For Immediate Release
April 23, 2008
(610) 768-9330
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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jonathan Kassa (610) 768-9330 |
Washington, DC-College students should be warned in 30 minutes or less when there is an active shooter, or other emergency, on campus U.S. Senate leaders were told today by campus safety and parent advocates.
“One of the most important lessons learned from the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech a year ago is that colleges must have plans in place to warn students and employees about immediate threats to their safety,” said Jonathan Kassa, Executive Director of Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), a non-profit group that has been advocating for safer campuses for two decades. “Minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”
Today, SOC and College Parents of America (CPA) a group that advocates for the parents of college students, joined together to call on the U.S. Senate to support legislation that would provide for campus emergency warnings in 30 minutes or less when there is an immediate health or safety threat.
“There is no more precious resource in our country than our young people and our future leaders,” said James A. Boyle the President of CPA. “We owe them no less than the safest learning environment possible. This is what their parents and the American people expect.”
Families of the Virginia Tech victims have also been actively supporting the 30-minute warning and have written to Congress asking for it to be passed in memory of those killed last year.
The House has already included a 30-minute warning provision in legislation dealing with federal financial aid to college students and now the Senate is considering whether or not to include the provision in a final version of the bill, the Higher Education Amendments of 2008 (S. 1642). Final votes on the legislation could come as soon as the end of the month.
About Security On Campus, Inc.
Security On Campus, Inc. is the only national non-profit organization devoted to preventing violence, substance abuse and other crimes in college and university campus communities across the United States.
About College Parents of America
College Parents of America is the only national membership association dedicated to advocating and to serving on behalf of current and future college parents.