In response to the April 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, University Police have recently purchased an instructional video that has been prepared to inform University students and staff about how to respond in emergency situations on Grounds.
While the video, titled “Shots Fired,” is a new means of preparing for an emergency, discussions concerning emergency training have been an ongoing process.
“We’ve been working on appropriate training for months,” Director of Emergency Preparedness Marge Sidebottom said. “We make sure what we choose is appropriate and available for the entire University.”
More than a clear-cut guide for every possible emergency, Gibson said, the tape “creates an opportunity for people to think about what they would do in those situations so they can rehearse what they would do.”
The tape is still in the evaluation stage and has not yet been implemented at the University, Gibson said, adding that University Police currently are considering how best to make the information accessible to students.
One possible plan is to show the video in a setting where questions could immediately be answered. This presentation might take a similar form to the first-year Safety, Security and Sexual Assault talks, which have been occurring this week. Another alternative is to post the video online, which would allow the information to reach a larger audience, but would restrict the possibility of having questions answered, Gibson said.
Some Virginia schools have opted to educate students online, such as James Madison University, which has placed an instructional slideshow on its Web site detailing emergency procedures.
To determine the best means of implementation and to address other issues of emergency preparedness, police are cooperating in an ongoing effort with many University departments including mental health, law enforcement and emergency preparedness, as well as listening to students’ perspectives, Gibson said.
“When we train here we have to train students, faculty and staff,” Sidebottom detailed. “In an emergency we’re all in it together.”
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