Seminars teach students important procedures during an emergency

On Wednesday, October 17, and Thursday, October 18, Mike Howard, Manager of Environmental Health and Safety for Rose-Hulman Facilities Operations, presented information to students about Rose-Hulman’s Emergency Response Program. The seminars took place in Hatfield Hall and were the first of their kind on campus. Howard expressed at the beginning of his presentation that the seminars were partly in response to the Virginia Tech shootings that occurred on April 16, 2007. Howard explained, “Educating and training the campus community is a key component to the emergency preparedness process. This process gives the students a forum to ask questions and become aware of hazards in the Wabash Valley they may not be aware of.”

While the presentations may have been the first of their kind, they will not be the last. Howard stated, “We will be continuing our efforts in education and training throughout the next few months, focusing on students, faculty and staff sessions much like this one. Also, we will be conducting tabletop exercises in preparation for a campus mock disaster drill that will hopefully take place in the Spring of 2008.”

Due to a large push by the resident assistants and sophomore advisors on campus, the seminars were fairly well attended. Howard acknowledged, “The turnout has been better than expected. It appears we will reach approximately 25% of the student body just in these first two sessions. The students have a busy schedule both during the day and extracurriculars at night. So, it is greatly appreciated for those who take time out of their schedule to hear what we have to say about emergency preparedness on campus, as some of this information could save their life someday.”

Howard chose to present a brief yet comprehensive set of imperative emergency tips and protocols. He began by introducing the names of members of the Emergency Management Team. He then explained the most important things to remember if an actual emergency occurs. The most significant thing to remember, Howard explained, was to remain calm. He then emphasized the importance of using common sense and remembering the location of alternate building exits. After that, he asserted the importance of following established emergency protocol and listening and obeying emergency personnel such as firefighters and police officers. Finally, he argued that students should not leave campus until instructed to do so and should not return to dorms or classrooms to retrieve items during an emergency.

After explaining the most important things to remember during an emergency, Howard discussed a number of emergencies that could potentially occur here at Rose-Hulman. These included: a fire, bomb threats, an indoor chemical spill, an outdoor hazardous materials release, earthquakes, workplace violence, terrorism, severe weather, utility outages, medical emergencies, and pandemics. Howard expressed the importance of these issues by giving real examples of when many of these events last occurred on or near campus.

Students felt that the program was beneficial. Freshmen chemical engineering major Anthony Celebucki stated “It’s good to know that there are actual emergency plans and that the facilities and public safety are here to help.” Jason Steuart, a freshmen mechanical engineering major added, “I thought it was humorous and informative.”