2008 Woodie Awards
Virginia Tech in shambles
Delayed safety response in tragic event has caused questions about how fast Chabot College will react
McLorin, Shanae
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
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Virginia Technical University experienced Monday the worst school shooting massacre in United States history, leaving 33 people dead, and 15 injured.
A number of questions arise when it comes to the safety of students at Chabot College as well as other college campuses around the U.S. Reality sets in showing that sometimes standards are set too high when it comes to how the administration is supposed to react when certain situations are taking place.
On Tuesday morning, Chabot Administration had a meeting solely for the purpose of reviewing the schools disaster plan and figuring out exactly what the school needs to do to prepare for the possibility of a rampaging gunman.
" … You sometimes wonder what you can do. After the fact, the expectations and standards are unrealistic. We are apart of a world that is sometimes chaotic and we just have to except it … who is going to be ready for that? Are You? I wasn't. You prepare the best way you can but the world drops in on you when you are not prepared," said Virginia Tech alumni and Chabot President, Robert Carlson.
Chabot conducts seminars and training with the regional police, the fire department. And some of the individuals that belong to campus security are also apart of the Hayward Police Department.
"It's scary and it doesn't make you feel secure. For me personally it's shocking for me to know that this can happen on a college campus and I don't know what we can really do besides offer counseling ... maybe we could practice some safety procedures," said 21 year-old computer science major, Scott Bieser.
The campus security officers are not in the position to go out and disarm a gunman personally but that is why they have a number of drills throughout the year, so that people who are trained for these scenarios can.
"I don't know, I think anything can happen and we can't be safe anywhere. There are all types of crazy people where don't expect them," said 20 year-old accounting major, Tatiana Diaz.
Chabot's disaster plan includes contingencies pertaining to earthquakes, hostage situations and hypothetical nuclear threats.
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