CUH Adds New Safety Measures to Campus

Over the summer, Chaminade University updated its campus security. Doorknobs with locks that can be secured from the inside without the requirement of a key, along with phones in every room programmed with school-wide alert software to notify staff and students of an emergency were installed and an emergency guidebook was placed by classroom doors.

Christine Denton, the executive director for Compliance and Personnel Services at Chaminade, first noticed the university’s lack of emergency preparedness and procedures when she began her position in 2015.

Denton’s background in emergency management helped her to critically analyze the university’s security measures from within and push for more security. She has been moving urgently to get these necessary and vital security updates done on campus, but she said financing was an issue.

“There was some grant money available with the United States Department of Education for this stuff,” Denton said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the grant so that sent me back to square one.”

However, some people on campus believe these security updates aren’t as vital for safety. Assistant professor of Education Katrina Roseler finds it hard to believe these updates will keep students and faculty safe if an emergency were to occur on campus, but she appreciates the door locks and phone installations.

“I don’t feel any more safe, but it was an important, timely response on Chaminade’s part,” Roseler said.

Instead, Roseler said she believes in people over product. Rather than beefing up security on campus as the first line of defense, she would prefer if the university continued caring for students and their mental health as a first priority, which she believes Chaminade has been doing well.

“I walk around campus, and I don’t know everyone, but I recognize them and know they belong on campus,” Roseler said.

She believes Chaminade has built a good community on campus. Continuing to grow this family environment will encourage students and faculty to speak up if they see or recognize anyone who needs help or is in emotional distress and get them the help they need before it could escalate into something dangerous.

Chaminade junior Arielle Hicks agrees and said that installing new locks and phones isn’t going to help with any emergencies.

“If someone wants to hurt people this won’t stop them,” said Hicks, who is from Ewa Beach.

Hicks does agree that the booklets are a good reference guide since she would have normally just relied on the campus professors with hopes they know what to do in the case of an emergency. Admitting she would be completely lost if no one was around to help.

The guidebook covers 21 emergency topics and provides quick references on emergency procedures for many things. Such as from crimes in progress, medical emergencies and what to do in bio-terroristic threats.

Security is an everyday issue for Chaminade for more information on campus emergencies, please visit: https://emergency.chaminade.edu/.

Staying informed is a great way to keep safe and in the know.