| Preventing Seung-Hui Cho from opening fire at | | | | people," he said. "What are the messages? Who |
| two different locations on the Virginia Tech | | | | are we communicating with? Who is allowed to |
| campus in Blacksburg, Va. - taking 32 lives before | | | | communicate? All of that has to be predefined as |
| his own - would have been difficult. And it would | | | | part of emergency procedures." |
| have been just as difficult on most college | | | | Moving Forward |
| campuses for a few reasons. | | | | After the Virginia Tech tragedy, colleges across |
| "Because of the open nature of institutions of | | | | the nation examined what technology and |
| higher education and because we are dealing with | | | | procedures could be implemented to help officials |
| the human psychology," said Adam Garcia, | | | | confront such an event. |
| director of University Police Services at the | | | | In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced college |
| University of Nevada, Reno. "In less than a | | | | campus security initiatives that would create a |
| decade, we have gone from shooting situations in | | | | campus security task force and distribute more |
| K-12 schools to terrorism to an adult lone wolf, | | | | than 300 Motorola radios on three college |
| who are extremely difficult to identify in advance." | | | | campuses. The radios are expected to be in place |
| When it comes to violent crime, college campuses | | | | by the fall 2007 semester, and campus security |
| have long been shrouded in a false sense of | | | | personnel will be trained to use them. |
| security. That mindset, however, must change to | | | | California State University, Fresno, is meeting with |
| mitigate the effects of another tragedy - or | | | | vendors to discuss the viability of a cell phone |
| prevent one altogether. | | | | message system that would text volunteers. |
| Tragedies like Columbine and Virginia Tech have | | | | University officials are studying procedures and |
| pushed campuses toward evaluating their security | | | | policies at Virginia Tech and visiting the campus to |
| practices and communication procedures, and the | | | | learn from the tragedy. |
| aftermath provides insight as to what took place. | | | | The University of California at Berkeley recently |
| The outcome will undoubtedly lead to new | | | | introduced a system called People Locator, a |
| measures that make college campuses safer. | | | | Web-based application that lets students, faculty |
| Garcia said an event like the one that took place | | | | and staff securely log in, report their locations and |
| at Virginia Tech would overwhelm just about any | | | | leave messages during an emergency. |
| community and law enforcement organization. But | | | | Prior to the Virginia Tech incident, Hampton |
| new issues came to light, and communities should | | | | University in Virginia implemented a prototype |
| acknowledge that college campuses aren't immune | | | | security system called Response Information |
| to crime and should be prepared. | | | | Folder System (RIFS), developed by Alion. RIFS |
| "For too long, universities and colleges were seen | | | | allows emergency responders and school officials |
| as safe havens from crime," Garcia said. | | | | to quickly access 3-D and 2-D models, panoramic |
| "Communities must face the reality that acts of | | | | images and glean other facts about the facility. |
| violence and crime can and do occur anywhere." | | | | The system has GIS capability that helps |
| Before Chaos Ensues | | | | integrate facts about an event with a geographic |
| Prevention is difficult, but to gain some semblance | | | | context. |
| of control over the situation, communication is | | | | RIFS has no emergency warning component, but |
| important. As was evident at Virginia Tech, it's | | | | possible expansion includes emergency alerting via |
| not easy, and significant planning is involved. | | | | text messaging and e-mail, according to Teresa |
| "The challenge of communicating with everybody | | | | Walker, assistant provost for technology and |
| on campus, as well as people outside of campus | | | | director of the Academic Technology Mall at |
| who have a relationship to what's going on, is a | | | | Hampton University. |
| big challenge, and is really one of the more crucial | | | | During the spring, Hampton also implemented an |
| elements to emergency management," said Guy | | | | Internet filtering and monitoring application by 8e6 |
| Miasnik, president and CEO of AtHoc, a firm that | | | | Technologies called Threat Analysis Reporter. "It |
| has helped secure facilities at the Department of | | | | allows us to pull categories that we want to |
| Defense (DoD) for years. | | | | monitor for inappropriate use on the Internet or |
| Virginia Tech officials were questioned after the | | | | block altogether," Walker said. "We are able to |
| shootings as to why the campus wasn't shut | | | | immediately gather data on any individual who |
| down during the two-hour lull between shootings, | | | | visits sites deemed as inappropriate or attempts |
| and why everyone on campus wasn't notified | | | | to access sites that we have blocked." |
| after the first round of shootings in which two | | | | Such categories include pornography, hate and |
| people were killed in a dorm room. | | | | discrimination, extremist and terrorist sites, and |
| "When people don't know what's happening, that's | | | | weapons and arms sites, she said, adding that |
| what creates chaos and creates frustration, and | | | | students are aware of this and understand it's |
| potentially creates a tremendous amount of | | | | university policy. |
| danger," Miasnik said. | | | | As for upgrading campus security, Miasnik advises |
| Virginia Tech's emergency communications | | | | campuses to look around and see what others |
| system included e-mail, as opposed to text | | | | are doing, and to take advantage of existing |
| messaging, which could have been helpful since | | | | infrastructure. |
