INFORMATIONAL MESSAGE FROM ALERT CAROLINA: Message from Chief Jeff McCracken: June 19 Emergency Drill
June 4, 2013
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance campus safety, we’ll conduct an emergency drill at Davis Library on Wednesday June 19, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Our Department of Public Safety is coordinating the exercise, which will include local law enforcement and response agencies.
The drill will focus on how the University works with local emergency responders if there is an actual emergency on campus, particularly if the situation occurs in a high-traffic centrally located facility.
During the drill there will be no access to the 7th and 8th floors of Davis Library. I encourage you to use other campus libraries during this time if possible. You can find information about the hours for each campus library at http://hours.lib.unc.edu/.
The area surrounding Davis Library will be blocked to pedestrians and vehicles, and Chapel Hill Transit service will be re-routed. Much of Raleigh Street will be blocked, and vehicles will be routed down Country Club Road. There will be access to the Cobb parking deck.
During the drill, actors will portray gunmen, hostages and victims to simulate the University’s response to an actual emergency on campus. Police officers will be stationed around the perimeter of the emergency drill area, which will be clearly marked with barricades and signs explaining that a drill is in progress. Emergency vehicles and personnel will be visible in and around the library area, and uniformed responders will react as they would in an actual emergency.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where bad things occasionally happen. Recent national events such as the Boston Marathon bombing show the importance of this kind of emergency preparation. You only have to scan the headlines to see examples of tragedies on college campuses, and we haven’t been immune on our campus. It’s crucial that we are prepared to deal with a worst-case scenario. That’s why emergency planning exercises are a key part of the University’s efforts to enhance campus safety. As a result of what we learn during regular siren tests and emergency drills, the University continuously updates communication plans.
You’ll receive more details and reminders about the drill in the coming days. Be sure to check alertcarolina.unc.edu for the latest information about this drill and other important information about campus safety.
Sincerely,
Chief Jeff McCracken, Director of Public Safety
About Informational Messages: The University sends an Informational Message to inform the campus community about a situation that is not an emergency, but is expected to be of significant interest to the campus. An Informational Message is one of three tiers of communication under the University’s revised emergency communications plan. Emergency Warning refers to a siren activation for a significant emergency. And a Timely Warning is issued if there is a continuing danger AND notification will not compromise law enforcement efforts.Sponsored by the UNC Department of Public Safety