In the days since Monday's tragic events on the Virginia Tech campus, we have all been reminded of how  vulnerable we are as a free people.  What happened there, we know, could have happened anywhere. While no institution, Niagara included, can ever guarantee absolute safety, I am very proud that Niagara has been proactive in developing plans and resources to address a wide range of emergency situations. For example: 

·        The university has an emergency response plan that would  guide our actions in a situation like the one in Virginia. The plan includes a crisis response team composed of key university personnel. The plan is continuously updated.

·        Members of the crisis response team have received CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training, which includes such things as first aid, light search and rescue, and triage procedures. In all, 51 university employees and 36 students have received CERT training. Nearly 500 volunteers in Erie and Niagara counties have also received the training through the university's Border Community SERVICE program. 

·    Niagara is fortunate to be able to call on a number of public safety agencies to provide assistance in any emergency situation. These include a number of police and fire departments from nearby towns and the emergency-response resources of Niagara County. 

·    The university has a process to remove people who may pose a danger to themselves or others and to request a thorough psychiatric clearance for such people prior to being admitted back to campus. The process permits the university to handle a perceived imminent threat in a manner that protects the university community and the afflicted individual who could pose a danger. 

·    Last summer,  we hosted a community disaster simulation on campus and last month our emergency plan was tested in a live exercise simulating an evacuation of Lynch Hall. Such exercises, which provide valuable training and information, will continue to be held.  

·    For some time, we have been examining ways of refining our emergency communications and enhancing them with new technology.  We recently signed an agreement with De Paul University to host each other's Web sites in the event of an emergency. 

This week, in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy, the university has begun a number of initiatives to help the campus community deal with the situation:

• The offices of Campus Ministry, Student Life and Campus Safety have been working together to provide counseling sessions for our students and for residence staff. 
• We are planning events for discussion and dialogue over the coming days to help everyone try to process what has happened, to learn from it, and to gain shared strength as a community.  As details are finalized, we will keep you informed by e-mail. 

• We also are preparing information to support concerned parents of our students. 

I hope this information has been helpful. Feel free to contact Dr. Bonnie Rose, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs, if you have any questions or suggestions regarding our emergency planning.  Should you have any questions or concerns regarding current students or situations on campus, please contact counseling or campus safety.

I pray that we will be able to draw strength from each other in support of our students and campus community during these challenging times. Let us make every effort to ensure that our collective response to this act of senseless violence serves to contribute to greater peace and understanding not only on our campus, but in our world as well.

Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.

President