Penn security shaped by 9/11 attacks

A leader in research and academics, Penn was also ahead of the curve in redeveloping its campus safety plan after the September 11, 2011 attacks.

In August 2001, just before 9/11, administrators decided it was time to “revamp” the University-wide crisis management plan, hiring security and risk-management company Kroll to help assist in the process.

The initial plan did not emphasize terrorism, but after 9/11 the Division of Public Safety put a greater focus on emergency situations such as terrorism attacks, according to Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush.

“The University always had a crisis plan, but the world was very different back then,” she said. “Terrorism wasn’t really into the United States at the time. We were really looking for the homegrown types of emergencies, but the world changed during 9/11.”

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A new emergency preparedness system was developed, creating a crisis management plan for emergencies including terrorism, active shooters, hazardous materials, explosions, natural disasters and fires. Additionally, DPS created a new position for a deputy chief of tactical emergency readiness that would help prevent, respond and recover from emergencies.

Each Penn building now has an emergency team composed of trained individuals who either work or live in the building and “initiate and facilitate” the appropriate response to crises, according to the Chief of Fire & Emergency Services Eric Janda.

In the past decade, DPS has also worked to develop more accurate means of communication such as the UPennAlert program and the new Penn Guardian System, which allows first responders to arrive on the scene quicker with the help of GPS data from students’ phones.

On a nationwide-scale, 76 percent of college campuses have reported that communication with other law enforcement agencies has improved post-9/11, according to a Sept. 6 article of Campus Security Magazine.

However, while 9/11 was a critical event that caused many institutions to reconsider their safety plans, it wasn’t until major acts of terrorism occurred on college campuses that universities began to redesign their safety plans, according to Daniel Carter, the director of Public Policy at Security on Campus, a national nonprofit campus security organization. Specifically, the Oklahoma City bombing and shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University received widespread media attention, forcing colleges to expand and improve security.

“Anytime something happens across the country, we get together and say ‘if that happens there, what would we do?’” Rush said.

Accordingly, after 32 people were killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, Penn responded by starting an active shooter training program.

DPS is also taking extra precaution to prepare for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, and is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“We have a definite plan … [Penn will] be prepared for any potential copycat issues,” Rush said.

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