Providence, R.I.--The leaders of Providence College's emergency management operations and Office of Safety and Security said a recent campus conference on anti-terrorism measures was extremely relevant and validated the institution's efforts to ensure a safe campus environment.

Koren V. Kanadanian, director of emergency management, and Major John J. Leyden, Jr., executive director of safety and security, represented the College at the October 7 conference, "Hotel, Mall and School Security," which was co-sponsored by PC and the Anti-terrorism Advisory Council of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The conference, led by Israeli security expert Dov Shiloah, attracted more than 100 federal, state, and local officials, as well as private-sector public safety personnel. There were representatives from the U.S Department of Homeland Security, the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, the R.I. National Guard, police departments, colleges and universities, and shopping malls.

Shiloah presented two seminars during the conference, the first on "Protecting Malls and Hotels from Terror in the 21st Century," and the second entitled "The Israeli Experience in School and University Protection."

Shiloah has nearly 30 years of experience working in the Israeli Secret Intelligence Service in a variety of positions. His responsibilities have included multi-national security and intelligence at various levels. A graduate of The Hebrew University, he also holds master's degrees in international affairs from Columbia University and in political science from Haifa University.

One of the most salient points Shiloah conveyed during the conference was the public's need to be aware of signs of possible terrorist activity and to follow up immediately with suspicions to the proper authority. It is critical that the "people on the street" and authorities develop trust and respect in one another when it comes to terrorism, he said.

Shiloah also suggested that Americans should get in the habit of conducting security drills, much like they do for fire drills.

"Understand, terrorism can happen here," he stated.

Conference reinforces College's approach
Leyden explained that hosting the conference was in keeping with the College's efforts to remain informed about terrorism nationally and abroad.

"Koren and I need to be in the forefront in terms of awareness, preparation, and training to combat potential hostility," he said. "We meet periodically with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to share information and implement strategic, prevention-focused initiatives to combat terrorism and train against terrorism."

Noting that "colleges and universities have experienced domestic terrorism and acts of senseless violence in the recent past," Leyden said Shiloah is an extremely credible security and intelligence expert for any higher-education institution to hear.

Kanadanian said he felt Shiloah did an excellent job of emphasizing that Americans' focus should not be solely on international terrorism or terrorist groups, and that domestic acts must remain a concern.

Shiloah complimented the College's efforts to provide a safe campus environment, noting in particular the importance of having the resources of the Safety and Emergency Response Committee available.

"He was pleased with the anti-terrorism mitigation efforts that Major Leyden and I are working on, such as threat assessments, upcoming training with local and state police and fire services, and training for security officers in threat detection. Emergency managers are responsible for not only coordinating with security and police but also are the key leaders in response and recovery from any terrorism event," said Kanadanian.

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