MCC takes steps to boost security

Exactly two weeks after a deadly Valentine's Day rampage at Northern Illinois University, McHenry County College on Thursday evening took the first of what will be multiple steps toward beefing up safety and security measures for students and staff.

The board of trustees agreed to purchase an emergency mass notification system that, in the event of a campus crisis, will contact the 9,000 people in the school community via text message, voice mail and e-mail. It's estimated to cost $2.50 a head, a fee the college will absorb, officials said.

The school will buy the system from 3n (National Notification Network), the same company that sold a similar system to Virginia Tech after a lone gunman there killed dozens of people.

"It was not the cheapest, but we felt it was the best fit," said Dale Naleway, MCC's associate director of communications technologies.

College President Walter Packard also announced the school will set aside office space for the Crystal Lake police department to use to complete paperwork. Although coverage won't be round-the-clock, the arrangement allows a visible police presence on campus, Packard said.

These initiatives come 14 days after a gunman opened fire during an NIU geology class, killing five students and wounding 16 others before turning the gun on himself.

Right now, MCC uses a phone tree, an intercom system, its Web site, classroom phones, television monitors and its switchboard to relay critical messages to the college community.

The new communication system adds another layer to these existing methods.

MCC had been considering a mass communication system since December, but moved swiftly to put the plan into action after the NIU shootings. As the school continues evaluating its security and communication procedures, other initiatives will be announced within months, Packard said.

The tragedy hit MCC particularly hard, officials said, given that the school community maintains deep ties to the university.

Moreover, 100 MCC students each month are requesting transfers to the DeKalb university, officials have said.

MCC students and staffers have been donning red clothes and black and red ribbons ever since to show their solidarity and support; black and red are the university's school colors.

The board also held a moment of silence during Thursday's board meeting.

"This tragedy has affected all of us and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire NIU community," Packard said.