The campus police at the University of Alabama-Huntsville was doing exactly the job it should have on Friday. But when all was said and done, three professors were dead.

Campus security at Quinnipiac University is doing exactly its job as well. But if a professor were to bring a firearm on campus in their briefcase, just about nothing could be done to stop it.

Three means of security work together to define one’s overall safety. The first is being proactive, and working to eliminate any possible incidents before they happen. The second is being reactive, and quickly quelling any situation before it causes more damage. The third, and perhaps the most definitive, is being lucky.

The three Alabama professors killed on Friday drove into work that morning like every other college professor. Just like a Quinnipiac faculty member, they seemingly had no reason to worry. It was, very simply, a wrong-place, wrong-time scenario.

Do not expect campus security to keep you safe in all situations, and do not expect police forces to protect you everywhere you go. Do not take for granted that which you find comfortable.

Quinnipiac’s safety is ultimately defined by the decisions each member makes and the consciousness they have of their surroundings. And when we all become more aware of our safety–not simply our own, but the community’s safety, only then can we can start to whittle down the bad luck.

Don’t pin your safety on campus security. Pin it upon yourself.