SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah will make upgrades to the ways it notifies people about an emergency on campus and how students and employees can respond.
During a presentation to the Utah State Legislature's School Security Task Force, University of Utah Department of Public Safety Chief Keith Squires announced some protocol shifts. For example, all employees and students at the U of U will now be required to watch a 10-minute video on preparing for and responding to active threats on campus. Text message alerts of an incident on campus will no longer be "opt in" and instead switches to "opt out."
"They can get that communication right away that will help them be able to help others," Chief Squires told FOX 13 News.
The U is also reviewing its special event security following the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University earlier this year.
"You can’t prevent everything, but you can mitigate that threat and take advantage of the resources you have," said Chief Squires.
Some of the University of Utah's security changes are expected to be copied by other colleges and universities across the state. The Utah System of Higher Education, which oversees all of the public colleges and universities, said it would be convening its own task force to review campus security.
"We’ll identify better ways to leverage existing resources, to leverage each others expertise and this includes security and mental and behavioral health space as well," said Katie Mazzie, associate commissioner for government relations at USHE.
The school security task force has put forward a number of recommendations that led to law changes on Utah's Capitol Hill. On Monday, the task force completed its work by spending $25 million on panic alert buttons for school employees in classrooms across the state; more first aid kits and bleed kits; and training for so-called "Armed Guardians," which are armed personnel in schools.
Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, one of the chairs, said he hoped their work would lead to good results "to make sure our kids are safe and they’re not thinking about other things they shouldn’t have to think about when they’re going to school."
