York’s administration and Emergency Operation Centre tested their emergency preparedness on March 3. A practice scenario involving an active shooter on campus was used.
The exercise, which took place between 8:40 a.m. and 12 p.m., was done to see how well campus members would respond to and execute York’s emergency plan.
Richard Francki, assistant vp of campus services and business operations, says the university decided on an active shooter as the scenario since it has played out in the U.S. many times.
“There have been many incidences down in the United States [with active shooters], and it makes sense to sharpen our understanding of what to do under that kind of circumstance,” says Francki.
After the emergency exercise, a discussion of the results took place until 2 p.m. at which time evaluators found that a few improvements could be made in the process, procedure, and technology used.
Francki says the university would benefit from having three different monitors with three different feeds to watch an incident.
“We [found] we need another TV screen that we can use to tune to local media outlets so we can see what media is reporting on with respect to the campus,” says Francki, in addition to a live feed that displays what is happening on campus.
For improvements in procedure, Francki says mandates and instructions to those working in the EOC need to be crystal clear to avoid mix-ups.
“The delegation of the [subdivisions in the EOC needs improvement]. For example, the planning division was getting involved in stuff that should have been done by logistics and vice versa,” says Francki, about the outcome of the exercise.
Participants appreciated and viewed the exercise as an eye-opening experience and a way to sharpen their focus in cases of emergencies.
“For many, it was the first time they were there in the EOC […], and they appreciated the opportunity because until you’ve sat down on the chair and run through an exercise, it can be a mystery,” says Francki.
“Not only do you test your resources [with this kind of simulated exercise], but you test the support services that would be called in to help out,” says Francki.
The full report on the results of the exercise is expected to come out in two weeks.
With files from Hamid Adem
Victoria Alarcon
Assistant News Editor
