CMU buildings, officials are prepared in case of emergencies
Central Michigan University has a variety of safety measures in place to protect students and faculty during emergency situations on campus.
CMU's emergency notification system, Central Alert, plays an important part in response to dire situations. The system sends out voice and text messages as well as emails when an emergency situation arises on campus. It was first implemented at CMU shortly after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, said Lt. Cameron Wassman of the CMU Police Department.
"A Central Alert message will be put out when there is a confirmed event which may cause immediate danger to the CMU community," Wassman said. "Examples include armed subjects, active violence, civil disorder, approaching tornado (or) a chemical spill or fire."
The students and faculty who are registered with Central Alert will receive these messages with instructions on how to remain safe. It allows them to prepare themselves and others for whatever the situation may be.
Due to limitations on how quickly Central Alert can get messages out, the CMUPD encourages students to prepare themselves ahead of time for possible emergency situations. The CMUPD website offers instructions for students both before and during emergency situations in a number of scenarios.
"Students can visit the CMU Police Department website, namely the 'Stay Safe' link on the right column, to learn more," Wassman said. "There is also a great deal of emergency preparation information located right off the main university site."
CMU has also assembled a Crisis Response Team and a smaller Core Crisis Group to organize the university during emergency situations. The teams, consisting of administrators from many different departments, meet in the event of a violent crime, natural disaster, threats to health on campus and other emergencies to plan the university's response.
CMU was designated as the third StormReady University in Michigan by the National Weather Service in 2009. The distinction is awarded to universities that have met specific safety requirements to deal with severe weather.
Among the preparations that earned CMU this distinction are weather monitoring equipment monitored by the CMUPD, emergency training courses offered by the Environmental Health and Safety Department and an established network for delivering timely notices to students.
Stephen Lawrence, vice president of Facilities Management, said all buildings on campus are equipped with standard safety features, such as fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and fire alarms, which are required by law.
"Each building was built to comply with the codes that were in place at the time the building was designed and constructed," Lawrence said.
The university buildings also conduct regular fire and tornado drills throughout the academic year to teach students what they should do in emergencies. The frequency of these drills changes from one building to the next, but the buildings usually have up to six drills per year, CMU Risk Management Coordinator Jonathan Kujat said.
"There have been fires in campus buildings over the years, and the fire drills have been put to use during these times," Kujat said.
Each university building also has designated shelter areas to protect students and faculty in the event of a tornado, Lawrence said. The shelters are set up where the structure of the building is strongest to resist damage that could be caused by high winds.
