AUXILIARY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OFFICE OF SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Transcription

1 AUXILIARY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OFFICE OF SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS The mission of the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) is to provide a comprehensive security and emergency management program for the University in order to save lives, protect property, promote continuity of operations and reduce the overall effects of large-scale disasters. Promoting homeland security and emergency preparedness on a college campus is particularly challenging in years where natural disasters or major campus incidents are infrequent. OSEP addressed these challenges aggressively in Fiscal Year 2009 with proactive programs and creative initiatives, despite the loss of funding, personnel and resources due to campus-wide budget reductions. Emergency planning, education, outreach and emergency notification highlighted the efforts of OSEP during FY OSEP optimized limited staffing and departmental resources in order to provide sustainable programs for the campus community that addressed campus homeland security and emergency preparedness issues. OSEP continued to facilitate close working relationships with the campus community, other campus units, the University System of Georgia and state and federal partners in an effort to assess threats and implement programs and services aimed at increasing individual and institutional preparedness. Strong partnerships are crucial for effective mitigation, planning, response and recovery efforts in the event of a disaster. The Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness continues to make significant strides in providing comprehensive programs and services to better prepare the University of Georgia (UGA) to respond to natural and man-made threats. Initiatives such as UGAAlert, the Building Safety and Security Representatives (BSSR) program, the Plan, Prepare, React active shooter response training program and the UGA Campus Emergency Response Team (UGA CERT) program, offer the campus community opportunities to be proactive in promoting individual preparedness. Major accomplishments for FY 2009 and departmental goals for FY 2010 are reflected below. Summary of Major Accomplishments Building Safety and Security Representatives (BSSR) Program The achievement of more than 98% participation in the BSSR program during FY 2009 was the direct result of focused effort during the previous year of program review, training material selection, program implementation and direct one-on-one interaction with the BSSRs. The BSSR program has rapidly developed since its inception in FY 2006 with the introduction of the BSSR policy. The BSSR program promotes safety, security and emergency planning in each UGA-occupied building and provides campus public safety departments with a conduit to reach campus building personnel to assist with proactive measures or to address potential issues. In addition, a comprehensive Web-based database, developed in August 2007, has significantly reduced staff time in documenting training received by each BSSR. The ability to track electronically buildings which had a BSSR assigned to them and the ability to produce corresponding D-99

2 reports electronically has allowed OSEP staff to devote more attention to recruiting BSSRs in buildings without assigned representatives. As with the previous year, significant resources continued to be directed in FY 2009 toward conducting regular BSSR orientation sessions, providing ongoing training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), creating templates, providing educational materials and conducting onsite consultations to assist BSSRs with emergency plans and drills. Several BSSR Brown Bag lunches were held during the fiscal year to provide emergency planning information, promote networking and foster interaction through question and answer sessions. More information on the BSSR program is available on OSEP s Web site at Plan, Prepare, React Active Shooter Response Options for Students, Faculty and Staff Program Due to a rise of random, mass shooting incidents involving active shooters in all segments of society (shopping malls, courthouses, hospitals, restaurants, K-12 schools and colleges/universities), OSEP received $20,000 in grant funding from the University System of Georgia (USG) to collaborate with various USG institutions and create an active shooter response training program to assist the higher education community. Although the video portion is the centerpiece of the project, the Plan, Prepare, React: Active Shooter Response Options for Students, Faculty and Staff project is a comprehensive training program. The training program contains a DVD that houses a 10- minute video and a CD that contains a one-hour PowerPoint training class, a training activity and several active shooter response posters that are useful as training handouts for participants. The program is designed to be used to inform higher education students, faculty and staff on the emergency response options available to them during an active shooter situation. Although the scenario used in the training program is based on an active shooter situation on a college campus, the information conveyed throughout the training program is a message of individual preparedness and steps that individuals can take to prepare for a variety of emergency incidents. UGA Campus Emergency Response Team (UGA CERT) The University of Georgia partnered with the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department in FY 2009 in a grant-funded program entitled the UGA Campus Emergency Response Team (UGA CERT). UGA CERT was formed to provide free training opportunities on basic emergency preparedness, fire safety, terrorism, disaster psychology, incident command, search and rescue, and disaster medical operations for UGA students, faculty and staff. The UGA CERT program promotes individual preparedness at home and on the UGA campus by providing CERT volunteers with opportunities for additional training and participation in campus and community exercises and special events. The inaugural UGA CERT class began in fall 2008 with 16 graduates completing the eight-week training course. The winter 2009 class attracted an initial waiting list, and 21 team D-100

