Lessons from Columbine

When Jefferson County, Colo., Undersheriff John Dunaway arrived at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, he had to quickly assess an unprecedented situation. According to the first reports he received, between six to eight men with automatic weapons were killing students in the suburban Denver school.

As chief operations officer of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Dunaway was in charge of the sprawling, chaotic crime scene. Going against conventional wisdom, Dunaway sent officers into the school.

"It was a very difficult order to give," he says. "We had officers from all different agencies and they didn't know one another. There was a real possibility they would confront or even fire on each other inside. Or that someone inside, a student, could somehow get hold of a weapon, and then be fired upon by officers."

Fourteen students, including the two shooters, and a teacher died that day, and he says the traumatic experience visits him nearly every day. But with Dunaway directing the efforts of almost 1,000 responding law enforcement and emergency personnel, more than 1,500 students reached safety. He coordinated an effort that potentially stopped an even bigger tragedy from occurring.

For the law enforcement community, it was an experience from which to learn, and as leading faculty member of Edison College's new baccalaureate program in public safety management, Dunaway is bringing those lessons to Southwest Florida's future public-service agency leaders.

The program was founded so public safety personnel could earn a bachelor's degree, which would allow them to attain leadership positions. Classes started in the summer of 2006, and currently have about 70 students-some already in command positions and some just starting their careers.

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