Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - (Page 51) I THINk oNE of THE MoST IMpoRTANT THINgS foR uS To REMEMbER IS THAT THE pLANS wE DEVELop HAVE To bE coNSTANTLy REEVALuATED. At NYU we use a telephone and text-messaging response system, though students must sign up to get the messages. Also, being an urban institution, every building we use has a 24-hour-a-day public safety officer, so we use the entrance area as a point of information for each building (academic and residence hall). In order to make our response plans better, we’ve added staff. Since 9/11, we’ve had a full-time person at the university who monitors weather, crises, and other unknown things that would affect business continuity. An additional question: What training do you provide to professional staff and RAs as it relates to crisis training? We have a pretty detailed simulation training program that incorporates case studies and actual reenactments of a crisis. While it does not allow for every type of crisis, there is a great deal of transferability in terms of what skills and knowledge are necessary to be successful. We too provide simulation exercises and focus on situations that are most likely to occur. We also will focus most on student crises instead of largerscale emergencies due to weather, etc. Student crises are the ones we have the most ability to have an impact on and contain. While we need to be prepared for tornadoes and the like, we need to be keenly aware of the issues our students are dealing with daily. in the last year. Tom said something interesting about how we have our plans but tend to refine them after having to deal with a crisis. This was certainly the case at the Seton Hall fire in 2000. I think one of the most important things for us to remember is that the plans we develop have to be constantly reevaluated. I think we all know that intuitively, but it is important that plans are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary. TCU is fortunate to have just hired a person to help all of us keep our plans current, but I imagine at many smaller schools that responsibility falls to a CHO or perhaps a director of security. We too do some case studies, the usual behind-closed-doors kind, and we have the fire department in to discuss fire safety. The latest one that got our attention was active shooter training. The focus was not on what the RAs are supposed to do. Instead it was a video that teaches some basic survival skills. We wanted RAs to see it during training, because we have the video running on our campus T.V. channel to help educate students. In general, I believe that the best practices for staff training involve simulation, as well as practicing the drills or techniques that will be used in a real crisis. This can be time-consuming in staff training, but it is necessary. Doug Hallenbeck: I agree that most campuses have notification systems in place. However, there can often be a disconnect between those who are putting the system in place and the students. Many institutions are starting to realize that there needs to be a dynamic and diverse notification plan. On a couple of campuses I have been on, testing of the notification system has almost become too common; the system is used for too many notifications, so they are ignored or thought of as unimportant. The protocols in the halls depend on the emergency. We utilize list serves and bulletin boards. However, in emergencies that are immediate we rely on the university system and expect that our staff will mind their own safety. Conal Carr: I think the colleges and universities in the West and Midwest have had public notification and warning systems in place for years because of the threat of tornadoes. The universities in the East did not and (I believe) still do not have an audible system in place, but rather now rely on text-message systems, Web pages, and a one-source phone system. Currently, at Penn State it is still optional for students, staff, and faculty to sign up for the emergency text system, but everyone is strongly encouraged to do so. We are also switching our entire university phone system to VoIP, which will allow us an additional warning system for staff and faculty. In housing we also utilize bulletin boards, listservs, university T.V. channels, and staff to provide information to students. However, in an actual crisis we will also set up an emergency command center that includes a communication board and staffing. Lucier: In terms of public notification and warning systems, I agree that the institutions in the West and Midwest had a big head start there, due to the experience with tornadoes. East Carolina is in the design phase to add one here, which will consist of auditory alerts such as words and short messages, i.e., more than just sirens. Still, these short messages need to be followed up by more in-depth March + april 2009 Ellett: Any best practices for how paraprofessional staff are trained and are communicated to about a crisis? Craig Allen: You have all commented on the use of alert systems and audible alarms, and I agree with your comments. I know ours has been tested and used for severe weather alerts 51
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