3 members were added to the UGA CERT roster after graduation. Interest in the UGA CERT program continues to increase, particularly among the student population, as participants become more active in campus-wide events and the program garners increased campus visibility. Additional information on the UGA CERT program may be found at Academic-Professional Security Series OSEP and the UGA Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) held five Academic-Professional Security Series seminars in FY This initiative, which began in FY 2008, continues to bring academics and public safety professionals together to discuss important homeland security and emergency management issues. Seminars held in FY 2009 included topics on responding to emergencies on campus; disease outbreaks; building and maintaining a culture of safety in a research facility; bridging gaps between laboratory emergency plans; and rising crime, scams and fraud during economic downturn. In addition, future seminars are being planned to include topics on creating a security culture on campus, cyber security, pandemic influenza and biosafety issues. More information may be found at UGAAlert Emergency Notification System UGAAlert, the University s emergency mass notification system, continued to provide an effective campus-wide emergency notification solution in FY The UGAAlert system was pressed into service on six separate occasions (14 alert messages) for actual emergencies during FY Comprehensive after-action reports were generated following each activation of the UGAAlert system to capture lessons learned and to document improvements to further enhance the system. During FY 2009, the UGAAlert system was activated on the following dates: August 26, 2008 Tornado warning emergency message and an all clear message January 16, 2009 Message intended for the UGA Hazard Assessment Response Team (HART) was sent in error to the entire campus and a disregard message was later sent February 18, 2009 Tornado warning emergency message and an all clear message April 10, 2009 Three tornado warning messages issued (UGA and Gwinnett campuses) and three all clear messages April 25, 2009 Alert sent providing information on an off-campus triple homicide committed by a UGA professor (George Zinkhan) May 1, 2009 Alert sent indicating Zinkhan s vehicle was located and to take appropriate precautions D-101

4 OSEP worked closely with the vendor, Blackboard Connect Ed (formally NTI Connect Ed) and UGA s Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) in FY 2009 in order to solidify the purge process associated with the UGAAlert system. OSEP and EITS developed a purge process policy that set forth specific circumstances whereby former students, staff and faculty would be eliminated from the UGAAlert system. This process was formally initiated in April 2009 in order to make the notification system faster and more efficient, as well as to reduce overall system costs. OSEP continues to conduct frequent refresher training sessions for the UGA Police communications staff to ensure that communications personnel maintain proficiency with the system. In addition, campus-wide educational efforts are ongoing in order to remind faculty, staff and students who utilize UGAAlert to review and update their emergency contact information and to utilize redundant forms of emergency notification. Additional information about UGAAlert is available at National Incident Management System (NIMS) Compliance During FY 2009, OSEP continued coordinating the University s NIMS training and compliance efforts. NIMS was officially adopted via UGA policy in April 2006 as UGA s system of preparing for and responding to all campus emergencies. According to the UGA NIMS policy, all incident managers and response organizations within the University of Georgia must train, exercise and utilize NIMS principles when responding to emergencies. A comprehensive NIMS training plan was developed in 2007, and NIMS classes are taught on a monthly basis on-campus for BSSRs and other UGA personnel who are mandated to participate in them. In FY 2009, OSEP coordinated and instructed 22 NIMS training sessions attended by more than 240 participants. Furthermore, a Web-based NIMS class registration site and training database proved successful in promoting a user-friendly method for participants to register for classes. It also enhanced accountability for OSEP in maintaining training records for UGA personnel. A new NIMS class, developed specifically for higher education institutions, was introduced to the campus in FY Introduction to the Incident Command System for Higher Education (NIMS ICS-100.HE) replaced the NIMS ICS 100 class. In order for UGA to be eligible for federal grants and reimbursement for disaster recovery-related expenses, the University must be NIMS compliant. More information on UGA s NIMS activities and training sessions may be found at Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Project OSEP assisted the UGA Police Department in writing and securing a grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security (administered by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency Georgia Office of Homeland Security) for a camera system for Sanford Stadium. As a result of the camera bid coming in substantially under budget, additional funds were approved by the state to be reprogrammed to complete the remodeling of the UGA Police training room to an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) D-102

