As students return to some buildings on campus this fall, they’ll notice a new safety feature on virtually every door. During the summer, thumb latches were installed on classroom doors so they can be locked from the inside with one action.
The locks are another in a series of safety initiatives designed to keep faculty, students and staff as safe as possible in the event of a shooting on campus. DU officials regularly review safety measures already in place and look for ways to make improvements.
“We’ve seen from recent shootings in the U.S. that when a gunman is on a campus it’s too easy for that person to roam from classroom to classroom looking for victims,” says Don Enloe, director of Campus Safety. “The locks don’t guarantee safety, but it will make it harder for someone to enter a classroom, and that might force the individual to keep moving.”
The University also has purchased rights to use a new training video that will show the campus community what to do if there is a gunman on campus. The video, Shots Fired, When Lightning Strikes, was produced by the Center for Personal Protection and Safety and includes possible scenarios that could occur on any campus.
All DU students and employees are encouraged to view the video, which is available through the Campus Safety Web site. It’s only available to individuals with a DU identification number, which needs to be entered prior to viewing.
University officials also hope that incoming students and new employees will register for the Critical Incident Notification System (CINS). Text, e-mail and voice messages are sent through CINS for emergency situations that include shootings, tornado warnings and a fire on campus, or for snow closures.
Students, faculty and staff can register by logging in to their account through MyWeb. After logging in, select “personal information” and “notification preferences” to enter contact numbers.
Last year, DU was one of the first universities in Colorado to purchase and implement a notification system.
Earlier this year, DU scored well in a safety report issued by Reader’s Digest. The magazine surveyed 135 universities nationwide for its article “Safe at School?,” and assigned letter grades of A, B and C based on their readiness to handle on-campus threats to safety and security. Only forty-five schools nationwide received an “A” from the magazine, including the University of Denver.