In the wake of multiple school shootings at institutions of higher education, such as those at Umpqua Community College, Northern Arizona University and Texas Southern University, the debate over gun control is inevitable.
Instead of debating over the future of guns, colleges should be preparing for how their community can respond should a similar situation occur on their campus.
We know Moscow – no matter how safe it seems – isn”t immune from tragedy and shootings. In January, a shooting spree in Moscow left three dead and one wounded, and other incidents of violence have occurred in the past.
If an active shooter were to walk onto the University of Idaho campus, what is the university”s plan?
In the mandatory crime and security report – The Clery Act – UI states that a “Shelter-In-Place” action would be issued in situations such as a hazardous materials spill, an active shooter situation or a weather emergency.
On the UI website, there is a video provided by the Department of Homeland Security to help prepare for an active shooter situation. UI also has a Threat Assessment and Management Team. The Clery Report states the purpose of this team is to collaborate with the campus community to establish preventative measures and plans.
The problem is that many individuals in the university community aren”t aware of this information. UI administration needs to take a close look at how it can prepare the entire university for unthinkable tragedies.
Active shooter drills should be routinely present on campus. These drills would not only help students comprehend that such situations can occur, but they would also prepare students for any emergency involving an active shooter on campus.
The drills would allow for the entire campus community – students, faculty, staff and administrators – to practice procedures that could end up saving lives.
They would also allow for UI to test its emergency alert systems for creating and distributing messages.
Practice makes perfect. It”s a cliche, but it”s applicable in this scenario. It”s easy to panic and forget what you”ve been told to do. Having walked through the steps without the fear of an immediate threat might better prepare people if they ever have to follow the procedures during an emergency.
Drills with the Moscow Police Department, and with the local police around each satellite campus, are an essential part of making sure law enforcement are familiar with campus and UI”s emergency plans.
It”s hard to think about tragedies happening in the close-knit community of Moscow. But we know they happen, and it could always happen to us.
It”s time we, as the UI community, start talking about what we would do if tragedy strikes on our campus.
–KH