
“We are an institution of higher education, but we still have these threats upon us, unfortunately, and we need to be always ready.

Gonzalez said it was a disappointment that so much attention had to be paid to security but realized it’s a product of the current environment. “Some of our faculty move around to a different classroom or building each semester and they need to know where the closest exit is, or which parking lot do they go to, or the quad, so it’s important to have these drills regularly,” she said. The information is tailored for alerts of any kind including hurricane or storms, water damage, power outages at the campus and more. They also post notices on their website and through various forms of social media including the student’s personal and school email.
#Loanstar campus registration#
“A student is automatically included in those at registration unless they opt out, but that’s very rare,” she said. Gonzalez didn’t reveal any signals or how students and faculty are notified of an issue but that they are familiar with any announcements.Īn additional layer of notifying students and staff comes with texts and emails. “We have regular checks of the system to make sure the PA system is working correctly,” she added. HUMBLE ISD: Campus upgrades greet district as it goes back to school Security features were part of the consideration when rebuilding including a PA sound system with speakers in every room in every building. The campus lost seven of the nine buildings during Hurricane Harvey. We want our community to know that we are aware of this concern, and we're providing this training for the community, so they can be safe too,” she said.

“We're also partnering with Commissioner (Tom) Ramsey's office from Harris County Precinct 3, to hold a civilian active shooter training at one of our centers for the community. Next week faculty and staff will be involved in an active shooter training, something that happens regularly throughout the year for all campuses and at associated centers. It's not just for active shooter, but suspicious person or there's a power failure, severe weather or bomb threat, hazardous materials warnings,” she said. “We have a new student orientation that every student is required to attend, it's mandatory. The life-saving response of students and staff at the 2020 live shooter event, Gonzalez said, was a result of training. With a new set of students at the beginning of each semester throughout the year, and some new faculty and employees, Gonzalez knows the importance of training, the recent addition of safe rooms equipped with bullet-proof glass, and mental health assistance for stressed students and staff.

They tell me how scary it was for them,” she said. “A lot of the faculty and employees were here, and they remember that. Melissa Gonzalez, current president of the college, has only been at the helm of the college for a year, but employees have told her stories of the incident.īREAK-INS IN KINGWOOD: 24 businesses hit by burglaries and vandalism, the latest in the Houston area It was learned that the gunshots came from off campus, but it was enough to send the campus reeling.ĭr. An all clear from law enforcement came later that afternoon after a thorough search of the campus failed to uncover a shooter.
