UNMC’s Office of Emergency Management encourages all faculty, staff and students to take part in the statewide tornado drill and special siren test scheduled for Wednesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. CT and again at 8 p.m. CT.
The drill — part of the National Weather Service Severe Weather Awareness Week — is designed to raise awareness of Nebraska’s spring weather, which can include tornadoes, baseball-sized hail, weeklong flash floods, severe lightning storms and risk of fire.
The Office of Emergency Management works closely with UNMC Public Safety to plan, prepare and address emergency responses that might impact the campus community, whether natural, accidental or intentional. In advance of the drill, the med center community is encouraged to sign up to receive alerts from UNMC’s emergency notification system. (See sidebar.)
“The alert system enables us to quickly share potential or active safety concerns with faculty, staff and students,” said UNMC’s Director of Emergency Management Diane Mack. “Emergencies are never planned so it’s important that individuals sign up and ensure that they receive any life-saving alerts that might be sent.”
She also urged those who already have signed up to review and update their information.
For the March 29 tornado drill (tornado season typically runs March through early July), Mack said alerts will be sent to campus desktops, as well as those with phone numbers registered. Individuals also are encouraged to complete the survey sent that day to help emergency management leaders better plan future communications.
In planning for the mock drill, individuals and departments also should:
- Understand the difference between a tornado watch (be alert as conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form) and a tornado warning (take cover as a tornado has been sighted or radar indicates rotation in the clouds).
- Be sure all employees are aware of the office/department’s emergency action plan. Use the drill to practice how to respond in a “real world” event and, afterward, identify opportunities to improve the plan.
- Review how they get alert messages at work, home, school and when traveling.
- Develop a communication plan for work and for home.
- Make an emergency kit or, if one already exists, check to see if it needs to be updated or replenished.
The med center plans to roll out a new emergency notification system and public safety app this fall, Mack said, that will provide additional safety features, including a 24/7 technological escort system that can be programmed to contact public safety.
Meanwhile, UNMC’s Office of Emergency Management provides:
- Walkthrough assessments of med center workspaces to help departments review their emergency plans. For more info or to schedule a training/assessment, email the Office of Emergency Management.
- Active shooter response training (either in-person or virtual), as well as guidance on natural disasters, accidental hazards and individual preparedness tips. Safety training videos are available online.
- Mock training opportunities, including partnering for planned radiological exercises scheduled through mid-summer.
- Storm Spotter training, scheduled for April 17 at 9 a.m. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in CPACS 132.
- Business continuity planning for departments and other training and consultation upon request – contact the Office of Emergency Management.