5 and to allow for the purchase of event management software. OSEP assisted the UGA Police with the design of the EOC and the selection of the event management software, both of which will be utilized for UGA game day operations management purposes and for campus-wide emergency incidents. Exercises and Drills Exercises and drills are coordinated and conducted by OSEP on a frequent basis in order to better prepare the University community to respond to campus emergencies. Training and exercises are critical when it comes to preparing for and responding to large-scale disasters. Consequently, OSEP conducted 11 exercises and drills during FY 2009, several of which were community-wide exercises that involved multiple external agencies. A brief summary of the completed drills in FY 2009 is as follows: August 2008 Hostage Barricade Exercise held at St. Mary s Hospital September 2008 UGA Mass Casualty Tabletop Exercise at the FIRST Building September 2008 Community Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Tabletop Exercise held at the Navy School campus November 2008 Active Shooter Training Program Taping and Exercise held at the Journalism Building December 2008 Community WMD Full-Scale Exercise held at the Navy School campus December 2008 UGA and Athens-Clarke County Police Active Shooter Exercise held at the Journalism Building December 2008 UGA CERT Class Exercise held at the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department s Training Range December 2008 UGA Police Criminal Investigation Division Exercise held at the University Health Center February 2009 Statewide Severe Weather Drill April 2009 UGA CERT Class Exercise held at the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department s Training Range May 2009 UGA CERT Communication Exercise utilizing the UGAAlert system Training and Technical Assistance One of OSEP s most important campus functions is to educate the UGA community regarding homeland security and emergency preparedness topics. To meet this objective, OSEP is continuously involved in education, technical assistance and outreach efforts. The following list provides a snapshot of OSEP s accomplishments in this area in FY 2009: Conducted a total of 147 training sessions for 16,273 participants through the UGA Training and Development Center and other locations as well as for groups and departments (upon request) on topics such as emergency preparedness, terrorism, pandemic influenza and travel safety. D-103

6 Distributed a periodic newsletter, informational brochures (to all incoming freshmen and other groups) and informational flyers on a variety of emergency preparedness and homeland security topics. Developed and offered a new training program called Dawg Watch: Preventing Acts of Terrorism on the UGA Campus to educate the campus community to remain alert and vigilant in their efforts to detect suspicious activities related to terrorism and criminal acts. Participated in September 2008 National Preparedness Month as a coalition member. Assisted K-12 schools, colleges and universities with emergency planning and emergency notification guidance based on frequent nationwide requests. Provided technical assistance to UGA administrators regarding homeland security, emergency preparedness and business continuity issues. Continued and expanded the membership of the monthly safety and security luncheons held at the East Campus Village Summit Dining Hall to promote and enhance campus, local, state and federal partnerships. Developed an OSEP Facebook page to advertise training classes, special events and to promote a message of individual preparedness. Administered the Edward T. and Sarah Laurent Kassinger Scholarship, established in 1984, to recognize students who work in the public safety field while attending classes. Obtained two grants for departmental project work totaling more than $30,000. Assisted the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government by teaching disaster preparedness and incident command classes for Chinese civil servants, in China and on campus under a government exchange program. Consulted with off-campus units, including the Griffin and Gwinnett campuses, the UGA Marine Extension sites at Brunswick and Skidaway Island, etc. The following chart reflects the number of individuals receiving information or training through three methods: listserv communication and updates, instructor-led training sessions and informational brochures. Individuals Receiving Security and Emergency Preparedness Information and Training FY ,273 19, Listserv Training Brochures Contacts D-104

