Northern Essex Community College’s Campus Safety Response Team

In the wake of recent incidents of campus violence, colleges and universities across the country have begun to look carefully at their emergency response plans to determine whether they are adequately prepared for the unimaginable.

While Northern Essex Community College has had an emergency response guide and crisis management protocol in place, there was room for improvement.

In January, a 24-member campus safety response team comprised of faculty and staff from across the college’s campuses was formed to address these issues. The college wanted to be sure that they were prepared to communicate emergencies to faculty, staff, students, and others who might be on one of the college’s campus, that potential threats were being identified and assessed, and that faculty and staff were properly trained to respond to emergency situations.

After the initial meeting, the committee split into three subcommittees: communications, threat assessment, and training which have each identified their own set of goals.

Additionally, the college’s protocol for crisis management has been revised. This document, which is available both on the web and in publications form, provides instructions for faculty, staff, and students to follow; if in imminent danger, if a student is exhibiting signs of emotional distress, to report discipline issues, or to refer students under academic pressure.

Feedback on the critically important issue of campus safety is encouraged. If you have questions or ideas, please contact subcommittee chairs (contact information is listed in the hyperlink for each subcommittee) or team co-chairs, Mary Ellen Ashley, executive vice president , meashley@necc.mass.edu or 978 556-3627, or Sue Wolfe, vice president of administration, swolfe@necc.mass.edu or 978 556-3921.

• Overview
• Team Members
• Communications Subcommittee
• Threat Assessment Subcommittee
• Training Subcommittee
• Schedule of Meetings
• Protocol for Crisis Intervention (PDF)