In light of the recent tragic events taking place at Virginia Tech, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and Security + Life Safety Systems magazines would like to weigh in on the topic of campus security. We think Vice President of Systems Leon Chlimper, Bosch Security Systems, conveyed the message most effectively:

"First and foremost, our thoughts are with the people that lost loved ones as well as to all the students at Virginia Tech, as we also try to make sense of this tragedy and cope with our feelings of uncertainty towards our families attending schools around the country.

"I believe that given the magnitude of this event, we will see 'security consultants' come out of the woodwork, offering suggestions on how to prevent these types of events in our schools when the reality is that any and all efforts will prove futile given the physical environment these are in.

"Other than making these schools a 'prison' or an 'airport,' the chances of these types of events happening will always exist. Though there are technologies available to detect the presence of weapons, the problem lies in the time it takes to respond to such events.

"The best thing we can do is educate, educate our children and teachers to be more congnizant of their surroundings and to understand changes in behavior from their peers and students that can lead to these types of events."

Even here in Bethesda, Maryland, we're feeling the heartache and tragic loss, and we would like to offer our condolences to all of the families who lost their children with such bright futures ahead of them. And with that, we turn toward the future and the hightened awareness and attention this event will inevitably bring. Security, already a growing issue, will become the focus of concern. If concerned customers approach you, asking what they can do to protect themselves from a similar event, remember Chlimper's words, for education is the first line of proactive defense against any danger.    EC