On October 21, Safety & Risk Management partnered with Public Safety (Campus Police) to conduct an emergency exercise at UTC. The exercise focused on acts of violence, and Campus Police worked with the Chattanooga Police Department to create a realistic scenario. Then, we put our planning to good use with volunteers playing the role of shooter and victims. After the exercise, evaluators from all over Tennessee reported areas of strengths and areas of improvement, so UTC’s response will be even better.
Safety & Risk Management plans an emergency exercise each year, alternating between a tabletop drill and a full-scale operation. In this way, UTC’s key players (including outside agencies like the Chattanooga Fire Department and Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services) become familiar with their roles in the case of a real emergency–whether it be an active shooter on campus or a natural disaster like a tornado. The drills also provide an opportunity for the campus population to practice their emergency response procedures.
Kudos to Shelbey Hollingsworth from Safety & Risk Management and Deputy Chief Craig Hamilton from UTC Campus Police for a job well done. For more photos of our exercise, visit our Facebook page at UTC Prepare.
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