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TO: The University Community World events over the past several weeks have heightened our national and individual awareness to the possibility of increased terrorist activities both at home and abroad. In response to these events, the Office of Homeland Security has raised the alert status from condition YELLOW (significant risk of terrorist attack) to condition ORANGE (high risk of terrorist attack). If the need arises, the nation’s security status may be raised to a RED condition (severe risk of terrorist attack).
Calmness and cooperation are key to proper and timely emergency response, so please do not overreact in any such situation. It is imperative that individuals follow the directions given by Campus Police and the YSU Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (EOHS) as each incident is different. Proper response is dictated by numerous variables that in most cases must be assessed at the time the incident occurs. As the nation’s threat levels increase, it is quite natural for the campus community to experience an increase in concerns related to personal security and to ask about measures the University is taking relative to the safety of staff, students, and visitors to campus. The Campus Police Department has undergone extensive training. The department is part of the Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Public Sharing Information (LEO) security network – a national network that is provided daily information gathered by U. S. intelligence sources. As part of the LEO, YSU police regularly participate in mock hostage and other threatening situations. For the past five years, staff members from the EOHS have been part of a countywide task force coordinated by the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency (MCEMA) to develop strategies for dealing with events involving terrorist activities. EOHS has networked with numerous local, state, and federal agencies that will take lead roles should a terrorist incident occur. In March 2000, EOHS participated in a workshop sponsored by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the purpose of identifying terrorist targets within Mahoning County and potential weaknesses in security. As part of this workshop, a team of professionals anonymously visited our campus and identified areas that could be potential targets. These areas have since been evaluated and the necessary strategies developed to allow us to respond appropriately to changes in threat levels. Paramount in implementing these strategies is having trained personnel familiar with the incident command system to appropriately manage the situation. EOHS and Campus Police have been trained in the Incident Command System of Crisis Management. Both Campus Police and EOHS are being provided emergency response equipment through funds provided by the DOJ. We realize that dealing with the “unknown” can cause apprehension and anxiety. Be assured that the individuals responsible for ensuring safety on campus every day are the same individuals who have received extensive training and are prepared to act appropriately during a critical event. While we hope that an incident that puts lives at risk will never occur on our campus, the proper systems are in place to maintain a safe working and learning environment to the largest extent possible.
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