The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
Whenever there is a fire drill in the dorms, I sigh. I know what to do in a fire drill. There’s one nearly every quarter. If there was a gunman on campus, however, I would find myself clueless, with no plan of action. Should I barricade myself in the nearest classroom? Should I hide or run away?
Two shootings last week on college campuses in Kentucky and Missouri have brought to the spotlight concerns surrounding preparedness for such events at universities and best practices to ensure student safety. Though the administration and university police have the resources and systems to respond to a “code red,” students may not have a clear plan of action.
Currently, UCLA does not implement university-wide general safety or “code red” drills – situational practices that prepare students to react in the case of a threat to campus. In a emergency response plan produced in 2009, UCLA outlines instructions for all major emergencies including bomb threats and earthquakes. However, no gun violence-related codes are in the document.
On the other hand, university police have produced clearly outlined safety procedures for students to follow in the case of an active shooter. While the information is available online, it has not been disseminated in a coordinated way to students.
Other schools have outlined procedures to respond to the event of an active shooter on campus. For example, following the tragic 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, the administration extended a university-wide Violence Prevention Policy to more easily communicate safety procedures to students.
Here at UCLA, steps should be taken to better prepare students for such an event, including programming at freshman orientation and scheduled preparedness drills. Currently, UCLA has an expansive BruinAlert text messaging and email system to notify students of any on-campus safety hazards. The university also uses the campus television and radio stations to relay information to students during dangerous events, said Steve Ritea, a UCLA spokesperson.
UCLA also trains a number of staff members and student staff as first responders to a range of emergency situations, said Monroe Gorden, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs.
But a few trained members of the community are likely not enough to communicate proper safety procedures to the thousands of students on campus.
For its part, the UCPD undergoes specific training on campus to prepare for various scenarios that would involve active shooters, said Lt. Russell McKinney.
While these mechanisms will hopefully stop a potential shooter, it should be the university’s prerogative to ensure students know what to do in these situations.
For all their utility, systems like BruinAlert are responsive in nature, alerting students after an event has already unfolded. Additionally, it is hard to believe that a message with a 160-character limit would give students enough instruction if a gunman were to walk into a nearby building.
At programs like freshman orientation, the university should institute formal education sessions that include a “code red” drill with exercises to reinforce best safety practices. As a possible follow-up, the university should consider adding a requirement for students living on the Hill to take a one-time seminar during first week to ensure students are well versed in safety precautions for events such as fire, earthquakes and “code-red.”
While such an addition may be inconvenient, the advantages of having a prepared student body in all emergency situations outweighs the inconvenience of this mandate.
On the most expansive level, the university should consider having a campus-wide “code red” drill once every two years. Despite the difficult financial and practical considerations, keeping a plan of action fresh in students’ minds would help ensure their safety.
The university is always trying to make campus a safer place. But administrative regulations and procedures must be supplemented by students properly equipped with the tools to ensure their own safety.
Email Patel at kpatel@media.ucla.edu or tweet him @kpatel. Send general comments to opinion@media.ucla.edu or tweet us @DBOpinion.
Correction: UCLA trains a number of staff members and student staff as first responders to a range of emergency situations.
The article implies that a “code red” indicates a gunman on campus. I’m curious where this is defined, particularly since I work in the medical center and a code red indicates fire (as with most hospitals).