Shared New Information – April 30, 2014 Meeting on Security
A Report from FT President Mel Bienenfeld
During the Spring term of 2014 the Health and Safety Committees of the two campus unions, CSEA and
WCCFT, jointly approached the College Administration with some concerns about security at WCC.
Representatives of the unions and of the Administration met on April 30 to discuss these concerns.
During the meeting administrators told the union representatives about some new initiatives and
provided other information that was new to us. Below is a mutually agreed summary of this new
information.
1. Construction for emergency notification systems is substantially completed. This
includes a “hard-wired infrastructure” of flat-screen monitors and public address
systems. Those can be targeted to specific buildings, etc. In case of an emergency,
campus security personnel may immediately pre-empt any other display that appears
on the screens and any other messages broadcast on the PA systems. Authorized
personnel will be training on them this summer and they will be fully functional by
September 2014.
2. A new notification system for e-mail, voice, text, and campus computers is also being
configured and will be available this summer.
3. In order that individuals working in classrooms can report emergencies they may
witness, the college will look into having telephone extensions installed in all
classrooms. Campus evacuation, in the case of a significant life-safety emergency, may
follow a different protocol than during (say) weather-related evacuations, because local
emergency response agencies would have the authority to assist by keeping roads open,
etc., if necessary.