An Update on BC's Emergency Preparedness
April 22, 2007
Dear Members of the BC Community:
We are writing at the request of University President William P. Leahy, S.J., to follow up on our previous communication regarding the University’s Emergency Preparedness Program and the steps we have taken to help ensure our readiness and your safety in the event of an emergency.
Boston College has an experienced Emergency Preparedness Team in place. Its members have created a comprehensive set of emergency response procedures to deal with crisis situations. This group of trained administrators and BC Police Officers has completed several table-top exercises and a number have undertaken National Incident Management System (NIMS) training offered by the Office of Homeland Security.
In addition, Boston College has 51 highly trained, professional police officers and 25 security officers and attendants who patrol the campus 24 hours a day. Each officer is a graduate of a 22-week police academy and has completed crisis intervention and Homeland Security training. All of our officers are required to undertake emergency preparedness, hazardous-materials and firearms training annually.
Furthermore, Boston College Police work closely with Boston, Brookline, Newton and Massachusetts State Police and are part of the Boston Area Police Emergency Response Network, which enables us to call upon these departments as needed.
Boston College does not allow the possession of firearms on campus. The only exception is for law enforcement officers. We advise students to report any violation of this policy to Boston College Police.
In the event of an emergency, the University will communicate with all of its students, faculty and staff through e-mail and phone messaging, the BCInfo website (www.bc.edu/bcinfo) and its emergency information line at 617-552-INFO. Our Resident Assistants are also trained to alert students in residence halls of emergency situations as they unfold.
In light of the Virginia Tech tragedy, we are undertaking a comprehensive assessment of all available mass notification technologies that include instant text messaging and public address systems. We expect to implement the best notification system possible to ensure our ability to communicate effectively in the event of any unforeseen incident. In the meantime, members of the BC community are encouraged to call BC Police dispatch at 2-4444 to report any unusual activity. The dispatch line is staffed 24-hours a day.
In addition, Boston College has an extensive threat assessment program to address safety concerns among our students. The University hosts monthly case meetings that include staff from Campus Police, Residential Life, Academic Deans, Dean for Student Development, University Counseling and Health Services, who can confidentially evaluate cases of troubled students. Our Behavioral Evaluation Team has the authority to place students on a mandatory medical leave of absence if it is deemed in the best interest of the Boston College community.
While no institution is invulnerable to safety threats, our emergency and case management teams and the procedures under which they operate are designed to make us as prepared and responsive as possible. We will continue to reevaluate our plan with the goal of creating a model emergency response system. Once our plan has been revised to meet the federal government’s National Incident Management System Protocol, it will be made public online to the University community.
Finally, and most importantly, students should feel free to access our outreach services if they have questions, needs or concerns. These services include:
- Campus Ministry at ext.2-3475
- Office of Student Affairs at ext.2-3280
- Counseling Services at ext.2-3310
- Health Services at ext.2-3225
Sincerely,
| Patrick Keating | Cutberto Garza |
| Executive Vice President | Provost and Dean of Faculties |