By Katrenia Busch
BAY CITY— School closures, bomb threats, shootings and violence following a fatal school shooting in Oxford has led to increased anxiety and stress for many students, parents and officials across the state of Michigan.
“I watch the TV and see a shooting or act of violence and think to myself that it could be my child’s school or my family members’ school. I am always worried that it could happen to someone I know” -Rebecca Reed.
As a community seeking proactive detriment of acts of violence in their schools, we find that only half the student population would tell an adult if they overheard another student speak about shooting someone at school, according to Alfred University.
“I have two young elementary-school aged children that attend public schools and am always concerned for their safety. I do research, I talk to my children and try to be proactive in their constant whereabouts, but as a parent and mother, I can only say that it is a consistent concern for me.” -Amy Murphy
Here are some safety tips and advice from Delta College’s Director of Public Safety Director Robert Battinkoff in this exclusive interview:
What are some tips for students to do if a school shooting were to occur?
One of the best things a student can do for any emergency preparation is to be aware of their surroundings and to have a plan. Delta College encourages a Run, Hide, Fight response to any active assailant situation. That means that anyone has the option to escape from the threat, barricade themselves into a safe location, and to fight an assailant in a last resort situation.
I encourage students to be aware of exits and other avenues of escape, such as windows. Look for areas that could offer security, such as classrooms or offices that can be locked and that have few windows or good hiding places.
What are some tips students at Delta should know if a bomb threat or act of violence were to occur while on campus?
Students should sign up for Nixle. This is a text and email service that the College offers to provide notice of emergencies on and around Campus. Students can sign up by texting DELTAEMG to 888777 or they may sign up on the Delta Public Safety webpage.
Are there any proactive measures that students could take to reduce risks of violence on campus?
The best proactive measure is to report any suspicious, concerning, or worrisome behavior to Campus Police as soon as possible. Almost all active assailant situations in schools had some pre-incident indicators or warnings. Behavior can be reported directly to Campus Police or may be reported by submitting an on-line incident report. This report is available at https://www.delta.edu/report-incident.html on the “Report An Incident tab” available under Student Tools on your Portal page.
If a student were to come across any suspicious activity, where and who could they contact to ensure their own and others’ safety on campus?
All of the above resources are appropriate for suspicious activity. Another resource available is the Delta College Counseling Center. Licensed Counselors are available to students, free of charge. A full description of the services available and how to access them is located at the Delta Counseling Services webpage. https://www.delta.edu/students/counseling/index.html
“I would just add that Delta College has a very safe campus thanks to the hard work and dedication to safety of all of our Faculty, Staff, and Students. Even though we have had a very safe campus, we need to be vigilant and dedicated to maintaining our safety. Delta College Public Safety appreciates all of your assistance in keeping us safe.” — Robert Battinkoff
If you or someone you know has any concern about a potential threat or harm, please reach out to the nearest adult, supervisor or official.
