Page 38 - Campus Security & Life Safety, May/June 2021

"Bringing different groups together offers the best opportunity to get the full scope of threats that may impact students and begin creating plans to address each incident."
By Paul Shain
Be Prepared
Identifying the different types of emergencies safety teams must create a plan
Mass Notification
Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com
One of the biggest challenges for any campus is providing a safe environment for students to live and learn. Safety teams need to contend with the size of a campus, the number of students they are responsible for and overcoming the dis- tractions of regular ongoing activities.
A Safe and Secure Campus
Achieving a safe and secure campus for students is dependent on strong planning. Safety teams need to recognize the situations that may put students in danger, how they will communicate with stu-
dents about an emergency, and how that emergency with be managed so students get the help they need and normal operations can resume. While this may seem like a daunting task, many campuses are finding success with help from a mass notification system.
One of the most difficult obstacles in creating a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan is identifying the different types of emergencies safety teams need to create plans for. While some situa- tions, like fires and active shooters may seem obvious, different departments may have different concerns.
For example, facilities can be concerned about a pipe bursting dur-
38 campuslifesecurity.com | MAY/JUNE 2021