Officials in areas that are prone to natural disasters need to be constantly mindful of and ready for crises. Administrators at the University of California-Berkeley recently stepped up their emergency preparedness strategies in an effort to get ready for earthquakes, according to The Daily Californian.
The UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium lies right on the Hayward Fault, which may be the site of a 6.7 magnitude or greater earthquake within the next three decades. In order to get ready for such an occurrence, the Office of Emergency Management has reevaluated its five-year crisis response program and taken strategic steps to improve preparedness.
For instance, the OEM has relocated the Emergency Operations Center to a site that is less vulnerable to the destructive impact of an earthquake. Residential and Student Service Programs is collaborating with other members of the campus community to create a water and food reserve capable of lasting for 3 days and supporting roughly 20,000 individuals.
"We've come a long way in making the campus a lot safer in the event of an earthquake," said Christine Shaff, communications director at UC Berkeley's Facilities Services.
The university may also consider integrating emergency alert systems from Omnilert into their disaster preparedness program.
