Through its Emergency Response Team (ERT), the Security and Safety Office assures the Lasallian community that they can properly respond to and handle any crisis.
The ERT is divided into nine sub-teams, namely: crowd control, fire fighting, salvage, communication, medical, brawl, traffic, evacuation and rescue team. The crowd control team is the most utilized while the other sub-teams are always on standby, in case commotions happen within or outside the campus premises. The office assesses the situation strategically before deciding which sub-team will be fielded.
The office’s ERT was tested twice this year. First was the hostage taking of a hold-upper on loose, who victimized a DLSU student just meters away from the Velasco Gate. Second was the bomb explosion near South Gate during the last day of the bar exams.
A security officer informed that during hostage taking crisis, the communication team of the ERT immediately coordinated with the police station located at Vito Cruz St.
He clarified that the SSO did not have the authority to mediate with the hostage taker. They just maintained crowd control and left the mediation process on the hands of the government forces.
However, the SSO is granted the power of civilian arrest. They can turn over the suspect with the respective complainant to Police Station 9, the station closest to us, immediately after an incident.
The SSO can also intervene with and pacify any commotion involving Lasallians as long as it within the 50 meters jurisdiction of the office, which according to linear standards, is still inside the school.
During the said bar blast, many questioned the responsiveness of the SSO in aiding the victims of the blast. The office explains that the security breach during the bar exams cannot be blamed entirely on the University since it happened beyond the perimeters of the school.
The security officer reminded that the campus was under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court during the time of the blast.
He added that the SSO’s priority that time was to avoid any foreign infiltration in the campus.
The crowd control, medical and rescue teams helped the police and bomb squad during the bar exam crisis.
When asked about what assurance Lasallians can hold on to regarding the safety and security of the University, the officer replied, “Hindi lang gagawin ang lahat kung hindi ginagawa na namin ang lahat. [We not just will do everything. We are already doing everything.]”
