Resource Room Document Emergency Planning Steering Committee 2012 Report

Transcription

1 Resource Room Document 1.13 Emergency Planning Steering Committee 2012 Report

2 Community College of Aurora Emergency Planning Steering Committee Report to Cabinet March 7, 2011 INTRODUCTION The Emergency Planning Steering Committee is charged with reinvigorating CCA s emergency response efforts, beginning with a review of the emergency plan and this report to Cabinet. Steering committee members include Richard Gentile, Cindy Hesse, Jim Marshall, Steve Marshall, Tami Morrissey, Ted Snow, and Chris Ward. The committee has met six times since January 26, including one meeting at the Lowry Disaster Management Institute with Clinton Andersen as guest and one meeting on communication with Liz Vanlandingham as guest. Steve, Tami, Jim, and Chris also met once with Enrique Garcia to discuss emergency response technology needs. RECOMMENDATIONS The committee presents the following recommendations to Cabinet, based on its work to date: Recommendation for Updating the Emergency Plan The updating of the Emergency Plan (dated November 2009) should continue with an annual review and update, as described in the plan. Cabinet should designate the individual responsible for updating the plan and its dissemination throughout the college. Recommendation for the Incident Command Team (ICT) Membership The ICT will include the following members, or designee: Chief of Security, or designee* Director of Facilities, or designee* Vice President, Administration, or designee (to authorize resource expenditures) Director of Communication, or designee President, or designee (the team needs a cabinet level administrator) Instructional representative, or designee (could be the cabinet level administrator if the VPI or a dean) *The Chief of Security or the Director of Facilities*, depending on the emergency, would generally serve as Incident Commander. Members of the team and their supervisors should know team membership responsibilities. The team s responsibilities and membership should be communicated clearly to the college community. Key team members will need to be NIMS (National Incident Management System) certified. Recommendation for the Support Team Membership The support team will include the following members: Registrar Faculty representative Director of Information Technology Director of Human Resources Director of Student Life 1

3 Depending on the emergency, the Incident Commander will convene some or all of the Support Team to help the ICT handle the emergency. At any given time, the Incident Commander may also designate additional CCA personal to the team to handle needed support tasks. Members of the team and their supervisors should know team membership responsibilities. The team s responsibilities and membership should be communicated clearly to the college community. Recommendations for the Incident Command Team (ICT) Support Staff IT technician Scribe (note taker) The technician and the scribe will join with the Incident Command Team whenever it convenes to provide computer, telephone, and other technology support and to take running notes of the ICT s actions during the emergency. Recommendations for Training The ICT and its Support Team should begin training as soon as possible to include (but not be limited to) the following: Orientation and training on roles, responsibilities, college facilities and procedures, etc Table-tops and simulations at CentreTech and Lowry (some with Lowry Security and others from the Colorado Community College System staff) FEMA training such as the Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Higher Education training (a session is scheduled for Cheyenne, May 17 19) Ongoing trainings scheduled regularly on the calendar throughout the year. The administrator (the President or the President s designee) on the Incident Command Team will be responsible for convening the team to assess its training needs and ensure that this training is conducted and that all team members participate. Recommendation for Working with Colorado Community College System Personnel at Lowry Once the CCA Incident Command Team is named, the Steering Committee will contact the System office at Lowry to indicate CCA would like to have a structured set of meetings, similar to those the committee is now having internal to CCA, to clarify the CCA/CCCS working relationship and joint procedures during emergencies on the Lowry campus. A goal of these meetings would be to sign an MOU outlining how the two institutions Incident Command Teams and individual units such as security or communications will work together in an emergency at Lowry. Recommendations for Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) The President s Conference Room (Administration 200G) will be designated as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on the CentreTech campus and the Disaster Management Institute (Center for Simulation 411) will be designated as the College s EOC for the Lowry campus. Each of these two facilities will serve as a backup for the other. To function as the CentreTech EOC, A200G needs to be appropriately equipped for communication. The DMI is already adequately equipped. The committee recommends to cabinet that the assessment of communication needs (phones, computers, radios) begun with IT in February continue with a request to come soon to cabinet for the resources needed to ensure communications. A200G also needs additional whiteboards, bulletin boards, maps, and possibly a smart board. The DMI may need a smartboard. Some equipment such as a FAX machines is available in adjoining offices. 2

4 The Steering Committee may develop a list of future options for the EOC such as an alternative power supply. Recommendations for EOC Communications with College Facilities (classrooms) and Personnel The Committee recommends that there be multiple means of communicating with people in classrooms and other spaces on both campuses during an emergency. Cell phones would supplement this communication as the cell phone system is likely to be overloaded in an emergency. To this end IT is working on using the existing IT network to send messages via overhead projectors or to logged-in computers on both campuses A small group (Enrique, Jim, Steve) is investigating o the cost of using the existing IT network for an intercom system for both campuses o Augmenting the fire alarm system at CentreTech with a panel added in the Emergency Operations Center o The cost of purchasing a radio system, with a repeater, that would function across both campuses, giving wardens better radios than they now have in their kits and connecting wardens, the Incident Command Team members, cabinet, and security personnel. Testing current communications equipment should be part of the spring break and other drills Laptops will need to be purchased for ICT and Support Team members who do not have them. Recommendations for College Communications and Emergency Planning The Communications Office (Liz Vanlandingham) will continue to refine the Emergency Communication plan, combine this development with table-top drills or discussions of scenarios to determine actual implementation of the plan, and recommend what training Incident Command Team, the Support Team, and the wardens receive about communications. The draft plan includes crisis communication procedures, duties of the communications office, the designated media contact, notification of constituents, protection of privacy and concerns for college liability, information that should not be released (unless verified), and what can be released. OTHER Building Evacuation Wardens and Fire/Evacuation Drills The emergency plan states that the college will conduct regular building warden training, fire and evacuation drills, and other training. Therefore, the Steering Committee has moved forward, even as it prepared this report, to train wardens and develop a schedule of walk throughs and drills for all buildings on both campuses. Jim Marshall, in collaboration with Steve and Tami and others, is leading this effort. The first training meetings for wardens were held February 22 (Lowry) and March 3 (CentreTech). Jim and Steve will meet next with wardens in each of their buildings to conduct a walkthrough to go over such items as the location of alarms, turnoff valves, and instructional signs. During the semester break March 28 to April 1), the college will conduct a simplified drill in each building on both campuses to ensure all wardens know and can carry out their duties. Then, in April, the college will conduct a full-fledge drill for each building when students are present and when the fire departments have been invited. Debriefings will follow the simplified drills and the regular drills. The committee requests that cabinet schedule a brief update on these drills at its meetings on April 4 and May 2. 3

5 Next Steps for the Emergency Planning Steering Committee Continue to update the emergency plan Review the next draft of the written communication plan Meet with Lowry counterparts Monitor completion of walk-throughs and drills Oversee ICT formation and initial training Complete plan/request for equipping the Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) Ensure ICT/support teams begin to meet and drill in EOCs Complete plan/request for upgrading communications with CCA facilities (classrooms) and personnel Consider how to implement suggestions from wardens and others Communicate with the college community about our emergency plan, the ICT, and drills Other, as per cabinet recommendation An emerging issue for the Steering Committee is defining its responsibility and involvement in: Prevention and/or follow up to emergencies Facilities items such as bringing the DMI into full EOC operational status 4