G'day Everyone.
I have been watching the Gallaudet Unversity's actions since the first news of the death of Cheang Kok started to spread across the 'net among the students and on Facebook as well.
The accounts vary and the actions that had happened there is murky at. Cheang Kok is dead while prompt medical assistance wasn't clearly forth coming.
While the blog world is quiet about this, only two items of news popped up.
First: The Buff and Blue was first to report the major news: http://thebuffandblue.net/?p=2455
Then: GU's Public Relations Response to the Buff and Blue after the Washington Post picked up the story:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/09/gallaudet_students_question_re.html#more
After reading both sides of the story, I remembered something very important on campus. Here's the very important question:
Quiz time: What are the blue lighted boxes on the campus of Gallaudet? They're all over the campus in every spot possible. They're blue with a flashing blue light when activated.
Give up?
They are the EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLES! When an emergency happens on campus, as in the case of Cheang Kok's emergency, the first response by anyone should have been this: Some one should have hit the nearest BLUE LIGHTED EMERGENCY RESPONSE BOXES IMMEDIATELY!!
So my question is: WHY WAS THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BUTTON ON THE BLUE BOX NEVER PUSHED? That's the $64,000 question of the day for anyone to answer. I dare the GU campus community to come forward with an answer of why it wasn't pushed.
Should those those blue emergency response boxes be redesigned to show it's EMERGENCY status? Should DPS hold a class for the entire campus and educate the community as a whole WHY these blue poles have been established on the campus? To the first question: maybe a mini-modification. To the second question: It's a resounding YES!
If someone had pressed the blue emergency response button and DPS would have been in the area faster than a jack rabbit.
So listen up GU campus community. Those blue emergency response boxes are there for your benefit. Those blue boxes are emergency boxes. They're not to be fooled around with and they serve as a beacon for emergency alerts for the DPS.
Had someone actually pressed the emergency response button box, Cheang Kok's life might have had a fighting chance.
So while the Buff and Blue and the Post argue it out, GU's PR just might extra work to help DPS to educate the campus on the Blue emergency boxes. It makes a huge difference than calling 911 from your cell or pager text on campus. Those 15 minutes are important.
Cheang Kok , I will remember you and miss you.
Semper FI.
3 comments:
Good point. But as a second-year hearing graduate student at Gallaudet I admit that I don't think I ever noticed the blue emergency poles (maybe because I'm hearing and don't always notice visual changes, lol) and I definitely know that I have never had any information on the poles, what they're intended for and what happens when you press the button. Maybe the tragic death of Cheang Kok will serve as a motivator for establishing a better dialogue between DPSS and the student body.
Jessica;
I hope this will serve as a need that DPS and the community do talk clearly of things. But one thing very important. everyone needs to be able to be some type of a first responder. Everyone ought to know basic first aid and CPR. To wait so long for DPS and EMTs to arrive, it just assured that cheang died. That isn't fair at all.
Unless something is done, the next death could happen in a bad way, again.
I visited Gallaudet again 2 years ago after having been away for almost 20 years. One of the first things I noticed were the blue poles. Now, perhaps it is due to my background in security, but I find it hard to believe anyone could traverse the campus on a regular basis and not notice them.
Therefore, it boils down to communication and education. Does DPS (like many college campuses) contribute a regular article about campus safety/security issues to the B&B? During orientation classes for incoming freshmen, is information disseminated regarding the emergency poles (proper use, warnings about abuse of them, etc)?
If not, then it behooves the DPS leaders to begin to host dorm by dorm training/educational meetings regarding campus safety/security. BUT it also behooves the residents of campus to actually pay attention as well. They are there to provide an outlet for quick notification in the event of an emergency, but if no one cares WHY they are there, nor takes the time to LEARN about them, then they are useless. Dialogue is wonderful and needed. But if it is a one way street (no matter which side actually listens), then it stops becoming dialogue and instead becomes useless banter.
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