It almost happened here.

In 1992, University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student Arthur McElroy walked into Ferguson Hall, pointed a semi-automatic rifle at 20 of his actuarial science classmates and tried to fire.

The gun jammed.

Students escaped unharmed; McElroy was sent to the Lincoln Regional Center.

To be sure, fate was with UNL that day. But what if a tragedy such as the one that befell Virginia Tech University Monday actually happened in Lincoln?

Authorities say they’re as ready as they can be.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” said assistant police chief Jim Peschong. “We could put a lot of resources in one area rather quickly.”

UNL police, Lincoln police and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office all are connected through one radio frequency, Peschong said.

So when an emergency makes its way onto the airwaves, officers from across the city and beyond are ready to lend immediate help.

Should an incident like Monday’s in Blacksburg, Va., be broadcast, 100 or more officers could be mobilized in 15 minutes or less, Peschong said.

Once on the scene, he said, they’ll know what to do: In light of McElroy’s attempted shootings and other recent high-profile school shootings, Lincoln’s authorities are specifically trained in disaster response.

Patient care is always the No. 1 priority, he said, with victims with the most serious injuries taken to hospitals immediately.

Also a priority is containment of the gunman. And, as authorities continue to identify victims, Lancaster County Emergency Management Director Doug Ahlberg would begin coordinating with the city’s three major hospitals to make sure none gets overloaded with patients.

If need be, hospitals in Seward, Beatrice, Syracuse and other nearby towns could also be asked to accept patients, Ahlberg said.

More than 50 ambulances, each with room for three victims, are available to the city, he said.

That plan of action is reviewed annually.

Always, officials would make decisions with students’ safety in mind, said Capt. Carl Oestmann of the UNL Police Department.

In his 20 years at UNL, Oestmann can’t remember a campus lockdown like the one ordered at Virginia Tech. Such an extreme step would only be taken if students would be safer staying put than being evacuated, he said.

Still, even with plans in the books, Oestmann says he’d rather be proactive, not reactive.

The university’s police department is close to implementing an emergency notification system that would allow all campus computer users to receive quick updates should a disaster occur, Oestmann said.

UNL police also are working to ensure campus buildings are only open to those who belong there. Access to academic buildings during after-hours, for example, requires a key, and new residence halls are equipped with key-card entries.

And safety measures will evolve with technology, he said.

“Emergency planning has been very focused,” he said. “It’s an ever-evolving beast. You have to take a look at your plan on a continuing basis.

“Are we prepared? We can be as prepared as possible.”

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.