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The Need For Campus Emergency Warnings Currently under the federal Jeanne Clery Act colleges & universities warn their communities about certain crimes that present ongoing threats in a "timely" manner but "timely" isn't defined. As a result warnings are frequently issued hours later or even the next day. In an immediate emergency threat, however, minutes can mean the difference between life & death. Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC) supports having warnings about immediate threats issued in 30 minutes or less once an emergency has been confirmed. Both the U.S. House & Senate have passed provisions, as a part of bills reauthorizing the federal Higher Education Act, that will add a new emergency warning provision to the Clery Act. The House version includes the 30 minute guideline while the Senate's does not. Both versions can be compared here. SOC supports resolving this difference with clarification language providing that campuses must initiate a warning process within 30 minutes of an emergency being confirmed. That language can be seen here. |
 April 14, 2008 Dear Friends, Nearly a year after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the U.S. Congress is poised to pass legislation providing for campus emergency notifications in 30 minutes or less, but we need your help TODAY to make sure it isn't weakened. 30 Minute Notifications Will Save Lives
Both the House and Senate have passed provisions as a part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization that contain warning provisions but only the House version contains the 30 minute requirement. A Conference Committee will be determining which version will be a part of the final bill and we need your help to persuade your Senators to support keeping the requirement. Please call or fax your United States Senators a letter today asking them to support including a mandatory 30 minutes or less emergency warning provision in the Higher Education Amendments of 2008 (S. 1642). The final decision is expected to be made in the next week or two. You can get phone and fax information for both of your Senators at http://www.congress.org/ by entering your ZIP Code in the "My Elected Officials" box at the top left of that site. Then click on their names under "President & Congress" to get contact information. You can also get contact information at http://www.senate.gov/. Thank you in advance for your support! Please also ask your friends to help. The safety of millions of students' and employees' lives are at stake. |
In an emergency on campus minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Providing for issuing warnings in 30 minutes or less after an emergency is confirmed would revise the Jeanne Clery Act to take advantage of modern technology such as text messaging. It will save lives but lobbyists for the colleges and universities are opposing it.
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