Guilford College is taking proactive measures against potential crises by updating its emergency operations plan for various campus scenarios and training key administrators and staff members to be alert to suspicious activity on campus.
Caption: Vanessa White, Director of Public Safety at Guilford, invited Carolyn McMackin ’92 and Regina Lawson, chiefs of police at Wake Forest University and Forsyth (N.C.) Technical Community College respectively, to discuss strategies for making the campus safer.
“The best way to respond to a crisis is to be prepared with a plan in advance,” says Vanessa White, Director of Public Safety. “We want everyone – students, faculty and staff – to be knowledgeable and ready if – or when – something happens.”
College administrators and staff members ranging from vice presidents to counselors met Sept. 22 with Regina Lawson and Carolyn McMackin ’92, chiefs of police at Wake Forest University and Forsyth (N.C.) Technical Community College respectively, to discuss strategies for making the campus safer for everyone.
There was even a hypothetical scenario of an active shooter on campus, in a tabletop exercise, in which participants discussed Guilford’s role during the incident in conjunction with the Greensboro Police Department.
In addition to updating the emergency operations plan, Guilford recently tested its system for sending text messages, emails, social media posts, and website announcements. The testing helps ensure Guilford remains up to date with best practices and is ready to respond in case of emergencies, Vanessa says.
The College recently released its annual security and fire safety report as required by a federal law known as the Clery Act.