Employees and students at Shoreline Community College gathered today, Oct. 7, 2015 to show solidarity with their counterparts at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.
“The tragic shooting that took place at Umpqua impacts everyone,” Shoreline President Cheryl Roberts said.
A social media campaign using the hashtag #IamUCC started in Oregon and is spreading across the country. Shoreline employees and students quickly organized a rally to participate in the effort and show support for Umpqua, Roseburg and all those affected by the incident. On Oct. 1, 2015, a 26-year-old male student at Umpqua came on campus and fatally shot nine people, injured nine others and then killed himself. President Obama is scheduled to visit Roseburg on Friday, Oct. 9, and meet with families of the victims.
Robe
rts said the rally at Shoreline is one way to join others across the nation in standing in solidarity with Umpqua. Another opportunity will come at 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, for a moment of silence called for by the American Association of Community Colleges. Employees and students at Shoreline may participate in the moment of silence as they choose and are able, Roberts said.
Shoreline’s emergency response plan is available online at www.shoreline.edu/safetyandsecurity and includes information about how to respond to a variety of emergency situations. Several videos on the site also provide emergency situation information. The college implemented an emergency training program for all employees over the past two years and a building-monitor program is in place to provide building-specific support.
This past summer, the college executive team attended three days of emergency management training approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the event of an emergency, the college uses the RaveAlert system that can quickly send messages to all employees and students via email, text, voice and social media.