Families of Virginia Tech Victims Extend Support to Umpqua Community College

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- VTV Family Outreach Foundation (VTV), the nation's leading advocacy organization for better school and campus safety, has offered their support and resources to the community of Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.

"Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with all affected by today's shooting at Umpqua Community College," said Joe Samaha, President of VTV. "We stand ready to assist the families of the victims, survivors and Roseburg community in any way they need."

Samaha added, "As we saw at UCC, the perpetrators of school shootings usually signal their intentions publicly without any intervention. There needs to be a culture shift to proactive behavior. When you see something, please say something."

As part of the VTV's mission and strategic plan, they established an outreach program called the Crisis Response Team. VTV family and staff members were trained by the National Organization of Victims Assistance in victims' advocacy and assistance in response to school shootings. VTV's CRT provides assistance to the victims of incidents of mass school violence and similar tragedies, but only upon request, which has happened several times already since its inception.

Just two months ago, VTV launched a revolutionary campus safety program called 32 National Campus Safety Initiative or 32 NCSI. The first phase provides colleges with a series of free, confidential, online self-assessment tools offering the first-ever comprehensive view of their safety and security posture. Areas assessed include mental health, threat assessment, and emergency management.

About VTV
The VTV Family Outreach Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by the families and survivors directly impacted by the April 16, 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech where 32 lives were lost. Determined to prevent a similar tragedy, the Foundation advocates for K-12 and higher education campus safety and security. Learn more at www.vtvfamilyfoundation.org and www.32ncsi.org.

SOURCE VTV Family Outreach Foundation

Related Links

http://www.vtvfamilyfoundation.org