Mesa Legend - ARCHIVES - Vol. 39, Issue 6


Volume 39, Issue 6. Today is .

You are viewing
Volume 39, Issue 6
November 13, 2001

To return to the current issue please click here.

Mixed signals
Despite signs, Campus Safety says ‘dial 9-1-1’

BY Bill Carrigg
Mesa Legend

A look into the Crisis Prevention and Emergency Management planning at MCC shows communication problems, a need for more planning, and a lack of expert guidance.

International security consultant and former MCC student Tom Krieg asked, "When was the last time a table top exercise was done?"

His question referred to what should be an annual exercise involving MCC and local emergency departments.

"No comment," responded Vince Moran, college safety chief.

"Communication is critical," Krieg added during an interview on campus.

Krieg has worked for the U.S. Senate, Bank One, and Microsoft among others. "You can have a great plan, but if no one is aware of it, it isn’t much good," he said about the need for communicating emergency procedures.

Communication problems are found at MCC’s basic level of crisis preparedness.

Classroom telephones, large signs with the Public Safety badges on them, and an official MCC emergency flipchart guide all indicate that Campus Safety should be called at 1-7777 as a response to fire, weapons on campus, or a hazardous chemical incident.

However, Moran said, "Call 9-1-1 first in case of a life-threatening emergency. There is a system to identify the room you are calling from."

During test calls authorized by the Mesa Police Department, 9-1-1 could be dialed direct, without dialing a nine to reach an outside line, from all on-campus phones tested.

Stacy Alves, a 9-1-1 operator at the Mesa call center, explained she could see on her screen the address of the college, the building number that the call originated from, as well as the room number. However, a check of the room numbers revealed that they did not correspond with the numbers posted outside the rooms.

Alves said updating the information provided to 9-1-1 was just a matter of the college providing current in-formation to Qwest Communications, who then passes that information on to the call center.

Even though the room numbers are not accurate, "calling 9-1-1 (from a campus phone) is still the best reaction. Officers would at least get to the right building," Krieg said. "That’s actually a good system," he added, referring to the integration of the campus phones with Mesa’s 9-1-1 system. "You’re ahead of other organizations with that."

Few of the staff or students surveyed were aware of the 9-1-1 integration Krieg referred to.

"I would call Campus Safety first," said Debra DeVore, MCC’s scholarship coordinator who works in the administration office.

DeVore was later advised of the 9-1-1 directive from Moran.

"I feel comfortable that I know what to do," said Rosa Gonzalez, administrative assistant to Dean of Administrative Services Ron Etter. However, she also said she would call Campus Safety first.

In a brief, unscheduled interview on Oct. 22, Etter initially sounded unsure about calling 9-1-1 before Campus Safety.

"They are trained first-responders," Etter said, referring to Campus Safety Officers.

After he was informed of what Moran stated about the test calls, he clarified, "in case of a life-threatening emergency, you should call 9-1-1."

Students also are unsure of what to do.

Twelve students, four males and eight females, were polled on Oct. 22 while waiting in a classroom for their instructor.

They were given a scenario of gunshots heard directly outside the classroom door and asked how they would react. Only one of the 12 students said she would call 9-1-1 from the classroom phone, but she was unsure if she should dial nine for an outside line first, and was unaware of the integrated system.

Most said they would call 9-1-1 from their cell phones. However, there are currently no signs inside classrooms to prompt cell phone callers with the location information needed by 9-1-1 operators. They would have to remember the room and building number in the midst of possible panic.

According to Krieg, signs inside classrooms would help by allowing callers to verify the room number with the operator.

Two of the 12 students polled said they would lock the door. One was asked to demonstrate how. He then jumped out of his seat to run to the classroom door.

"I don’t have a key," he said after he could not find a mechanism to secure the classroom door.

Jordan Currier/Mesa Legend
Every classroom telephone has directions posted nearby indicating to call Campus Safety first in the event of an emergency.