Page 20 - Campus Security Today, September/October 2024

CAMPUS SECURITY
“FOSTERING A CULTURE OF AWARENESS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY CAN GO A LONG WAY IN DETECTING AND PREVENTING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS.”
the technical know-how to configure campus security devices to streamline communications with external community operations such as local law enforcement’s real-time crime center or the mu- nicipality’s mass communications system when needed.
2. MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
When someone is in a mental health crisis–a student, faculty member, employee, visitor or vendor–internal security may not be equipped to recognize the signs or appropriately intervene to keep the situation from escalating. Partnering with professional mental health counselors in the community provides another layer of security and safety for the campus community.
These mental health professionals have the necessary train- ing to assist campus personnel or first responders when someone is in crisis and de-escalate the situation. Additionally, they are an excellent training resource for campus personnel who need to iden- tify when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis. In some cases, these mental health counselors are partners with the local law enforcement agency and go out on emergency calls in tandem.
Campus security can also partner with local behavioral cent- ers that offer mobile crisis intervention services to supplement campus support staff.
3. FIRST RESPONDERS
Local public safety and first responder agencies are another group of partners essential for campus protection. From police to firefighters to EMTs, these groups provide critical emergency services typically beyond the scope of internal campus security and support staff.
How to effectively communicate with these groups, especially in a crisis when response time is critical, should be part of campus security’s Standard Operating Procedures. This requires codifying decisions like when to allow local law enforcement access to campus cameras, who takes responsibility for turning on that access dur- ing an emergency, and who disables it once the crisis has passed.
Conversely, when events occur in the greater community that potentially impact campus life–such as a nearby chemical spill, tor- nado warning, or armed assailant in the area–mechanisms need to be built into campus security systems to receive and promptly
respond to those critical alerts. This is where a prior relationship with these professionals shortens the timeline of disruption to normal campus activities
To avoid a possible life-threatening breakdown in commu- nication, campuses and their local first responder partners need to test their technology connections on a regular basis to ensure that software upgrades or hardware replacements occurring at one end do not disrupt vital communication between the entities. Regular tabletop exercises and scenario training are vital to testing communications and emergency response plans.
4. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
School districts and other types of campuses typically have their own emergency management plans and sharing those plans with local emergency management teams helps ensure their goals align. Both the campus and local government plans should include policies and standard operating procedures that follow accepted emergency management principles.
Rather than wait until a crisis occurs, regular training with lo- cal government emergency management team and other partners allows campus security to act proactively and better understand the roles of each entity during the crisis. Working together, ahead of any incidents, helps the cohort identify potential problems, im- prove response plans, and consider how best to coordinate eve- ryone’s response to situations.
5. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND SAFETY OFFICERS
Other key partners who can help heighten campus security are cam- pus Public Information Officers (PIO). In case of a lockdown or emer- gency evacuation, partnering with campus PIOs leads to a cohesive communication message. These professionals have an established relationship with local news outlets and other media. Their use of social media platforms can expedite the flow of important informa- tion to the greater community about what is happening on campus.
PIOs should be included in active shooter training, tabletop exercises and crisis communication planning. To effectively com- municate during and after an incident, PIOs need to be part of any incident command structure established during an incident.
CAMPUS SECURITY DEPENDS ON INTERNAL COMMUNITY, TOO
While external partnerships are vital to campus security, the first line of defense should always be the campus community itself. Fostering a culture of awareness within the community can go a long way in detecting and preventing potential problems. Whether it’s noticing and reporting a student or employee in a mental health crisis, an emergency call station out of order, a faulty door latch, a menacing social media post, or other issue that might threaten security, everyone inside the campus community plays a vital role in protecting those who work and live within its walls.
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