On January the 23rd 2015, the controversial documentary, the Hunting Ground was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary film showcases the prevalence of sexual assault at U.S. college campuses and university boards attempts to cover up the crimes. The Hunting Ground follows the accounts of multiple university students who have allegedly been sexually assaulted either while on campus, at their college or an off-campus party. The documentary has gained widesp

Last week we shared an article on the importance of having one source of the truth during a critical incident or emergency. We highlighted the necessity of establishing an easily accessible spot where all stakeholders know to go for the most up to date and reliable information. As we were preparing that article for our monthly newsletter, yet another mass shooting occurred at a university, this time at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon. The October 1 shooting claimed ten

Universities, airports, sporting venues – any place of mass gathering – must have a centralised communication point (a.k.a one source of the truth), that all stakeholders can rely upon for up-to-date information during an emergency. “It’s really frustrating because there is no campus-wide updating from a central command centre. Everything we’re getting is just rumours.” These are the words of a Delta State University Lecturer whose office is across the street from where a fel

By James Fitzpatrick Toowoomba Police are still hunting for a potentially armed suspect after a major police chase in Glenvale last week. The three schools that enacted lockdown (Glenvale Christian School, Darling Downs Christian School, and Glenvale State School) seemingly responded with poise and according to procedure; communicating consistently with all relevant stakeholders as the incident unfolded. Speaking with the Toowoomba Chronicle, Glenvale State School principal,

Managing Director of Briggs Communications Allan Briggs, a crisis communications expert, told delegates at the Informa National Campus Security & Safety Conference in Sydney he was alarmed at the lack of preparation major organisations were taking in response to the new terror threat. “Sadly the threat has become real with recent events such as the Lindt shooting and arrests of five men in Melbourne alleged to be plotting to kill a police officer then kill members of the publ