7 In addition, the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness continued its commitment to service, outreach and professional development. OSEP staff attended classes, served on committees and attended seminars throughout the year. Several OSEP staff members completed extensive training and outreach programs to obtain their State of Georgia Certified Emergency Manager and Master Certified Emergency Manager certifications in FY Furthermore, OSEP staff are members of several local, state and federal organizations and serve on many standing UGA committees. Examples include: Athens-Clarke County Emergency Medical Services Oversight Committee Emergency Management Association of Georgia Georgia Emergency Management Agency Area 1 All-Hazards Council Athens-Clarke County Pandemic Influenza Core Planning Committee Public Health District 10 Strategic National Stockpile Committee UGA Biosafety Community Liaison Committee (Steering Committee) UGA Recreational Sports Advisory Council UGA Radiation Safety Committee UGA Access Control Committee UGA Animal Health Research Center Security Committee UGA Finance and Administration Staff Representative Group University System of Georgia Emergency Operations Committee National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Southeast Regional Advisory Council United States Department of Justice School Safety Technical Working Group National Institute of Justice Active Shooter Focus Group International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Summary of FY 2010 Goals During FY 2010 and beyond, the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness will continue to build upon the successes of FY Great strides have been made in three critical areas: emergency planning, education, and outreach and emergency notification. The goals for FY 2010 are reflected below in each of these categories. Emergency Planning During FY 2010, OSEP will continue to update the University s emergency plans as warranted (i.e., Emergency Operations Plan, Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan, NIMS Training Plan and Pandemic Influenza Response Plan). Specifically, the Pandemic Influenza Response Plan will be revised as the H1N1 flu virus presents new and unique challenges in 2009 and beyond. To this end, OSEP will continue to organize and lead the campus-wide flu prevention and H1N1 planning committees. Also, in order to create effective emergency action plans for each occupied campus building, OSEP will continue to work closely with Building Safety and Security Representatives both on and off the Athens campus. Furthermore, training and implementation of the new EOC event D-105

8 management software will occur in FY Appropriate personnel will be identified and trained on the use of the new software system to increase efficiency. This system will be utilized to provide detailed documentation during UGA football games, as well as for campus-wide incidents that necessitate the activation of the EOC. Grant funding will be aggressively pursued from the United States Department of Education s Emergency Management for Higher Education grant program to support additional campus emergency planning efforts and initiatives. Funding also will be requested through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency under the Citizens Corps program to continue to support the Athens-Clarke County CERT and UGA CERT programs, collectively. In addition, OSEP will apply for funding under the UGA Parents and Families Association grant to support student marketing initiatives regarding flu prevention and emergency preparedness. A new emergency planning partnership will be pursued with the USG and Enterprise Information Technology Services in order to develop a more comprehensive business continuity planning tool to be used by campus departments to create business continuity plans. Under this project, emphasis will be placed on creating a dynamic, user-friendly plan generator that will allow campus departments to easily identify their critical functions and personnel, develop departmental emergency contact information, identify back-up suppliers and contractors, and promote the identification of departmental backup methods for communication and important records. OSEP will continue to develop, coordinate and participate in campus and community exercises in order to better prepare campus responders for real emergencies. Several active shooter exercises involving the UGA Police and the Athens-Clarke County Police already have been planned for FY In addition, a combined Athens-Clarke County CERT and UGA CERT full-scale search and rescue exercise is planned to occur in FY Also, OSEP plans to continue to coordinate UGA s campus-wide participation in the 2010 Statewide Severe Weather Drill. Education and Outreach Throughout most of FY 2009, OSEP functioned with only four staff members instead of a full staffing of six personnel. Even with limited staff resources and funding, the department will continue to be proactive in its education and outreach efforts in order to educate the University community to better prepare for emergencies. In its ongoing outreach efforts, OSEP will provide representation among campus, community, University System, state and national homeland security and emergency management groups. OSEP will host, facilitate and increase participation in the monthly safety and security luncheons held at the Village Summit in the Joe Frank Harris Commons on the first Tuesday of every month. OSEP will coordinate on-campus classes to encourage participation by faculty, staff and students and to encourage a servicelearning attitude among University students. Specifically, OSEP will expand the UGA CERT program (if grant funds are re-awarded) and the Academic-Professional Security D-106

