By
The unexpected late-August incidence of a distant earthquake and the arrival of Hurricane Irene, along with a planned severe weather evacuation drill in Alumni Stadium, gave University planners a hands-on “laboratory” for disaster readiness efforts that will be shared with the Boston College community during National Preparedness Month activities on campus throughout September.
“We can’t anticipate what the next emergency will be,” says Director of Emergency Management and Preparedness John Tommaney as he outlined a wide variety of programs that will help prepare students and others to cope and survive if an unexpected crisis should hit the area.
Representatives of various University offices will be manning tables and offering tips, suggestions and safety demonstrations at bus stops, building lobbies, dining halls and scheduled student events throughout the month.
“If people take a little bit of time to put something together, they are going to be much better served if something should happen,” Tommaney says. “They won’t be panicking and will have a much better idea of what they need to do and where to get their information. The University has a lot of support systems in place already, but every little bit that a student or others can do to prepare makes the University that much stronger.”
Tommaney suggests all students develop an emergency communication plan involving family, friends and roommates. “The most helpless feeling that people have in a crisis is the inability to communicate with the people they care about,” he says.
He also recommends readying a small emergency kit with basic needs such as a flashlight, first aid kit, change of clothing and some food and water, and urges all members of the University community to register with Boston College’s emergency contact information service to receive text messages, e-mail and voicemail alerts and updates if any type of crisis situation occurs.
“We have a lot of tools that we use to communicate with the University community,” he notes, “but you have to know where to turn for official information.”
The weather events of August as well as the planned emergency evacuation drill were helpful events to prepare Boston College for any future incidents, Tommaney says.
“I think people are more primed, more interested in being prepared,” he says. “The earthquake in Virginia [Aug. 23], fortunately, was not even felt by many people on campus. What it did point out is that an earthquake can happen. They are not a frequent event, but it only takes one time.”
The University’s Emergency Operations Center was activated on Aug. 28 as Hurricane Irene barreled up the East coast with 100 mile-an-hour winds and soaking rains. “It was the first time we had a serious hurricane threat to the campus in several years,” he says.
“Thankfully, we suffered only some broken tree limbs and some isolated power outages and by Sunday night we were pretty much back to a normal status.”
He said BC administrators and work crew went on alert and had pre-positioned supplies and equipment across campus in the event of more serious damage.
“We were ready if the situation got worse,” he says.The Alumni Stadium evacuation drill on Aug. 24 involved University officials, key athletics administrators, public safety officials from local and state police, fire and service agencies, and some 450 volunteers – mostly students – who took part in the mock evacuation.
“Drills are a way to bring it all together,” he says. “We would rather fail in a drill because you can go back and correct it. You don’t ever want to fail in a real crisis. Overall, I think we learned some great and valuable things. Everyone performed very well.”