| students are accustomed to texting and used it | | | | "Colleges have networks. They've invested |
| to communicate amongst themselves during the | | | | tremendous amounts of money in networks |
| shootings. | | | | pretty much everywhere on campus," he said. |
| Sources said using multiple means of | | | | "There are wired networks; wireless networks; |
| communications during such an event is critical. | | | | everybody has a laptop; there are lab kiosks. |
| "Assuming a single channel will work when you | | | | Leverage what you have in place. For a relatively |
| need it isn't sufficient," Miasnik said. | | | | small investment, you can turn every laptop, |
| As it does after these types of events, the | | | | every kiosk or even a phone into an alerting |
| University of Nevada is taking a new look at its | | | | device. The investment is usually somewhere in |
| readiness after the Virginia Tech disaster. | | | | the range of 20 to 30 bucks per student per |
| "We are evaluating our current state of readiness | | | | year. |
| from a law enforcement perspective, as well as a | | | | "My No. 1 recommendation is to learn from |
| community perspective," Garcia said. "Redundant | | | | others," Miasnik continued. "You can't reinvent the |
| lines of communication to faculty, staff and | | | | wheel here. There are organizations that have |
| students are being explored." | | | | been dealing with this for decades." |
| Communications methods being examined include | | | | Requirements for Managing a Campus Crisis |
| cell phones and landline message "dumps," which | | | | |
| are mass communications sent to people who | | | | 1. A proper mindset for the community. For too |
| sign up to receive emergency alerts; text | | | | long, universities and colleges were seen as safe |
| messages; Web site improvements; message | | | | havens from crime. Communities must face the |
| boards; campus LCD monitors; and reverse 911, | | | | reality that acts of violence and crime can, and |
| said Garcia. The school is also considering | | | | do, occur anywhere. |
| establishing an emergency critical management | | | | 2. Adequate training for law enforcement officers. |
| group composed of five to seven high-level | | | | After Columbine and the 1997 North Hollywood |
| university officials. | | | | shootings involving two bank robbers, law |
| Multiple Means of Communicating | | | | enforcement began to change tactics from |
| Some lessons learned from years of securing | | | | responding, containing the situation and waiting for |
| DoD facilities include quickly making decisions and | | | | a tactical squad, to responding and confronting the |
| disseminating information, having multiple lines of | | | | threat without waiting for a tactical response. |
| communication, and conveying a consistent | | | | Institutional law enforcement must be prepared |
| message over all of them from a centralized | | | | with the proper training in an "active shooter" |
| source. | | | | situation. |
| Multiple communications methods must be used to | | | | 3. Adequate and proper equipment and funding |
| get in touch with necessary people because some | | | | for campus law enforcement officers are |
| methods may not work, and some people may | | | | imperative for their self-sufficiency. Most |
| not be reached by certain channels, Miasnik said. | | | | university and college law enforcement agencies |
| "So by having multiple channels, you really have a | | | | now need to be properly equipped. It is no longer |
| much better chance of reaching the people you | | | | sensible to have to wait for other agencies to |
| need," he said. "The second important lesson is | | | | respond. The single minutes it takes for additional |
| being able to centralize the management of the | | | | help to arrive could mean the difference between |
| emergency communication, because one | | | | life and death for many. |
| consequence of having three or four or five | | | | 4. Proper notification of those exhibiting behaviors |
| different channels of communication might be that | | | | out of the norm, while balancing civil rights of |
| you need different systems to manage each one | | | | students and others. |
| of them. And that's not good, because every | | | | Source: Adam Garcia; director of University Police |
| minute really counts, and you want to have a | | | | Services; University of Nevada, Reno |
| system that can really communicate and leverage | | | | Under Watchful Eye |
| all of these channels of communication at once | | | | Liberty Public Schools in Kansas City, Mo., have |
| with a single activation." | | | | had surveillance cameras for years that focused |
| In addition to single activation, single management | | | | on athletic fields, school buildings, parking lots and |
| of the system is critical so a consistent message | | | | hallways and sometimes helped identify vandals |
| is sent through each channel. | | | | and trespassers. |
| "For example, if you communicate over four or | | | | Now the cameras are linked to the local police |
| five different channels, but the message you are | | | | department instead of the district technology |
| sending over each is not exactly the same, you | | | | staff, and that connection could mean more |
| may be doing more damage than good," Miasnik | | | | immediate action on the part of police should |
| said. "You may be confusing people about what to | | | | there be a shooting or other major event. |
| do." | | | | Video from the cameras is piped into the police |
| This type of communication must be second | | | | station's dispatch office and can be broadcast to a |
| nature; the procedures must be defined for each | | | | laptop. Police can watch an array of cameras |
| type of event before it happens, and then | | | | simultaneously or a single full-screen camera and |
| practiced, Miasnik said. | | | | can view virtually every common area of the |
| "You have to figure out, if this happens, this is | | | | school buildings. |
| what I do: I communicate with the following | | | | |