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Communications Policy After Virginia Tech
by Chris Strohm
Lawmakers, public-safety officials and school administrators are seeking ways to improve preparedness and security at educational institutions after last week's shootings at Virginia Tech, but they also are advising against knee-jerk reactions and quick-fix technology solutions.
The massacre, in which student Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people and then himself, exposed major challenges that schools must address, especially when it comes to emergency communications across jurisdictions and coordination with public safety agencies, officials say. Two congressional committees already have scheduled hearings on school preparedness this week, and some states are rushing to implement new programs aimed at improving security at educational institutions.
"It takes an event like this, a tragedy like this, to serve as a wake-up call for many of us in higher education," said W. Roger Webb, president of the University of Central Oklahoma and the state's former commissioner of public safety. "We are extremely vulnerable."
"Campuses are soft targets and it doesn't take much of an imagination to see how anyone who deliberately and purposefully sets their mind to wrecking havoc on college campuses can do so," he added. Webb is slated to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday.
Preparation Without Exploitation
U.S. schools are now examining a myriad of technology solutions, such as better emergency alerts, video surveillance, motion sensors and identification access cards for buildings.
On Friday, New Jersey acting Gov. Richard Codey announced that colleges and universities across the state must complete plans that include policies and procedures to inform students during emergencies, information on preparation strategies, and relationships with law enforcement. A day earlier, Washington state lawmakers passed a measure that would provide grants for elementary and secondary schools to conduct monthly drills. It calls on those schools to implement instant-alert technology to foster communications among buildings.
Webb cautioned against schools and lawmakers thinking that technology alone is the solution. "There are a lot of venders out there who will exploit the situation right now and who will be making a lot of phone calls about safety devices," he said.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is convinced that the federal government must take a larger role in helping schools improve their emergency preparedness and response capabilities. "From a policy standpoint, I think we have to, as members of Congress, look at the implications for schools across the country," said Thompson, who also plans to hold a hearing on the matter.
"At the end of the day, we need to develop smart, effective and efficient school preparedness plans," he added. "I think out of this you can expect some legislation to be forthcoming." Thompson said he wants to examine the range of school procedures, from evacuation plans and medical support systems to transportation policies and relationships with law enforcement.
He held a forum in Mississippi in March to examine school safety that showed major disparities in preparedness, especially when it comes to interoperable communications. "School radio systems and the local sheriff's department cannot communicate; they are on different frequencies," he said. "Interoperability plays a role in that situation, so we have to work on that."
What Role Should Homeland Security Play?
Thompson also is weighing whether the Homeland Security Department should have to do more to help schools. Funding under the department's state homeland security grant program already can be used for school preparedness. But states have only spent about $50 million in grants for equipment and training at their educational institutions, which is a mere fraction of the billions of dollars distributed since the department was created in 2003.
A Homeland Security spokesman suggested that lawmakers wait for the investigation into the Virginia Tech shootings to be completed before acting.
"We continue to closely follow the investigation as it unfolds," the spokesman said. "Sometimes it is prudent to resist the temptation to react too quickly. Decision makers at all levels of government can and do benefit from the facts and lessons yielded by thorough investigations."
Webb said he sees a major disconnect between federal resources and colleges, and agrees that the government could do more. He said one of the biggest needs is for an organization that can help school administrators share best practices and vet technology.
"I think one of the needs we have, quite frankly, is we need some kind of centralized information system to give us an idea about best practices," he said. "There ought to be some research done that could help advise campuses about how to go about protecting themselves because, quite frankly, there's just nothing out there."
He noted that last week also marked the 12th anniversary of the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Out of that tragedy, Congress created the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a nonprofit clearinghouse that gives emergency responders information on technology and practices to counter terrorism. Webb is an institute board member and said the organization could become a clearinghouse for schools as well.
Moving Beyond E-Mail Alerts
When it comes to emergency communications, Webb cited several challenges for colleges. Virginia Tech, for example, alerted students via e-mail after the first shooting incident. Webb said e-mail alerts are "a good first step" but added that colleges have to be prepared to communicate in different ways.
Being able to send alerts over local radio stations, for example, could reach students who are commuting in their vehicles. Sending text message alerts and having a campus-wide alert system also may be needed. "One way is not going to be enough," Webb said.
For far too long, he said, school administrators have under-funded security when faced with budget trade-offs, such as investing in academic programs. "I really believe that people in positions that have responsibility have got to take a very serious look at the meager resources that we invest in our campus security."
Webb added that he is working with the institute to host a conference on school preparedness this summer. He said the event might now be billed as a national conference. "We hope to heighten awareness among college administrators and campus law enforcement agencies as to what our needs are and what are best practices," he said.
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