The Student Union’s Role in Preparing for a Campus Emergency Lori Stettler Tena Bennett Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Introductions What constitutes a campus emergency? Who has a campus emergency plan? Who has a building emergency plan?

Goals of Presentation Be able to apply materials to their own facilities and make an immediate impact when developing emergency plans. Understand the importance of getting everyone in your facility in the emergency preparedness mind frame. Recognize key factors in developing an emergency action plan that utilizes the facility and the services available to the campus. Be able to assist your University in the preparation and implementation during emergency situations.

Building A Culture Emergency preparedness in a mindset – Plan for the worst but expect (and hope for) the best. Includes Students, Faculty, Staff and Business Partners Develop buy-in

Understanding Our Culture The 2005 ACHA Campus Violence White Paper provides these observations: – College students are more likely to be victims of violent crimes off campus than off campus – College students ages 18 – 24 experience lower violent crime rates than non-students of the same age – FBI crime reports state in 2006 seven murders occurred on college campuses,.04% of the 17,000 murders committed in the U.S.

Balancing Act High-profile events create a heightened perception of risk Knowledge is key for your perceived risks Resources should be allocated in proportion to the seriousness of the risk Must find a balance between crisis response and prevention efforts

Our Emergency May 8, 2009 Derecho Straight line wind storm or inland hurricane

Our Emergency

The Student Center experienced a power outage caused by the storm from 1:25pm, Friday May 8, 2009 through Monday, May 11, 2009 at 3:55pm. Our immediate response was the safety of all of our patrons and employees followed by assessing damages and mediating any immediate problems (broken windows, roof damage, etc.). Throughout the weekend we had staff in the building providing security and maintenance including keeping the generator running, shutting down utility systems in preparation for the return of power, cleaning drain spouts on the roof in preparation for more storms and we provided service for University Bookstore for graduation ceremonies. The generator runs the CMS switch room located in the basement of the facility and is vital to several state agencies.

Our Emergency Graduation Weekend! Activated EOC Friday afternoon Insurance Claim of just under $30,000 for natural gas, labor, roof repair, window repair, etc. Doesn’t include food loss

Our Role B.E.R.T. – Building Emergency Response Team – Defined as a network of volunteer faculty and staff to assist with the creation of emergency response plans and procedures for all campus buildings. – Organized by Department of Public Safety and Center for Environmental Health and Safety

B.E.R.T. The major goals of the B.E.R.T. program are: – The development of uniform emergency response plans within all campus buildings. – To develop, unite, train, and communicate with a group of personnel that can work together not only as a large team, but as individual "building teams" to develop, implement, inform, and test emergency procedures in all buildings on campus. – To expedite the notification, evacuation, and search procedures necessary during most emergencies.

Our Role with B.E.R.T. Developed a handbook that meets our specific needs Hold semester meetings or more as needed Staff training and involvement

Campus Responsibilities Participate in Campus Wide Disaster Drill – Must be held annually Provide information for University Disaster Plan Executive Summary Participate in All Hazards Response and Recovery Team

Campus Opportunities Shelter in place/Storm Shelter Family Assistance Center

What You Can Do Develop your own Disaster Plan Be involved with campus drills Work with Public Safety/Environmental Health & Safety to do a facility audit Know the strengths and weaknesses of your facility & staff Be prepared!

Resources assistance-center/ assistance-center/

Questions We don’t claim to be experts! Must remain calm and flexible in an emergency situation