Security with transparency
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Viewpoint
There are still plenty of questions surrounding what happened Monday at Virginia Tech.
But one thing that isn't up for discussion is that Notre Dame should have a plan in case the unthinkable happens here.
Which is why University President Father John Jenkins' e-mail Thursday discussing emergency plans was a welcome - and much needed - announcement for students, faculty and, maybe most of all, parents.
That message didn't come, however, until days after the shooting - days of wondering and worrying and wanting to know what Notre Dame would do.
Earlier this week, members of the administration and Notre Dame Security/Police were unwilling to comment on the University's preparedness for such an emergency, leaving students questioning if the plan was fully developed.
But now, Jenkins has reassured the community through an e-mail that, while somewhat vague, promises the University will work to further prepare for anything that may come along.
It's understandable that Notre Dame would need time to work out certain details before making a plan public. Still, when information of this nature isn't being released, it's important to tell people why, instead of generating anxious speculation that no plan exists.
Hopefully, Notre Dame's plan will eventually include the text-message initiative, one of the few specifics Jenkins included in his e-mail. If implemented, the procedure would go a long way to helping Notre Dame not repeat the delay in warning students that happened in Blacksburg.
While other details of the plan will likely always be kept secret, it's necessary to be open about all procedures and safety measures that do not compromise security - and open in telling students when information isn't released due to security concerns.
--
Original Source:
<a href="http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/20/Viewpoint/Security.With.Transparency-2870855.shtml">http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/20/Viewpoint/Security.With.Transparency-2870855.shtml</a>
Editorial Staff
2008-02-25
Kacey Beddoes
Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
eng
WVU looks at safety plans
Issue Date:Wednesday April 18, 2007
Section: HeadLine News Section
By Jon Offredo, Staff Writer
What if it happened here?
Would West Virginia University be prepared for a horrific incident such as the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech on Monday?
The answer is yes, University officials say.
"Blacksburg is a lot like Morgantown, and if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere," said West Virginia University spokeswoman Becky Loftstead.
"In light of this, we are going to review the emergency plan and look at it intensely to make sure that all of our 'I's are dotted and 'T's are crossed to make sure any event like this is covered," Loftstead said.
Prior to the massacre in Blacksburg, WVU officials were in the process of finding vendors to provide University-wide text messaging services in the event of an emergency, Loftstead said.
Currently, the University would broadcast announcements on MIX and forward them to WVU.edu e-mail addresses as it does when canceling class during the winter.
Officials were also looking into the idea of large messaging centers that would be visible in high traffic areas.
Dr. Dan Della-Giustina, a WVU professor and expert in public safety, also suggested the implementation of a University-wide alarm system.
"My thought is to develop an air raid-like signal, similar to the ones during World War II," Della-Giustina said. "It would sound a siren, when the students would hear this, regardless of where they were, they would know to stay put and be on lock down.
Yet, despite new proposals, University officials have always had a plan for the instant disaster were to strike WVU.
If WVU were faced with the same situation that arose in Blacksburg, students would be urged to remain where they were and focus on protecting themselves.
In what Roberts called an active shooter situation, DPS members have been trained in a program called "Active Shooter," and a team is also trained in Rapid Response. To correspond with the DPS response, Morgantown Police Department, West Virginia State Police and Morgantown Fire Department also became involved in the situation.
In the Virginia Tech scenario, students and families were reunited at the alumni center in Blacksburg, but if the situation were to arise in Morgantown, that may not be the best protocol.
"If you look at WVU, there is no single road. We are an expansive town," Roberts said. "We work with Morgantown Police Department, and that is a benefit, to say that there is a central location is not what we are advocating."
The ideal plan would be for students and faculty to stay in place, secure doors and to wait for the green light.
After a traumatizing event, students are likely to need some kind of counseling to deal with the shocking aftermath.
"It's crisis counseling, and always you need to assess the student's concern, is there some sense of immediacy, friend or family involved," said Dr. Peter Kahn of the Carruth Center. "With any situation where there's been some kind of a loss, you want to sit with the person and let them talk freely and open up about it."
jon.offredo@mail.wvu.edu
--
Original Source: The Daily Athenaeum
<a href="http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27578">http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27578</a>
Jon Offredo
2008-02-18
Kacey Beddoes
Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
eng
Better safety measures needed
Issue Date:Wednesday April 18, 2007
Section: Editorial Section
There are still many questions left for the Blacksburg, Va., community as police and federal agents continue to investigate the gunman's trail.
But there is one startling fact we are all aware of: Students and the rest of the university's community were not notified of the first shooting until nearly two hours later. And when they were notified, many did not take the message seriously until, in many cases, they saw bloodshed for themselves.
It's hard not to think about how West Virginia University and others across the country would respond if a similar situation took place on their campuses.
As explained in a news story in today's Daily Athenaeum, WVU officials say they do have an emergency plan in place.
But does it need to be modified to be made more efficient?
In a much less dire situation, WVU administrators took several hours to cancel classes when roads were too icy to drive on during a snowstorm last March.
When Virginia Tech officials did notify the campus of the shootings, the message was mass delivered through an e-mail. Many VT students wondered aloud to the media if the tragedy could have only been an incident if they were notified earlier.
And what if e-mails simply can't be read when the power shuts off or students and faculty don't check their accounts?
We're glad to hear University officials are looking into campus-wide text messaging and messaging centers that are visible to traffic. Innovative measures such as these are some of the best ways to reach everybody at once nowadays. Still, in an emergency, cell phone network lines could become loaded, making messages hard to send. That's why universities, including WVU, need to work with local companies and networks to make plans for mass communication during security threats.
Of course, nothing can change Monday's monstrosity. But if communities and administrators work together now, they may be able to prevent another tragedy.
--
Originial Source: The Daily Athenaeum
<a href="http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27573">http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27573</a>
Editorial Staff
2008-02-18
Kacey Beddoes
Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
eng