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St. Olaf has a crisis plan, affirms President Anderson

By David Gonnerman '90
April 26, 2007

Officials at St. Olaf College stated today that the college has a crisis plan that designates a crisis team made up of school officials who represent a cross-section of the college community. The plan outlines procedures for locking down individual buildings or larger parts of campus, and designates a variety of ways to contact the campus community in the event of an emergency.

AndersonFoxInterview
St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74 was interviewed April 18 about campus safety by Jody Ambroz of Twin Cities Fox affiliate KMSP.
"When an emergency occurs on campus, the first responders are St. Olaf Public Safety officers," explains St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74. The college has seven full-time officers and one part-time officer, up to four of which are on duty at any one time -- 24 hours per day, every day of the week. The director of public safety is Fred Behr, a former president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

If additional help is needed to respond to a crisis, the college has close relations with local and regional law enforcement organizations such as the Northfield Police Department and Northfield Hospital, which is located within sight of campus. "The importance of fostering good relationships with local emergency responders can never be overestimated," states Anderson.

"We're following the Virginia Tech situation to learn about what might have been done differently from a planning and response perspective," says Anderson. "Lessons can be learned from a tragedy and, as these lessons come to light, we will revisit our planning as necessary."

The plan
If a violent incident like the one that befell Virginia Tech were to happen at St. Olaf, here's what would happen:

1. The college would dispatch campus security, call outside law enforcement and call emergency medical service providers.

2. The college would convene its crisis response team -- representing a professional cross-section of the community -- as quickly as possible.

3. The college would implement a campus lockdown, which includes keeping people in safe locations and limiting access to campus.

4. St. Olaf would use all available technologies (including e-mail, the college's website and voice mail, among others) to alert the campus community.

5. The college would take on a supporting role as official law enforcement assumed control.

For additional information about the college's crisis plan, contact St. Olaf Dean of Students Greg Kneser (see below).

Contact Greg Kneser at 507-786-3503 or kneser@stolaf.edu.