Dalhousie University, University of King's College to Implement New Security Programs

Dalhousie University and the University of King's College are looking to update their security protocols as communication and language has been identified as issues during critical incidents.

Dalhousie's security services are launching a program to help the campus community gain a better understanding of its crisis protocols, UNews reported. The program comes as a response to the lockdown the school issued to its Carleton and Sexton campuses last month after a gunman was reported downtown.

"We started to get some feedback about common language, people saying 'well, what does lockdown mean?'" Jake MacIsaac, community safety coordinator for Dalhousie security services, told UNews. "Maybe that's not as well known as we thought it was."

Dalhousie University's security department is developing a new Blackboard Learning program that aims to put information forward ""so everyone has access to the same language, the same conversation around this stuff," MacIsaac added.

When dealing with critical incidents there are three options: "get out, hide out, or take out," MacIsaac said. On Oct. 23, the day of the gunman incident, school security "implemented the hide out or lockdown option."

The program will involve short videos, small amounts of text, and tests but it "won't be long and drawn out," MacIsaac said.

The school's security department has yet to determine if the program, which is currently in the works, will be optional or mandatory for students and staff.

The University of King's College is also looking at updating its security protocols.

Alex Doyle, the director of facilities at the university, has recently created a committee to review the emergency protocols at King's. The committee consists of representatives from the university and student union.

Doyle said communication is an issue during campus emergencies.

"We have no communication method. We have no [public announcement] system to tell everybody in the campus there's an incident happening on campus," Doyle told UNews. "So right now we're looking at communication means as part of this package."

In April, the University of King's College hired a private security company to work in conjunction with the student-run campus security, Patrol, in an effort to better security protocols.