ASHEVILLE, N.C. – There were 118 causalities from school shootings in the United States in 2018 – 35 of them fatalities, according to Education Week. "Run, hide, fight" is now as familiar to students as "stop, drop, and roll," but there are a few other steps you can take before a crisis begins.

Here are some tips to keep safe from active shooters on campus – or keep track of the college student in your life in the event of an attack.

More:Police stopped UNC Charlotte shooting quickly. But what about preventing it?

More:Family 'beyond proud' of Riley Howell, student hero killed in UNC Charlotte shooting

Carry a cellphone, and keep it charged

Lockdowns can last hours, and the flow of information between emergency responders and people near an active shooter is key. Consider carrying a power bank charger for emergencies.

More:University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting: What We Know Now

Sign up for the school's alert system

Colleges and universities typically distribute emergency alerts via SMS text messages (though some use an in-house app or rely on email). Students should make sure their contact information is registered with the school and kept up-to-date.

Share your location through smart phone apps

Life360's Find my Friends app, available for free on iOS and Android, allows users to share their location real-time with people of their choice. It's a valuable tool that allows loved ones to track students' location in an emergency situation that makes frequent updates difficult.

More:Riley Howell tried to stop UNC Charlotte gunman. He saved lives and died a hero, police say.

Check if Text-to-911 is available in your area

Text-to-911 is an emergency reporting service that's slowly rolling out across the United States. Currently, it's available only to a small number of communities.

While police say it's always best to contact 911 through a standard audio call, text can be a life-saving option if you're concerned an intruder might be close enough to hear.

Search for your local police department in this spreadsheet provided by the Federal Communications Commission – if it's not yet available, ask the call center to explore their options on implementing Text-to-911 with the FCC.

Interested in your college or university's safety record? Explore this U.S. Department of Education database that tracks safety and security incidents on over 11,000 campuses in the United States.