life and death in an active shooting.

“The key thing is situational awareness,” Gracia said. “Make certain that we get our faculty, staff and students trained up on being aware of their surroundings at all times.”

Training non-officers starts with faculty and staff as they are often the only adults in the classroom. Gracia has found students often follow the lead of their instructors in those situations.

“A lot of times, the students are going to do what the professors are doing,” Gracia said.

Campus police with Johnson City Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has developed a multi-jurisdictional response to a potential mass shooting on campus.

But ETSU police are likely to be the first line of defense in a mass shooting. Officers are trained for that situation.

“Our officers are trained to specifically go in by themselves and engage the perpetrator,” Gracia said.

In addition to 24/7 campus police patrols, security cameras and emergency phones are placed around campus to monitor any suspicious activity.

Students and staff are also encouraged to report if they see something.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be paranoid, but if you see something that just doesn’t feel quite right, we encourage them, give us a call, Report it,” Gracia said. “We would be more than happy to investigate it.”

Gracia also urged all students and staff to download the ETSU App, which includes ETSU Safe.

That allows for vital communication between campus police and students/staff during any potential risk to campus safety.

“Through the use of the ETSU App, it’s very simple for them to let us know where they’re at and if they’re okay, if there’s any injuries or casualties,” Gracia said.

The app allows ETSU Police to notify those on campus which buildings are safe and which are not.