The urgent need for improved safety measures at Valley

The college’s lack of first aid and emergency resources could be a costly mistake.

Opinion by Milan Rafaelov, Staff Writer

Valley College’s safety measures are lacking in first aid and emergency safeguards. In the event of an emergency, students would be left vulnerable. The district and college must take action. (Photo illustration by Griffin O'Rourke/ Valley Star)

Safety should be the top priority for all institutions but the inadequate first-aid resources and malfunctioning emergency systems on campus are alarming, to put it mildly. Valley College must address these issues to fulfill the school's legal obligation to provide a safe environment for everyone on campus.

In the mid-2010s, Valley stopped providing first aid kits in classrooms, making it challenging to find medical assistance on campus. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the health services building shifted to illness-based care and no longer has resources for basic injuries. Last October, a student suffered a fall and badly injured his forearms. Naturally, he sought help at the Health Services Building but was turned away due to the lack of basic first aid resources.

Fortunately, the student was able to receive bandages and care from Xiaoyang Liu-Behlendorf, Valley’s librarian of over 30 years. Liu-Behlendorf herself has concerns about the safety on campus like the lack of a PA system in the library, the delayed alert systems and no panic button.

“If someone dangerous comes in here, I do not know if I will be able to go into a different room and dial the sheriff's number,” said the librarian.

Safety concerns plague many U.S. institutions. Recently Valley had a scare with the FBI responding to a “suspected terrorist act.” Thankfully it turned out to be a false alarm.

“The lack of a panic button is an issue because that's something that has been raised several times in the past and the discussion has happened, but no progress has been made,” said the library’s Building Marshal, Israel Ortiz.

Ortiz is designated and trained to lead students and staff to safety in the event of an emergency.

In the last decade, there have been 348 university/college-related shootings, and while many institutions are taking preventative measures, Valley has yet to ensure that its emergency systems function.

The Los Angeles Community College District conducted a ‘ Campus Safety and Security Assessment in 2021. The document discloses that Valley’s lack of an insider threat program makes it vulnerable to attacks like active assailants, mass attacks and hostage situations. It also notes poor lighting, inadequate camera coverage, incompetent security defenses and the inability of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department office to initiate lockdowns.

While the assessment pointed out Valley’s shortcomings, it also highlighted the security strengths, which include a sufficient amount of emergency phones, the implementation of a crisis action team and a detailed expertise resource planning checklist.

Recommendations from the security assessment and suggestions from the educational community include testing emergency response mechanisms, installing surveillance cameras and panic buttons in necessary areas, improving lighting in pedestrian paths, implementing an insider threat program and stocking first aid supplies in classrooms or in the health services building.

Valley is aware of its shortcomings in regard to the safety and security of its community members. There is a responsibility to the campus, its staff and its students to take the required measures to ensure the campus is a secure and hospitable place for everyone.