Smaller college campuses are prepared for emergency situations

School officials at campuses across Mid-Missouri believe the size of the student body doesn’t matter when it comes to being ready for an emergency situation.

“We just want to be prepared,” said Cliff Jarvis, Executive Director of Plant and Facilities at Columbia College. “Protecting the students and campus safety is our number one goal.”

Columbia College has a Crisis Response Team that meets several times a month to review campus safety procedures and emergency protocol.

“It’s very detailed whether it’s weather, criminal activity or whatever the emergency or event is about,” Jarvis said. “It also explains what everyone’s role is and what the response is supposed to be.”

Students are also automatically signed up for Cougar Alerts when they enroll in classes. They receive a text, phone call and email during an emergency event on campus or in the surrounding area.

Stephens College, which has an enrollment around 850 students has a similar alert system.

Ken Hammond, Director of Campus Safety and Security, said they also work closely with the Columbia police and fire department in emergency situations.

“Security is everyone’s responsibility and we stress that here that everyone should watch out for their neighbors, because this is a small community in a big city,” he said.

Stephens College also has 10 full time security officers that patrol the campus seven days a week.

Hammond said the college is routinely reviewing their emergency response plan and making updates as needed.

Lincoln University has an Emergency Response Plan committee that meets at least once a year to review their procedures.

Misty Young, Director of University Relations, said they are prepared for many different types of emergency situations.

“It just looks at every type of scenario that we think could possibly happen,” she said. “Of course, you never know until it actually happens, but we try to be as prepared on paper as we possibly can.”

The university, which has a student population just under 3,000, has it’s own police department.

Like Columbia and Stephens College, LU also has an emergency mobile alert system for its students, faculty and staff.

Young said students must sign up for the program when they enroll for classes.