Five months after America's deadliest school shooting, GW is training staff and faculty on methods they can use to diffuse volatile situations before they become fatal.
The Violence Awareness and Mitigation Program, created by the University Police Department, teaches community leaders how to detect threatening behavior, communicate important information and physically disarm attackers. It was created after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, UPD Chief Dolores Stafford said, because many staff members felt vulnerable.
"It's a direct response to the fact that violence can happen anywhere at any time," Stafford said. "Virginia Tech just reminded us of that."
VAMP is the first training program of its kind in the nation, she said. Unlike the University-wide contingency plans, it concentrates on how GW employees can protect themselves individually. The general student body is not permitted to participate, though student leaders are encouraged.
"There's things taught in the program that we would not teach to the general student body," Stafford said.
This summer GW Housing Programs staff and other administrators gathered in Strong Hall for a pilot version of VAMP. Armed with fake weapons, participants practiced quickly disarming and controlling their attackers.
Corrine Farrell, a community director in Thurston Hall, said it was interesting to learn about the subtle indicators of a dangerous individual. A student moving very choppily and repeatedly clenching their fists could pose a threat, she said.
"(The program) talked about what was the straw that breaks the camel's back and how to see if someone is looking like they are going to attack or going to run away," Farrell said.
She added that the purpose of the training is to prevent a heated situation from escalating.
Director of Student Judicial Services Tara W. Pereira said after participating she feels more confident identifying a potentially threatening situation before it becomes violent.
The Violence Awareness and Mitigation Program, created by the University Police Department, teaches community leaders how to detect threatening behavior, communicate important information and physically disarm attackers. It was created after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, UPD Chief Dolores Stafford said, because many staff members felt vulnerable.
"It's a direct response to the fact that violence can happen anywhere at any time," Stafford said. "Virginia Tech just reminded us of that."
VAMP is the first training program of its kind in the nation, she said. Unlike the University-wide contingency plans, it concentrates on how GW employees can protect themselves individually. The general student body is not permitted to participate, though student leaders are encouraged.
"There's things taught in the program that we would not teach to the general student body," Stafford said.
This summer GW Housing Programs staff and other administrators gathered in Strong Hall for a pilot version of VAMP. Armed with fake weapons, participants practiced quickly disarming and controlling their attackers.
Corrine Farrell, a community director in Thurston Hall, said it was interesting to learn about the subtle indicators of a dangerous individual. A student moving very choppily and repeatedly clenching their fists could pose a threat, she said.
"(The program) talked about what was the straw that breaks the camel's back and how to see if someone is looking like they are going to attack or going to run away," Farrell said.
She added that the purpose of the training is to prevent a heated situation from escalating.
Director of Student Judicial Services Tara W. Pereira said after participating she feels more confident identifying a potentially threatening situation before it becomes violent.
