A Washington college is planning to beef up school security following the school shooting at Umpqua Community College that shook many on campus.
Lower Columbia College, a public two-year institution in Longview, will spend up to $780,000 this fall to install security cameras at every building entryway and corridor and card readers at main building doors, according to tdn.com.
College Vice President of Administration Nolan Wheeler said the upgrades are a direct response to October’s school shooting at Umpqua.
“The Umpqua tragedy really hits home,” Nolan said. “We spit [the security ideas] up after Umpqua.”
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The school has already replaced door locks in most classrooms and improved building labels around campus in case of emergencies. School officials are also considering purchasing a mass notification system that would allow administrators to lock doors remotely.
The funds for the upgrades will come from the school’s operating budget, cash reserves and its Health and Science capital fund.
