PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College Associated Student Council will host a panel discussion on hostile intruder prevention and preparation at 11:30 a.m. today.
The panel discussion will be in the college’s Pirate Union Building on the Port Angeles campus, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Community members are welcome.
The discussion will focus on how Peninsula College students and staff can respond to a hostile intruder.
“The forum will address participant concerns and help prepare our students in case of an emergency,” said Sydney Roberts, Associated Student Council president.
The panel will feature Marty Martinez, Peninsula College campus safety operations manager; Sandi MacIntosh, a mental health counselor at the campus; School Resource Officer Sky Sexton of the Port Angeles Police Department; and Port Angeles Fire Department Chief Ken Dubuc.
The discussion has been organized in the wake of the Oct. 1 mass shootings at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.
Gunman Chris Harper Mercer killed nine people and injured nine others before taking his own life.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members will be invited to sign a banner in support of Umpqua Community College before the panel discussion.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the campus and community affected by the Umpqua tragedy,” Roberts said.
The conversation also will explore potential warning signs from social media, and behavior that has been common in other incidents of school violence.
The college also plans to hold a safety drill for students and staff Thursday as part of routine drills exercised at the beginning of each quarter.
For more information, please contact the ASC at ASC@pencol.edu.
