RICHMOND Va.

Representatives from colleges and universities across Virginia gathered Monday for a campus security conference called by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to discuss how schools can best respond during emergencies.

The conference comes nearly four months after a student gunman killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech.

"The same things that can happen in any community can happen on a college campus, and so you have to have security solutions that will account for every possibility," Kaine said.

Panels meeting throughout the day discussed the relationships between schools and their communities, the importance of intercampus coordination when preparing for and responding to emergencies, campus emergency alert systems and crime prevention techniques.

Vendors were also on hand to show off the latest advancements in security systems and crisis management.

Kaine said colleges have done a good job addressing safety concerns since the Virginia Tech shootings.

"I think that there's been a significant upgrade in security in most of these institutions since April," he said.

- Associated Press

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