The University announced guidelines regarding emergency preparedness and plans to “reassess campus security measures, protocols, and infrastructure,” in a Wednesday statement sent by top administrators to the Cornell community.
The statement outlined three guidelines regarding emergency action, sheltering-in-place and an active threat to life framework. It also urged the community to “review instructions” regarding emergency procedures at Cornell.
The announcement comes after a shooting at Brown University that killed two students on Dec. 13 and the Dec. 16 shooting that killed Nuno Loureiro, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Additionally, we are working with Brown and our Ivy League partners to understand and learn from recent events and to implement best practices,” the statement read. “In the coming months, we will be conducting an additional safety assessment of areas of our Ithaca campus to consider additions to our campus security procedures and technology.”
The statement explained that the Division of Public Safety would work to “plan, train, and coordinate responses to potential emergencies,” and noted several resources for the community, including CornellALERT which issues email, voice and text to mobile numbers in the event of an emergency.
“These outreach programs are available for the full campus community, including student groups and clubs, departments and units, and individuals, and offer a valuable way to improve your emergency readiness and personal safety,” the statement read.
The University also urged the community to reach out to the Cornell Public Safety Communications Center, use the Rave Guardian app or call 911 in the event of an emergency.
“We value an open, accessible Ithaca campus environment and must balance that culture with tools that enhance our public safety teams’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to protect the Cornell community during emergencies,” the statement read.
Coral Platt is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at cplatt@cornellsun.com.
