Analysis of the Columbine school shooting and emergency response

¶ … Violence in American Schools

Violence

(a & b) Columbine High School is in Jefferson County in Littleton, Colorado. In the spring of 1999, two male senior students executed a plan to commit a brutal series of violent acts against their fellow students, teachers, and staff. In essence, they took the school by siege and they took every person within the school hostage. There were several aspects to the plan. These domestic terrorists definitely premeditated this attack, which included specific activities to block or hinder the fire department that was bound to arrive on scene. They ignited explosions in the school (such as the cafeteria and parking lot), but what people mostly remember are the shootings. They killed 12 students and 1 teacher. Dozens of other students were injured because they tried to flee the scene to save their lives. Eventually, the two attackers turned their guns upon themselves and committed suicide.

Local authorities were very concerned about the lives of everyone inside of the school. There was a full time uniformed deputy who worked at the school. He was with the students when the attacks started. Local authorities arrived on the scene within a few minutes of the initial gunshots. The school deputy called for assistance from the parking lot. The guard assigned to the school entered into a gun fight with the attackers. He was not harmed as a result and he requested more assistance, which, again, arrived very shortly after the attacks started. After the attack concluded (with the suicides of the attackers), there were many types of local authorities, civil and social service employees at the school. There were firefighters, and police.

There were also members of the SWAT team present because of the gravity and collateral damage of the situation. There were parents and emotional/psychological support staff for the students. Of course, the local sheriff's office was there, as they were the first on the scene, and technically a represented was already present, as aforementioned (the uniformed full time guard). The country District Attorney was also at the school where a press conference was held, even while the aftermath was in progress, including the removal of dead bodies by the local coroner's office. The concern was for safe evacuation and tending to the wounded. There was immediate and grave concern for people's physical safety and psychological welfare.

2. One of the lessons that Virginia Tech claims to have learned since the shooting in 2007, is how to effectively integrate and use technology as a way to keep the university community aware. The shootings took place in 2007 and in 2011 the university claimed to have learned a lesson. Since the shootings six years ago, Virginia Tech uses Twitter, texts, and emails as a way to keep the community informed and aware, especially of emergency situations. The university has increased their initiatives to keep the community apprised so that if another emergency situation occurs, especially one that involves violence against members of the school, they can minimize the collateral damage, evacuate areas at risk quickly, and get assistance to those who need it as soon as possible.

3. One campus recommendation to reduce risks for bomb threats and arson is to follow in Virginia Tech's footsteps with regard to using modern technology and social media as a way to improve communication and awareness regarding emergency situations on the campus. College students are very technologically savvy and aware stereotypically, so this would work very well for this particular population.

Another campus recommendation is to, if not already done, strictly limit access to campus facilities that could be used to cause arson and bombs. There are chemistry labs and other supplies that can be used to create explosive devices. This is practical but it might not be easy, especially at schools where there are a lot of science majors. At the very least there should be transparent security measures in place and limited or restricted access to obvious items that can be used to harm others.

Another practical yet challenging recommendation is for students and staff to be required to have at least one counseling session a year. This may seem like a strange requirement, but it is practical. Universities are environments where many people are under stress. One session could provide some relief for students that may be stressed or have more serious emotional disturbances. The issues of violence on campuses are more than just about the violent acts themselves, or the means by which the violence was committed -- these tragic school shootings are a social problem and require a social solution.