NCJ Number
193847
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2002 Pages: 9-16
Date Published
2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article outlines the important elements of an emergency management plan. It is a first-hand account of the events of September 11 by the Director of Public Safety at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, which is three blocks from the World Trade Center.
Abstract
An initial problem encountered by emergency planners at the college was setting up a command post and accessing the building. The New York/New Jersey Port Authority Police were the first to arrive on the scene at the college. They set up a staging area in the gym that served as an equipment warehouse, medical treatment area for injured rescue workers, cafeteria, and sleeping quarters and also housed chaplains and counselors. In most cases, an emergency would be small and require a few hours of operation before things return to normal. Because the magnitude of an emergency cannot be predicted, the emergency plan will only be as effective as the weakest link. In most cases, this involves personnel and equipment. Personnel are the most vulnerable link because emergency responders may be injured and can not be repaired as easily as machines. The list of things that an organization should consider in its emergency response plan include the following: transportation versus communication, essential personnel, emergency contact list, documentation, access and identification, purchasing process, Haz-Mat and scrub down, personalities and egos, mutual aid, and planning and training. The attack on the Word Trade Center destroyed the land-based telephone system and initially the cell phone system at the college. When it came to communicating with personnel at the college not on the radio frequency, it had to be done through face-to-face communication. It is a good idea to have extra cell phones on hand and batteries and charges. Essential personnel may include reprographics people, as signs were needed to direct emergency responders. It is also critical that essential and not so essential people are identified by institutions before a disaster. The department should keep a log to document everything from damage, timelines, incident activity, and outside personnel. And finally, it is strongly recommended that thorough tabletop exercises be conducted regularly. These drills will provide an institution with a great deal of information and help pinpoint problem and concerns.