Predicting crisis is nearly impossible. Planning for it is essential.
The University of Utah Public Safety Department led a unique, three-day tabletop exercise with campus safety leaders and partnering agencies this month to maximize training for such emergencies.
Consultant BowMac Educational Services facilitated the hands-on experience Aug. 4 through 6. Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires says the training builds upon UUPD’s Public Safety Framework, Standard Response Protocol and active threat preparedness training.
“The Public Safety Framework is preparing our entire campus community to respond more effectively to critical incidents and emergencies,” Squires said. “While prevention is always our primary goal, we also want our staff, faculty, and students to have the training and confidence they need to protect themselves and help others when emergencies occur.”
During the three-day workshop, leaders from University Police, Campus Security, Facilities, Student Affairs, University of Utah Health Security, and Marketing and Communications joined police and fire leaders from Salt Lake City, Unified and Salt Lake County to workshop critical incident management strategies. The group reviewed several national incidents—including the 9/11 terror attacks, Boston Marathon bombing and Uvalde, Texas school shootings—to discuss the gaps in those emergency responses and how completing essential command decisions could have closed some of them.
BowMac’s “Seven Critical Tasks” recommend:
- establishing a clear incident commander and communication channel,
- designating a “hot zone,” and inner and outer perimeters
- then setting up a command post and staging area where resources can be deployed
On the third day, the group staged a four-hour mock incident on campus—competing protests in front of the Park Building which then transitioned to a chemical attack in a student housing building and a breach of the administration building. The President’s Cabinet joined the exercise as a policy decision-making group.
“This in-depth crisis management and response training is being used in both our academic and healthcare system,” Squires said. “When everyone understands their unique role within a coordinated response involving multiple departments and agencies, we’re better prepared to make informed decisions and take swift action to protect our campus during any type of crisis.”
The entire effort builds on Public Safety’s Incident Management Team and campus alert systems, said Director of Emergency Management Stuart Moffatt. It also reinforces and strengthens existing partnerships with agencies across Salt Lake County and the state as workshop participants worked together in a practice run.
President Taylor Randall credited the work. “Prevention will always be our first priority. But preparation matters,” Randall said in a post on Instagram. “We owe it to our students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors to continually learn, practice and improve how we keep our community safe.”