EPCC Launches College-Wide Emergency Preparedness Initiative
Photo courtesy of El Paso Community College
El Paso Community College is launching a college-wide emergency preparedness initiative to promote awareness and readiness among students, faculty and staff across all campuses.
Beginning in October, EPCC will conduct district-wide emergency drills covering scenarios such as evacuations and shelter-in-place situations. The drills are intended to test systems and response protocols while helping the college community practice how to respond during an emergency.
EPCC encourages everyone on campus to learn the locations of emergency exits and doors, identify recommended assembly areas, follow campus alerts and take each drill seriously. During a fire alarm evacuation, elevators should not be used. Assembly areas are intended for evacuations only and should not be used during active attacker or shooter incidents.
After evacuating, members of the college community should account for faculty, staff and students. Anyone who is unaccounted for should be reported to first responders immediately.
Evacuation chairs are available in all EPCC stairwells for people with disabilities during actual emergencies. If evacuation is not possible, individuals should seek an area of refuge, such as a classroom, office or enclosed stairwell. They should close the door and notify first responders of their location.
When a shelter-in-place directive is issued, people should remain inside the building, turn off the lights, close the shades, lock the door, silence their cellphones and await further instructions through Tejano Alert. Instructions to resume normal operations will be delivered through Tejano Alert or by an EPCC police officer.
“Preparedness is key to safety,” EPCC Emergency Management Director Hector Padilla said. “Knowing how to respond in an emergency can save lives, and EPCC is proud to lead the way in making sure our community is ready.”
Information about campus assembly areas is available through the EPCC campus maps. Additional emergency preparedness information is available on the college’s emergency preparedness webpage.