Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Campus Safety
This, as it should, continues to be an important issue since V-Tech. Now, Washington's Governor is planning to ask the Legislature for funding to help campuses become safer.
At Eastern, we ere the first to go to a text messaging system (e2Campus Alert) after the the V-Tech incident...and other programs are in the works.
Here's the Governor's plan, as outlined by her communications staff:
Gov. Gregoire targets campus safety in her 2008 supplemental budget
proposal
$14.3 million in targeted investments would benefit state's colleges,
universities
OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed investing $14.3 million to
improve the safety of students, faculty and staff on the state's college
and university campuses.
"One thing parents shouldn't have to worry about is the safety of their
children while they attend college," Gov. Gregoire said. "But in the
past year, we have been reminded that our campuses are not immune from
violence." She noted the mass shooting at Virginia Tech University last
April, and the shooting death the same month of a University of
Washington employee by a stalking ex-boyfriend.
The governor's 2008 supplemental budget proposal will include $14.3
million for instant warning systems on campuses, community notification
systems, assistance for first responders, redundant communication
systems and access-control and shutdown mechanisms.
As part of her initiative on campus safety, Gov. Gregoire also will
introduce legislation to direct each state college and university to
update its campus plans for emergency preparedness and response
procedures and provide this information to students, faculty and staff.
Gov. Gregoire will release her full supplemental budget proposal Dec.
18.
Earlier this year, the governor asked each state college and university
to review its resources and emergency plans, and to identify weaknesses
in its ability to prevent or respond to campus emergencies.
"There is no one-size-fits-all response to campus safety. Each campus
has different physical characteristics and safety concerns," she said.
"However, several consistent themes emerged from the state and national
reviews of campus safety. My budget will focus on those areas."
The governor's supplemental budget proposal includes:
* $8 million for instant warning systems. The governor's
investments will ensure that all state college and university campuses
have updated and reliable warning systems.
* $2.85 million for community notification. The governor's
investments will help improve systems at the UW, The Evergreen State
College, Western Washington University, and the community and technical
colleges so that students and staff can get warnings via e-mail, text
messaging and web alerts.
* $2.2 million for facility mapping and security cameras for
first responders. Community and technical colleges, and The Evergreen
State College, will complete full facilities mapping, giving responders
detailed maps of each floor in each building on campus. In addition,
Eastern Washington University will purchase security cameras that
transmit pictures wireless to monitors in campus police vehicles.
* $395,000 for redundant communications. The governor's
investments will enable the UW and WSU to install outdoor alarms and
speakers to direct students to safety and allow for the orderly movement
of people off campus or back to the classroom.
* $829,000 for access control and shutdown. The Evergreen State
College will upgrade its network to allow for the centralized,
classroom-by-classroom lockdown on campus. WSU will install key-card
access control at each door in selected buildings. The UW will enable
emergency ventilation shut-off for each building.
At Eastern, we ere the first to go to a text messaging system (e2Campus Alert) after the the V-Tech incident...and other programs are in the works.
Here's the Governor's plan, as outlined by her communications staff:
Gov. Gregoire targets campus safety in her 2008 supplemental budget
proposal
$14.3 million in targeted investments would benefit state's colleges,
universities
OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed investing $14.3 million to
improve the safety of students, faculty and staff on the state's college
and university campuses.
"One thing parents shouldn't have to worry about is the safety of their
children while they attend college," Gov. Gregoire said. "But in the
past year, we have been reminded that our campuses are not immune from
violence." She noted the mass shooting at Virginia Tech University last
April, and the shooting death the same month of a University of
Washington employee by a stalking ex-boyfriend.
The governor's 2008 supplemental budget proposal will include $14.3
million for instant warning systems on campuses, community notification
systems, assistance for first responders, redundant communication
systems and access-control and shutdown mechanisms.
As part of her initiative on campus safety, Gov. Gregoire also will
introduce legislation to direct each state college and university to
update its campus plans for emergency preparedness and response
procedures and provide this information to students, faculty and staff.
Gov. Gregoire will release her full supplemental budget proposal Dec.
18.
Earlier this year, the governor asked each state college and university
to review its resources and emergency plans, and to identify weaknesses
in its ability to prevent or respond to campus emergencies.
"There is no one-size-fits-all response to campus safety. Each campus
has different physical characteristics and safety concerns," she said.
"However, several consistent themes emerged from the state and national
reviews of campus safety. My budget will focus on those areas."
The governor's supplemental budget proposal includes:
* $8 million for instant warning systems. The governor's
investments will ensure that all state college and university campuses
have updated and reliable warning systems.
* $2.85 million for community notification. The governor's
investments will help improve systems at the UW, The Evergreen State
College, Western Washington University, and the community and technical
colleges so that students and staff can get warnings via e-mail, text
messaging and web alerts.
* $2.2 million for facility mapping and security cameras for
first responders. Community and technical colleges, and The Evergreen
State College, will complete full facilities mapping, giving responders
detailed maps of each floor in each building on campus. In addition,
Eastern Washington University will purchase security cameras that
transmit pictures wireless to monitors in campus police vehicles.
* $395,000 for redundant communications. The governor's
investments will enable the UW and WSU to install outdoor alarms and
speakers to direct students to safety and allow for the orderly movement
of people off campus or back to the classroom.
* $829,000 for access control and shutdown. The Evergreen State
College will upgrade its network to allow for the centralized,
classroom-by-classroom lockdown on campus. WSU will install key-card
access control at each door in selected buildings. The UW will enable
emergency ventilation shut-off for each building.
