Campus Safety and Security

To:        Campus Community

From:   Steven Perry
               Vice President for Student Development

               Leif Hartmark
               Vice President for Finance and Administration

Re:        Campus Safety and Security

Date:     August 29, 2007

Some have asked about the safety of our campus in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings. We want to assure you that we have given safety issues the highest priority.

As you know, our University Police officers have full NYS police powers and our campus serves as a training site for various police agencies in our area, including NYS Troopers. University Police works closely with the Office of Facilities, Safety and Physical Plant to enhance and improve such safety initiatives as card access, blue lights, fire detection and suppression, and access to keys.  In addition, groups such as the Personal Safety Committee, the Campus Safety Committee and the Key Policy Committee provide input and support for policy and facility decisions.

The campus is also in full compliance with the Clery Act, requiring higher education institutions to give timely warnings of crimes that represent a threat to the safety of students or employees, and to make public their campus security policies.  The act also requires that crime data be collected, reported and disseminated to the campus community, and submitted to the Education Department.  The act is intended to provide faculty, staff, students and their families with accurate, complete and timely information about safety on campus so that they can make informed decisions.

Since Virginia Tech, and in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Task Force on Critical Incident Management, the campus has undertaken a complete review of risk assessment and mental health issues, emergency response, and communications technology.

In the area of risk assessment and mental health issues, we have assessed the adequacy of licensed mental health staff on campus, reviewed risk assessment practices to ensure a comprehensive, integrated prevention program is in place, and created multi-disciplinary behavior assessment committee to identify individuals who are potential risks.

In the area of emergency response, we have reviewed “Immediate Action Rapid Deployment (IARD)” plans, updated our Emergency Response Plan, reviewed protocols for violent, critical incidents, and conducted training in NIMS (National Incident Management System) for senior executives and staff involved in emergency/crisis response.  We have an emergency response team identified to review and update campus plans annually and conduct quarterly “tabletop emergency exercises.”  We have expanded our emergency communications capability, reviewed memoranda of understanding and mutual aid agreements with external first responders, and addressed shelter-in-place, evacuation strategies, medical aid locations and availability of trained staff.

Finally, in the area of communications technology, we are ensuring that active broadcast (e.g., siren, public address system), passive broadcast (e.g., closed-circuit television, e-mail, website) and individual (e.g., cell phone, instant messaging, text messaging) communication systems are in place. 

We want to make you aware of several major initiatives which are in progress:

• We have begun a search for an Emergency Management Coordinator (a new position) who will provide leadership, strategic planning, and coordination of the emergency preparedness and emergency operational systems of the College. 
   
• Working with New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) we will be participating in NY-ALERT, a mechanism by which campus officials can send emergency and safety information and protective action messages to the campus community.  Additional information will be forthcoming and data collection will begin very soon.  We encourage your cooperation in providing your cell phone number for any emergency alert.
   
• Our carillon chimes are being back-fitted with "siren" capability.
   
• We will be introducing for discussion a campus policy to regulate use of video surveillance for purposes of safety and security.
   
• We will be implementing a campus workplace violence prevention policy and program in accordance with Section 27-b of State Labor Law (which became effective March 4, 2007).
   
• We have begun training volunteers for and installing automated external defibrillators (AED’s) in compliance with state law.

Safety questions and concerns can be addressed to Dr. Barton Ingersoll, Associate VP and Chief of University Police, Mr. Thomas Rathbone, Associate VP for Facilities and Safety, Dr. Steven Perry, VP for Student Development, or Dr. Leif Hartmark, VP Finance and Administration.

For more information, you can also visit our web page on Security at SUNY-Oneonta.