Tuesday, April 17, 2007

VA Tech Tragedy ... How to PREVENT the next one

A simple, surefire way to prevent the kind of massacre that happened at Virginia Tech … a way that should be installed in every school, campus, public building and public square immediately to prevent one from happening again

Summary:

  1. Every school campus, business, city and town should have a major alarm system of either sirens or horns, like hundreds of towns now have tornado warning systems, whether the danger be a gunman, bomb, tornado or hurricane.
  2. The moment the disaster siren goes off on the campus or in the community, everyone should seek immediate shelter and lock themselves in.
  3. Under no circumstances are authorities to release the lockdown and put people and children in harm’s way until the shooter, shooters, or group is fully apprehended and/or lies dead in the police’s presence.

More details …

A simple, surefire way to prevent the kind of massacre that happened at Virginia Tech … a way that should be installed in every school, campus, public building and public square immediately to prevent one from happening again.

  1. Install in every school, campus, post office, restaurant and factory a siren or tornado-type horn warning that goes off the moment a shot occurs, the same warning system that exists in hundreds of towns for tornadoes and hurricanes.
  2. The siren goes off the moment there is a danger, whether it be a gunman, a bomb, a tornado, a hurricane to warn every human being there is a serious danger present.
    Everyone immediately takes shelter wherever they can, not just in a building, but a classroom, a pantry, a closet, a basement or attic. They lock every door they can behind them – the entrance to the building, to the classroom, to the office, to the closet, so the gunman has to open multiple locks to get to anyone.
  3. They pull all shades, turn off all lights, and be as silent as possible.
  4. Every loud speaker system available in classrooms, buildings, stadiums, public squares, immediately broadcasts a red zone danger exists and take cover wherever you can, and turn on the Emergency Radio System, email system if it exists, and television to learn what’s happening from a safe place.
  5. OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE: Authorities do not end the lock down and bring people/students into the open unless and/or until the shooter is apprehended or lies dead at a policeman’s feet. If this simple step had been followed at Virginia Tech, instead of the authorities assuming the shooter left the campus, 34 people would still be alive, and over 20 not wounded. The authorities must be absolutely sure every shooter, or group, is apprehended, dead, or rendered incapable of harming anybody else.
    It is the height of irresponsibility to say we “heard” the shooter is gone so end the lock down and let everyone go back in harm’s way.
  6. Every school and campus should have mandatory indoctrination and training as to how to proceed when the disaster sirens go off, like we used to have for fire drills and air raid drills. The same holds true for employees of every business of every size – from the post office and McDonald’s, to city hall and factories.
  7. Every place that can, especially schools and campuses, should have a pre-assigned communication’s center where everyone can get up to date information regarding loved ones.
  8. In addition, there should be a number to call for an up to date message/recording as to what is happening, and what they should do next.

This is not difficult to do! Towns all across the south have the tornado warnings installed as we speak! How can we put a price tag on the safety and security of our children?

I go berserk when I hear the people defending the decision to let these children go to school because they "thought" the shooter "left campus ... maybe even the state." Please!