With the unfortunate increase of campus shootings across the country, both students and their parents are eager to know how their campus is keeping its students safe.
Hood College and its trusted staff are well-aware of the dangers that hold a threat against college campuses and are equipped to handle anything. Director and Chief of Campus Safety, Thurmond Maynard, values safety over all else and has several plans and courses of action under his department’s wing.
Campus Safety possesses a lengthy document in regards to all different plans revolving around the safety and security of Hood. It includes the plan for an active shooter on campus, as well as various other protocols and strategies for other hazardous events and happenings.
Recently, there have been several changes in leadership, including the new college President, Dr. Andrea Chapdelaine and a new Director of Residence Life, Matthew Troutman. Due to these changes, the safety plan is being reviewed and revised to re-evaluate its instructions and directions to ensure it is as thorough and up-to-date as possible.
Maynard knows that students are eager to be informed when it comes to their safety, so after these revisions, he hopes to collaborate with the local police to run a presentation for the campus to inform and to answer questions. Before any other action is taken during a crisis, the police are informed, so it will be important for them to meet students and vice versa.
For the majority of dangerous events on campus, Campus Safety officers act as a deterrent for danger and work to gather intelligence for the police. Campus Safety is unarmed, so they encourage everyone on campus to shelter in place while they notify the police and send out a Hood Alert.
Maynard shares that when it comes to crisis, an individual’s course of action is left to them alone and they can choose to run, fight or hide, but Campus Safety encourages shelter in place, meaning that the individual should hide out during the event with windows drawn, lights out and being as still and quiet as possible.
When police arrive on campus, their job is to neutralize the situation by eliminating the target by whatever means possible. Maynard advises students to cooperate with the police by always keeping their hands visible and following directions until a final Hood Alert is sent out explaining that the danger is over.
Maynard said, “We are prepared just in case, because you never truly know. Every situation is different, but we have an emergency response team who have roles.”
While students might be curious to know who this team consists of and what their specific duties are, the plan cannot be made public because shooters tend to possibly be disgruntled students, staff or employees and they cannot be made privy to the plan so that they cannot outsmart it.
Maynard encourages students and their families to sign up for the Hood alert so that everyone can be aware and kept up-to-date for bad weather, unusual
situations and dangerous threats. Maynard also advised students to stay indoors and wait for instructions in all circumstances.
Maynard wants to do more fire drills and make everyone aware of their surroundings, exits, evacuation plans and building addresses in case of an emergency.
Maynard has an open door policy and is available by email for any concerns or questions. Director Maynard wants everyone to enjoy college, but also wants students to be safe and aware at all times.
Be the first to comment