Former dispatcher with University Police Jonathan Rosene has created a committee in order to ensure the safety of all on Cal State Long Beach grounds.
The primary goal for the committee, which is composed of 36 staff and faculty members, will finalize a strategic five-year emergency preparedness plan meeting throughout the year on a quarterly basis through the committee and more frequently through subcommittees, Rosene said.
As the emergency management and preparedness coordinator, Rosene said he needed a way to bring the university together to create plans, procedures and policies in response to an emergency.
“In an emergency, it is important to have a plan in place prior to an actual disaster occurring,” said Rosene. “This committee will set a bar campus-wide showing this is what prepared looks like.”
Fault lines running under campus are Rosene’s primary concern when it comes to threats facing CSULB due to the great amount of damage that can occur as a result of an earthquake. Active shooter situations on campuses throughout the nation also are viable threats to CSULB, he said.
Rosene helps to educate the university in order to establish order if any threat were to occur.
“We’ll be doing a shelter in place drill in October for any situation including active shooters, severe weather and biological release,” Rosene said.
University Police Crime Prevention Sgt. Keith Caires said that his biggest concerns were not active shooters; instead, they were earthquakes and aircraft accidents.
“Planes have a flight path over campus and we are primarily concerned about them taking off since that’s when most planes malfunction and can endanger lives,” Caires said. “Several years ago in Seal Beach, a plane crashed into a home about a mile away from campus.”
The committee requires no funding, but there will be plans of actions that may require funds such as training new members or equipment purchases, Rosene said.
Rosene noted the importance of having a wide variety of faculty and staff members who strongly support safety are essential for the committee’s success. Those who will be represented in the committee include Emergency Management Director Steven Jansen, and the Geographic Information Systems department, he said.
Municipal, state and federal governments define many areas of emergency management requirements, easing the process of preparing for a crisis on campus, Rosene said.
“A lot of procedures don’t change depending on the disaster,” Rosene said. “It’s mainly communication and knowing what resources we have at hand, our capabilities and acknowledging our limitations that is important for preparations. If we lack resources or fail to be capable, guidelines set in place by state and federal agencies will reimburse us.”
The Emergency Operations Plan, which describes how CSULB would manage and coordinate resources and personnel responding to a major disaster, will involve the committee, Rosene said.
A Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment will be established as well, identifying threats, hazards, predicting what’s most likely to occur on campus, the campus’ greatest vulnerability, and what has the potential to have the highest impact on campus, Rosene added.
“In light of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, you see the pendulum swing between where does all the money, resources and attention go to,” said Rosene. “We want to make sure we’re focusing on the greatest threat to our university.”
Students can prepare for various emergencies by referring to emergency procedures posters around campus or by using the CSULB mobile app for information.
Rosene said the poster was just updated this week and integrated into the CSULB Mobile app. It will list out the different procedures for students to follow, Rosene said.
“In case of an emergency, don’t panic,” Caires said. “Look at the poster beforehand and acquire that knowledge in order to protect yourself.”
The first meeting is tentatively scheduled sometime before winter break at the Barrett Athletic Administration Conference Center or the Emergency Operations Center, Rosene said.