Wednesday’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County has provoked students to question the security measures in their schools and college campuses.
On Thursday, Florida Gulf Coast University President Mike Martin addressed those concerns, assuring the university is prepared for any incidents that may occur.
“We train people across campus, and we try to work with groups on campus to ensure safety," Martin said. "So, we just had a session on threat response and making everyone aware and giving them tips and insight as to how to best respond if they sense something is up.”
Martin also said there was a heightened sense of awareness from faculty, staff and the university police department.
“I just met today with our counseling staff to talk about their awareness of people on campus who may have problems that need to be addressed before they turn into bigger problems," Martin said. "And, so, we’ve got a very good counseling staff and CAPS, led by Dr. (Jon) Brunner, and I think they are very much attuned to paying attention to what they’re hearing from students individually and, if necessary, are prepared to participate in interventions if that comes to it.”
University Police Chief Steven Moore sent out a campus-wide email Thursday containing information on the university’s safety systems, including how to register for the university’s text message alerts and links to safety videos.