Written by Malcolm Key
Run. Hide. Fight. A message of few words, but of massive impact for students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on August 21, 2025. Just one full week into the first semester, students had to act on instinct: barricading into closets and running to the closest outgoing car. Within minutes, city law enforcement redirected to UTC to join campus police in sweeping every inch of campus, prepared to find the threat and establish safety. After the dust settled, and no signs of injury or gunfire were found, UTC Police debriefed, with an emphasis on the question, “How can we do better?”
UTC was the victim of the first of 30-35 fake active shooter alert AI-supported calls at higher education institutions that week. “The false alarm served as a learning opportunity,” said UTC Chief of Police Sean O’ Brien. Since UTC’s earth-shattering encounter, it has taken to preparing itself for the worst. “One of the things we learned was that the students did really well [at UTC] because students have grown up pretty much their whole academic life training for this stuff. So their brains are primed to do some things, whereas our employees, our staff, and faculty, not so much. That was a huge takeaway from that day,” says O’ Brien. The police and students responded to the emergency bravely together, but that did not shake the fear that the UTC community was left with. A fear that could only be pardoned with the help and knowledge of Defend Systems.
UTC partnered with Defend Systems, a life-safety and security consulting firm specializing in active shooter response training, to provide analysis from the faux-shooting and education on what to do if individuals ever find themselves in such a situation again. Brink Fidler, the founder of Defend Systems, presents 4+ hours of analysis of every step in armed violence tragedies such as Parkland, Covenant, Sandy Hook, Columbine, and Las Vegas. Through this research, he found a recurring theme: the difference was made with the people in the event. “They are the real first responders,” said Fidler. Fidler knows that what could save someone’s life in the future is education, and with his team, he creates presentations that could change the game for those who get to participate. The goal of Defend Systems is to educate and empower people to save lives, even their own, whether it’s an armed attack or a simple activity gone amiss.While we can never go back in time, we can learn from the tragedies of the past in order to prevent more in the future. Both O’Brien and Fidler know all too well the difference that seconds and minutes make in armed violence situations. Because of this, they want to empower people with the knowledge to defend. So they can not only save their own lives, but also the lives of those around them.
Brink Fidler presenting during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. UTC Police Chief Sean O’Brien stood behind stage before he spoke. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Adam McIntyre presenting how to pack a wound during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. This was the first of two presentations that day. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Brink Fidler presenting during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. UTC Police Chief Sean O’Brien stands behind stage before he presented briefly. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Adam McIntyre presents how to put a tourniquet on another person, with Brink Fidler as the example during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Brink was the example for many of the medical presentations. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Brink Fidler speaks with Kayelyn McCaslin at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Just a day before the final day of presentations at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. 8 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Adam McIntyre presents two tourniquets during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. McIntyre showed the right and wrong ways to the crowd. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Brink Fidler presenting during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. UTC Police Chief Sean O’Brien stands behind stage before he speaks. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Brink Fidler presenting during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Moments before radioing to Adam McIntyre to fire live rounds into a bullet trap in the Fine Arts Center. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Adam McIntyre presents how to put a tourniquet during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. The example was enlarged for the audience by the camcorder being operated by Madison Hicks. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key) 
Adam McIntyre presents how to put a tourniquet during the final day of Defend Systems’ presentations at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. 9 January 2026. (Photo by Malcolm Key)
Meet the Storyteller
Malcolm Key is a senior Communication major with a minor in Environmental Studies at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Key is a previous division 1 NCAA athlete turned multimedia artist, graphic designer, and visual storyteller. He is passionate about sharing truths of the human experience using digital communication and its various forms. He is currently serving as Broadcast Assistant for WUTC public radio, where he connects written, video, and photojournalism skills with audio journalism and production. Key’s keen interest lies in connecting with the arts, music, global culture, urban development and infrastructure. He spent 4 months in Paris, France through the Knowledge Exchange Institute, where his passion gained international depth. Key uses photography to highlight the overlooked, and shine light on the forgotten. If you want him to shine light on your story, or collaborate on a project, contact him at tfc775@mocs.utc.edu. For his graphic works, click here.
Kayelyn McCaslin is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in communication with a minor in marketing. She currently works as a producer and anchor at UTC’s student-run MocsNews program. McCaslin is passionate about the media industry and visual storytelling, with developed skills in video production, news editing, and digital marketing. She expanded her network nationally at the International Radio & TV Society’s Future Media Leaders workshop (2025) and intends to step into a hands-on broadcast news or media marketing role after graduating in May 2026. McCaslin’s mission is to reach often underserved audiences with eye-opening stories, especially ones that inspire action, service, and empathy. If interested in more of Kayelyn McCaslin’s work or getting in contact, visit her portfolio website and reach out at kayelynmccaslin@gmail.com