Emergency team continues work to manage critical situations

(Nov. 13, 2001)--UTSA's Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) Team members are continuing their work to refine and enhance the university's ability to manage critical situations or potential threats impacting the Tri-Campuses.

Following a debriefing and planning session last week, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police George Powers and members of the OEP Team had praise for the calm demeanor maintained by students, faculty and staff in the wake of several incidents to which the UTSA and San Antonio Fire Department's HazMat teams responded last week.

"Our protocols for handling these events were clear and were effectively and efficiently carried out," said Powers. "Members of the university community took the time both to listen and to ask questions about those issues that raised concerns. University officials, fire department officials and the FBI answered those questions without hesitation. This speaks well for our capacity to rise to the challenge," Powers added.

Powers also announced that William R. "Bill" Hamilton, who has served as parking and transportation manager for the Tri-Campuses for the last seven years, has been named assistant director of public safety/emergency preparedness. Hamilton will be responsible for research and development of projects for the university's OEP Team. Roger Terry, formerly fleet manager, has been tapped to take over the parking and transportation post.

At their meeting, OEP Team members approved plans for an Emergency Preparedness Alert system that will utilize both e-mail and paper fliers posted at strategic points around the Tri-Campuses. The fliers will be readily identifiable due to a special template format. In a situation where all electronic communications were lost, the paper fliers would serve as the primary communication system.

Powers said the team is also exploring the possible implementation of a "reverse 911" telephone alert system that would ring individual phones and play the same recorded message in the event of a critical situation. "Such a system may be used in the event of approaching dangerous weather and would include instructions for calling 458-SNOW to determine the university's operational status on subsequent days," he explained.

Members of UTSA's OEP Team are also keeping their safety and emergency preparedness training up to speed by participating in a two-part, system-wide teleconference led by UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Kerry L. Kennedy and Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Lewis W. Wright III.

While university officials orginally planned to hold a forum on emergency preparedness, members of the OEP Team have already responded to all specific questions and issues raised by members of the Tri-Campuses.

"President Romo and I want to encourage any member of the community with a question to ask it," Powers stressed. "If you have a suggestion, please pass it along. If you have information about those who perpetrated the hoaxes or if you see something suspicious, contact me or any member of the Emergency Preparedness Team."

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UTSA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TEAM MEMBERS

University police representatives

George R. Powers, director of public safety and chief of university police
Office: 1604 Campus Multidisciplinary Studies Building Room 1.02.08
Phone: 458-4249
Fax: 458-4244
E-mail: gpowers@utsa.edu

William R. "Bill" Hamilton, assistant to the director of public safety/office of emergency preparedness
Office: 1604 Campus Multidisciplinary Studies Building Room 1.02.38B
Phone: 458-4753
Fax: 458- 4244
E-mail: whamilton@utsa.edu

Minnie K. Martinez, report central repository
Office: 1604 Campus Multidisciplinary Studies Building Room 1.02.16
Phone: 458-4417
Fax: 458-4750
E-mail: mkmartinez@utsa.edu

Facilities services representative

George Morales, director of facilities services
Office: 1604 Campus, Physical Plant Building Room 1.01.09
Phone: 458-4260
Fax: 458-4266
E-mail: gmorales@utsa.edu Information technology representative

Jeffrey W. Noyes, chief information officer and asscociate vice president for information technology
Office: 1604 Campus, Science Building Room 1.01.02
Phone: 458-4555 or 458-4684
Fax: 458- 5866
E-mail: jnoyes@utsa.edu Occupational health and safety representative

John W. Massey, director of occupational health and safety program
Office: 1604 Campus, Business Services Annex Room 1.106
Phone: 458-5250
Fax: 691-5813
E-mail: jmassey@utsa.edu

Risk management representative

Dan M. Chilcutt, risk manager for occupational health and safety program
Office: 1604 Campus, Physical Plant Building Room 2.01.28
Phone: 458-4420
Fax: 458-7450
dmchilcutt@utsa.edu

Student health services representative

James R. Sawyer, director student health services
Office; 1604 Campus, Science Building Room 1.03.02
Phone: 458-4142
Fax: 458-4151
E-mail: jsawyer@utsa.edu

University communications representative

David L. Gabler, assistant vice president for university communications
Office: 1604 Campus, John Peace Library Building Room 4.02.10
Phone: 458-4550
Fax: 458-4552
E-mail: dgabler@utsa.edu

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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Women's Walk for Athletics scores big
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Emergency team continues work to manage critical situations
First recipients of Luna scholarship to be announced Nov. 16
Author Jose David Saldivar will speak Nov. 16 on 'border thinking'

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