September marks the start of National Preparedness Month, which is an annual opportunity to consider the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies both on campus and at home.
Here at the University of Iowa, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) provides planning tools, educational resources, and training for students, employees, and visitors.
Emergency and disaster preparedness is a shared responsibility, and you are a critical component. While Campus Safety is available 24/7 to respond to emergencies on campus, being well-informed is the first step in making sure you and your colleagues are safe, calm, and prepared to respond until help arrives. By planning ahead, communicating with Campus Safety, and staying informed, you have the power to minimize injuries and support the university’s mission of teaching, research, and learning.
Here are a few steps you can take to enhance your preparedness:
On Campus
- Be prepared to act during an emergency and review the campus Emergency Response Guide.
- Get to know your building/workspace so you know where to go if you need to take shelter.
- Familiarize yourself with how emergency notifications are delivered on campus.
- Make sure your Hawk Alert settings are up to date using My UI or Employee Self Service. Text message is the fastest way to receive an alert. Updates are posted to emergency.uiowa.edu.
At Home
- Familiarize yourself with which types of emergencies could affect our area.
- Make an emergency plan for yourself, and your friends/family so you’ll know how to contact one another if you get separated during an emergency and practice it.
- Build an emergency kit with supplies you might need. A basic list is available at ready.gov/kit.
- Review additional tips and resources at ready.gov/plan.