In this time of peril, as the government breeds thoughts of terrorist attacks, the rainy season is upon us, and the western region of the United States is experiencing an influx of geological activity, it is important for students to take safety into their own hands and prepare themselves for any disaster that may come their way.
Realistically, a terrorist attack is not an impending danger for the University of La Verne.
“(ULV) probably is not going to be hit with something like that,” said John F. Lentz, director of campus safety and transportation.
However, conditions do exist that could inhibit the smooth running of the University. In anticipation of those emergencies, there is a safety program in place to respond to such an emergency.
“We have an emergency operation center centrally located in the President’s Dining Room,” Lentz said. “In the case of any emergency, we can set up the center and staff it.”
There are designated people who would report to the emergency operation center in the event of an emergency, including people from the computer science department, health center and facilities.
From the emergency operation center we would be able to coordinate a plan of action to respond to a disastrous event, Lentz said.
The recent eruptions of Mt. Saint Helen’s in Washington suggest that more geological activity may be counted on throughout the western region.
More specifically, in California, earthquakes can be expected.
Having a few things handy can make the aftermath of an earthquake less devastating.
“We always encourage that people have emergency bags or kits,” said Eugene Shang, associate director of housing.
Emergency bags should include a change of clothes, a couple bottles of water and some energy bars. Students are encouraged to have emergency bags or kits because University resources are limited.
“Understand we won’t be able to accommodate the needs of all students. There are limitations to what we can do,” Lentz said.
Students living on campus should also be aware of emergency routines.
“Know where the rally points are when it comes to evacuating for an emergency,” Shang said. “We have drills every semester.”
The University of La Verne depends largely on the La Verne Police Department and Fire Department. If there is a citywide emergency, ULV will not necessarily be at the top of their list of priorities.
“Prioritizing is the number one factor in emergency response for the La Verne PD and us,” Lentz said.
To prepare for the event of massive communication failure, ULV has been working with local amateur radio operators.
“Our thoughts being if communication went down, we would be able to communicate worldwide,” Lentz said.
While earthquakes are a cause for concern, a more impending concern to campus safety is the weather.
As Southern California begins its rainy season, it is important for students to make some changes in order to ensure a safe season. For starters, making sure auto vehicles are up to safe rainy weather standards is essential.
“Check cars to make sure tires are properly inflated and make sure that there is still tread on the tires,” said James Tubb, a truck driver for Safeway Foods. “Change windshield wipers every year. You would be surprised by the visibility, but people neglect to get it done.”
In the event of an emergency, vehicles should be prepared for transport.
“I always recommend keeping a half tank of gas in the car,” Shang said. “When there is an earthquake, gas stations aren’t open and you can’t get anywhere on empty.”
Michelle Loggia can be reached at msloggia@aol.com.