The memories are indelible at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities. Both were the sites of some of the worst violence on college campuses. My TV 20's Dave Leval shows us what's being done to make a local campus safer.

"I do feel safe here."

Lamond Powell has reason to feel even safer at Eastern Michigan University. Administrators are getting a roughly half a milliion dollar grant from the US Education Department. It will help implement a new disaster response plan on campus.

Ellen Gold/Ex.Dir., EMU University Health Services
"It's one thing to be able to respond to an incident, it's another thing to be better prepared and ready for an incident to reduce our risk."

Ellen Gold applied for the grant that cleared the way for an emergency management director to be hired. The money will help staff and train people to respond to a natural or manmade disaster, such as an explosion or a shooting. 125 people from campus have already been trained, plus, the grant will also help train people from nearby communities.

Gold
"Our students live in the community, community members work on campus. We find it's a partnership on a daily basis. Safety and security is a partnership."

Powell
"Sort of how they have the monthly alarm system going off, it's great to have a set standard of how to respond to certain things."

Which helps makes Eastern Michigan University a safer place to get an education. Dave Leval, My TV 20 News at 10.

A drill earlier this week simulated how crews would respond if a gunman approached campus. We're told Eastern Michigan's President holds a safety meeting every Monday Morning.