SimplexGrinnell Organizes Symposium To Strengthen Campus Safety
Apr 15, 2008 3:14 PM
As the nationwide focus on campus protection continues to intensify, SimplexGrinnell has organized a special symposium at Cleveland State University (CSU), set to take place on April 21, to help senior administrators make their institutions safer and more secure.
The day-long symposium, titled A Higher Degree of Campus Safety, will take place almost a year to the day after the shootings that took 32 lives at Virginia Tech. Designed for university presidents, vice presidents, provosts and other senior leaders, it also comes amid a recent spate of college shootings and incidents that have further heightened the attention on this critical issue. The day’s highlights include:
• A keynote address by Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a leader in the U.S. House of Representatives on the issue of campus safety
• A hands-on crisis planning and management exercise facilitated by James W. Satterfield, a recognized authority who provided on-site crisis response and support in the days and weeks following the April 16, 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech University
• A presentation by Cleveland State University leaders highlighting the emergency communications system that has been installed at their downtown Cleveland campus
“As a company that provides fire and life-safety systems and services to thousands of colleges and universities, SimplexGrinnell understands the importance of campus safety,” says James Spicer, president of SimplexGrinnell. “In organizing this symposium, we join the leaders of colleges and universities in Ohio and across the country in their efforts to enhance campus safety, preparedness and emergency communications.”
Stephanie Tubbs Jones, now in her fifth term representing Ohio’s 11th district, is a strong college safety advocate and the sponsor of three key pieces of campus legislation, including the College Fire and Prevention Act and the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act.
“Fire safety and campus security are issues that need to be addressed on college campuses across the United States,” says Rep. Tubbs Jones. “Over the past few years, we have seen many tragedies involving fire and violence at colleges and universities. We must begin to put measures in place to protect against fires, enhance safety and support the effort to see that no more lives are lost. I look forward during this symposium to discussing solutions to these and other issues and the legislation that I have introduced in Congress.”
Satterfield is the president, chief operating officer and co-founder of Firestorm, a company in business continuity planning, vulnerability analysis, risk mitigation and crisis management. He led the Firestorm Solutions team that provided crisis and media management at Virginia Tech, arriving on campus within 12 hours of the shootings. He also provided crisis management following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
“In the decade following Columbine, the threat of violence on campus both haunts and challenges the nation,” Satterfield says. “The search for solutions continues as the educational and public safety communities work together to apply insights and lessons learned to help make our campuses safer.”
Under the leadership of President Michael Schwartz, CSU is implementing an all-encompassing vision of safety and preparedness at its campus in downtown Cleveland. The case study presentation will examine CSU’s integrated life-safety approach and demonstrate the capabilities of its advanced, highly survivable campus voice emergency communications system.
“When it comes to maintaining a safe campus environment, there can be no amount of preparation that is too much preparation,” Schwartz says. “We have to be aware, alert and vigilant at all times, and armed with all the state-of-the-art tools available to us. Safety and security are the top priority at CSU. Our students, faculty, staff and visitors expect and deserve the safest campus possible. We are firmly committed to continuing our leadership role in campus safety.”
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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.
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