Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - (Page 32)

SaFe HaRboR eMeRgenCy Planning: CReating tHe beSt StRategy by Marisol Ray I Administrators in housing and residence life have been charged with the task of helping to develop brilliant learning communities for our students while simultaneously maintaining their safety and security. This has become an increasingly demanding assignment. Not only must we prepare for emergencies as a result of natural disasters,we must prepare for unexpected human disasters. Many institutions have developed emergency management plans for these circumstances. Developing any emergency plan can be daunting, if not overwhelming, because it‘s impossible to think of every possible emergency; but creative and flexible thinking can ensure that these plans are adaptable to different situations. Emergency management plans can serve as the blueprint for administrators and staff to follow in the event of any disaster or campus crisis. One of the first things to consider when creating this plan is securing executive support, which will be pivotal in gaining support from the various departments participating in its design and implementation. Cooperation and collaboration is critical in a crisis. All offices involved must understand what pieces are important and who should be responsible for putting the pieces together. 32 Talking Stick JameS DaViS, ViSual arTS SPeCialiST, STuDeNT affairS, eaST CarOliNa uNiVerSiTy n the wake of catastrophes such as floods in the Midwest, gunmen on college campuses, and tornadoes tearing through residence halls, we must be ever vigilant and prepared for any and all disasters. As James A. Rund stated in New Directions for Student Services (2002), “circumstances of everyday living now pose new challenges and raise anxiety about personal safety.” “Representation of the key areas is a complex thing – you need to deal with the incident, then the people, and then you need to look toward business continuity,” says Dr. Doug Hallenbeck, executive director of housing at Clemson University in South Carolina. Other key players are departments of academic affairs, which would help publicize and manage any business interruption at the institution; procurement, which would make large purchases for things like a block of hotel rooms if students are going to be displaced for an extended period of time; and athletics (if their housing needs are separated from the rest of campus), which would ensure the safety and wellbeing of their studentathletes. According to Hallenbeck, every crisis management Students and an officer take their safety tour inside a hall plan should delineate at East Carolina. specific roles identifying who is responsible for specific areas of service, campus police, facilities, information and this includes coordinating emergency technology, counseling, health services, plans with local municipal agencies. public relations, and dining services. It is important to consider how those who are Institutions should build open directly affected by the incident will be lines of communication within the supported, how to assist the surrounding community, and, ultimately, how to resume business when and if possible. Effective response to a crisis requires the assistance of a number of campus offices. The primary offices to involve in creating and executing an emergency management plan include security/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - September/October 2008

Talking Stick - September/October 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar Safe Harbor Think Globally, React Locally Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members Snapshot

Talking Stick - September/October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.