Following last year's events at Virginia Tech, alumni and parents have asked what would happen if a crisis were to occur at Baldwin-Wallace College?
“Federal crime statistics indicate that Baldwin-Wallace is one of, if not the safest college campus in the state of Ohio,” noted George Richard, assistant vice president, director of college relations. “But statistics don’t mean a great deal in a time of crisis. We understand that we have to be as prepared for any emergency as we can be.” B-W’s Emergency Response Plan is reviewed and updated on a regular basis and the Emergency Response Team, chaired by President Richard Durst, is on call at anytime if the need should arise.
“One of our real strengths is that we are a relatively small and close-knit community,” said Douglas Chatfield, director of safety and security. “We know who should be here and who should not.” A 12-member Safety and Security Department is augmented with a Student Auxiliary Staff that helps patrol the campus and provide escort to anyone 24-7. Their reach is extended by 40 viewable, recording security cameras and seven Emergency Phones in high campus traffic areas. A shared radio communication system puts 60 more individuals in instant contact with the Security dispatcher.
Solid Relationships with Local Authorities
“We also enjoy an exceptionally close relationship with the Berea Police,” said Chatifeld. “We hire them to help patrol the campus at night and they have access to many of our buildings.” B-W has shared a radio frequency with the local authorities for more than a decade. The result is that police know the campus very well and are able to respond almost instantly if needed. In addition to on-campus training, B-W staff members also train regularly with the Southwest Enforcement Bureau—a 19-community SWAT unit—and the Berea fire marshal.
“While no amount of training and simulation can prepare us for every situation, we believe these exercises provide valuable guidance and preparation for the unforeseen,” said Chatfield.
Communicating Quickly
Being able to communicate quickly with all members of the B-W community is central to the ability to respond effectively in a crisis. “While we provide every student with email and voicemail, we also recognize that students don’t check these regularly ,” said Richard. “So, as part of class registration a year ago, we began asking students to provide their cell phone numbers in order to add text messaging to B-W’s communication arsenal.” Almost all students are now in the emergency database, which was tested this fall.
An emergency telephone, which also has public address capability, is being installed in each classroom and laboratory along with instructions for getting help in emergencies. The College also is in discussions with the city of Berea about installing a public address system for the campus. According to Chatfield, B-W’s emergency preparedness and response plans were presented at the spring meeting of the College Board of Trustees and, through the connections of board member Paul Carleton ’70, was reviewed by a nationally respected security expert from the corporate sector. College officials also have shared these plans and expanded their relationship with the regional FBI Emergency Response Team. Ongoing review, testing and training is planned.
“Providing an environment where every member of our campus community can study, work and live safely and securely has been a top priority here for many years and will continue to be so,” said
B-W President Richard Durst.
275 Eastland Rd.