Students, faculty and staff at Salt Lake Community College’s South City Campus participated in a new evacuation system July 2 to prepare for a fire or another threat on campus.
School President Deneece G. Huftalin set this new order, which affects all campuses. SLCC prepares for the upcoming school year by running emergency drills at its various locations, and the Emergency Preparedness Team wants to ensure that students will be ready, no matter the circumstance.
Lisa Schwartz, emergency management manager at SLCC, emphasizes the importance of being prepared in case of an emergency.
“If we were having an earthquake in the Salt Lake area, we will need to hang tight for a while,” says Schwartz.
Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, have a high probability in the Salt Lake Valley. According to the SLCC emergency preparedness website, Utah has two fault lines in the Salt Lake Valley that have a 1 in 7 chance of producing a 7.0 or greater magnitude earthquake.
Plans save time and reduce panic, and Schwartz supports this idea by saying that students should make emergency plans with their friends and families to establish meet up points. Schwartz believes that even little acts can go a long way.
“Always make sure you have a bottle of a water, food, and a pair of comfortable tennis shoes in case you need to stay put or get moving,” says Schwartz.
The school’s emergency preparedness website is a resource full of tips and guidelines that can be useful in times of need. Everything from 72-hour kits to disaster plans are available.
People interested in learning more and getting trained in disaster response can check out the Campus Emergency Response Team, aka CERT.
For alerts on campus, check out the Emergency Alert System, or EAS. Students can add their phone number via their MySLCC account to receive texts and stay updated on the latest events.
Police services are located on or near each campus to help make sure students are safe. These agencies can assist students with a parking lot escort, removal of locked keys, and police emergencies.
All these resources are free and accessible for all students and faculty, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience at SLCC.
