2008 Woodie Awards
USC leaders focus on safety
Campus security a top priority, officials say
Chelsea Hadaway
News Editor
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News
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Ernie Ellis, director of the USC Police Department, said the university has been working intensely on emergency management and safety issues for the past eight to 12 months, meeting regularly to review existing plans and discuss future ones.
"This is something that's on their mind not just in response to something that's happened, but something they are taking very seriously," said Ellis.
"We've been working on these response systems for a long time," said Jerry Brewer, director of Student Life.
They have been working on developing infrastructure to prevent a tragedy like the one at Virginia Tech, such as early referral systems, camera systems, quick alert systems and an emergency alert system like the one the university was testing last month.
The newer residence halls have had broadcast systems installed and the older ones have PA systems, said Dennis Pruitt, vice president of Student Affairs and vice provost for Academic Support.
USC has been refining the early alert system to inform students of incidents that occur on campus, making phone trees, e-mail listservs and utilizing the ability to post information on the university homepage and on the Gamecock TV channel.
However, it is harder to alert the thousands of commuters and people in academic buildings, Pruitt said, and they are reviewing their plans to help improve those options.
As more information comes in about the shootings that left 33 dead on Monday, the administrators at USC are soaking in all the decisions that the Virginia Tech administrators made and comparing them to what they would do at USC.
"They made practical and wise decisions at the time," Pruitt said.
USC administrators, including Pruitt, have been absorbing all the facts, incorporating them into their already existing work to improve campus security and safety.
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