2008 Woodie Awards
Colleges prepared with disaster plan
4/21/07
Luis Orozco
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: Special Bulletin
- Page 1 of 1
In the event of an emergency on the college campuses, district officials enact a comprehensive disaster plan designed to resolve major conflicts.
The district relies on its flexible Disaster Preparedness Plan to respond to any number of crises. Designed in January 2005, the plan is detailed in a 90-page binder that covers emergencies ranging from earthquakes and severe winds, to bomb threats and snipers on campus, said John Wells, supervisor of campus security.
The plan holds drills for staff and faculty every year. The last district-wide exercise occurred six months ago where a mock earthquake hit the region, and personnel responded to a car trapped in a sinkhole. "We practiced those primarily because that's the thing that's most likely to happen," said Wells.
During emergencies, the first call is made to the San Mateo Police Department as they work closely with the district. "They are the first-responders, always… but until they get there we may have to be in charge for a few minutes," said Barbara Christensen, district community and government relations director. After the call, staff and faculty then report to the district office to setup a command post and assist police.
Police response time in those incidents plays a critical role. Depending on the nature of the incident and the location of the closest on-duty officer, response time at CSM varies from 30 seconds to five minutes. "We had a fight here once and I was having a meeting with an officer, and so the response time was zero. It depends on where the nearest [officer] is and what else is going on," Wells said.
Cañada maintains a two-minute police response time, said Thomas Mohr, president of Cañada College. Skyline could not be reached for comment regarding their response time.
Three years have passed since the last time an incident involving a gun occurred on school grounds. In that dispute a student flashed a handgun after nearly hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He sped away before security could apprehend him; however, he was arrested and later prosecuted.
"We have been very fortunate that we've had zero real problems here. I have to give half the responsibility of that to the student body; they're a pretty reputable group. The other half goes to security, faculty, and staff working to make [CSM] a safe place," said Wells.
The district relies on its flexible Disaster Preparedness Plan to respond to any number of crises. Designed in January 2005, the plan is detailed in a 90-page binder that covers emergencies ranging from earthquakes and severe winds, to bomb threats and snipers on campus, said John Wells, supervisor of campus security.
The plan holds drills for staff and faculty every year. The last district-wide exercise occurred six months ago where a mock earthquake hit the region, and personnel responded to a car trapped in a sinkhole. "We practiced those primarily because that's the thing that's most likely to happen," said Wells.
During emergencies, the first call is made to the San Mateo Police Department as they work closely with the district. "They are the first-responders, always… but until they get there we may have to be in charge for a few minutes," said Barbara Christensen, district community and government relations director. After the call, staff and faculty then report to the district office to setup a command post and assist police.
Police response time in those incidents plays a critical role. Depending on the nature of the incident and the location of the closest on-duty officer, response time at CSM varies from 30 seconds to five minutes. "We had a fight here once and I was having a meeting with an officer, and so the response time was zero. It depends on where the nearest [officer] is and what else is going on," Wells said.
Cañada maintains a two-minute police response time, said Thomas Mohr, president of Cañada College. Skyline could not be reached for comment regarding their response time.
Three years have passed since the last time an incident involving a gun occurred on school grounds. In that dispute a student flashed a handgun after nearly hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He sped away before security could apprehend him; however, he was arrested and later prosecuted.
"We have been very fortunate that we've had zero real problems here. I have to give half the responsibility of that to the student body; they're a pretty reputable group. The other half goes to security, faculty, and staff working to make [CSM] a safe place," said Wells.
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