9 Series. A renewed emphasis on garnering more student participation in OSEP s classes and outreach programs will be undertaken in order to promote a culture of responsibility and individual preparedness among the student population. In FY 2010, OSEP will research and review current campus policies regarding the implementation and use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) in campus buildings. An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially lifethreatening cardiac issues in a patient and treats him or her through defibrillation, which allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. AEDs are designed to be simple to use by the general public, and proper use is taught in many first-aid and CPR classes. Campus buildings will be inventoried to determine the locations of all AEDs on campus in order to develop an overall campus management plan and policy to ensure that a consistent implementation and training plan exists across campus. Appropriate campus partners, such as the University Health Center, Environmental Safety Division and UGA Risk Management, will be included in this collaborative project. Emergency Notification The UGAAlert emergency mass notification system will continue to be tested campuswide on a bi-annual basis in September and February. OSEP will explore options to expand overall emergency notification capabilities with redundant systems to reach UGA s diverse and distributed population. Extensive evaluation and analysis will continue after each test and actual emergency activations to ensure that OSEP maintains a high level of service. In addition, OSEP will continue to work with the Gwinnett, Griffin and Tifton campuses to test the local emergency notification methods to alert their respective campuses independently of the main campus UGAAlert system. Plans and procedures on these campuses will be reviewed with appropriate extended campus administrators, and training will occur prior to each emergency notification test. New provisions regarding immediate campus emergency notification under the Higher Education Reauthorization Act will be monitored by OSEP and other appropriate campus partners. Collaboration will continue with the UGA Police Department to ensure that the institution meets all necessary emergency notification requirements under this act. A new initiative, the formation of a campus-wide Emergency Notification Committee, will be coordinated by OSEP in FY This committee will be comprised of OSEP, UGA Police, EITS, Student Affairs, Public Affairs and other appropriate personnel who will be charged with reviewing and evaluating all the current campus emergency notification methods, as well as new technologies. In addition, this committee will review and evaluate all feedback associated with the yearly UGAAlert tests to ensure that the system continues to meet student, faculty and staff expectations. It is anticipated that this committee will be invaluable in evaluating and determining future emergency notification D-107

10 needs as the University attempts to trim its budget and as work on the new campus phone system project begins. Conclusion Coordination of homeland security activities and emergency management initiatives on a college campus is particularly challenging. Despite these challenges, the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness has been extremely effective over the past year in its efforts to better prepare the University to respond to all types of emergencies. OSEP s motto, Readiness Saves Lives, extends beyond the responsibilities of the department. Assessing threats and implementing programs and services aimed at increasing individual preparedness is accomplished by involving all University of Georgia responders, students, faculty and staff, as well as the host communities where UGA facilities are located. Proactive training programs and initiatives, along with drills and exercises, will continue to be the framework in which individual preparedness is accomplished. Because OSEP maintains a high standard of integrity, teamwork and excellence in the delivery of programs and services, effective relationships have been established. These relationships will be crucial when disaster strikes. Security, safety and emergency planning activities on college campuses have never experienced more visibility and significance than the present. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated that universities were not immune to the devastating and long-term effects of natural disasters. The 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy confirmed that institutions nationwide are susceptible to serious man-made threats, as well. Although these tragic events are grim reminders of how vulnerable institutions can be, they provide valuable lessons on how to mitigate and manage emergency situations. Like all institutions, the University of Georgia will use these lessons to strengthen its emergency planning and preparedness efforts. Despite significant budget reductions predicated by the state of Georgia, the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness will continue to seek innovative ways, during FY 2010 and beyond, in which to increase the University of Georgia s ability to respond to both natural and man-made disasters. D-108

11 OFFICE OF SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ORGANIZATION CHART Director Steve Harris Emergency Operations Manager Vacant Emergency Operations Coordinator John Newton Emergency Operations Coordinator Pete Golden Administrative Specialist I June Oliver Administrative Associate Vacant D-109