Emergency Preparedness Week begins on ACC campuses

The Austin Community College District (ACC) is preparing its campuses in the event of an emergency with a series of drills Monday, February 2 – Friday, February 6.

ACC hosts Emergency Preparedness Week each semester to educate students, faculty, and staff on the best actions to take if an emergency were to happen on campus. The college will conduct building evacuation drills at selected campuses and test the ACC Emergency Alert System.

Drills will be conducted unannounced at four campuses.

“The drills give people the opportunity to familiarize themselves with emergency procedures so they are prepared to act when the unexpected occurs,” says Kristine Elderkin, ACC emergency management coordinator. “Each campus manager has an emergency team made up of trained volunteers who help others recognize and respond quickly to emergencies on campus.”

ACC will test its Emergency Alert System on Wednesday, February 4, at 9 a.m. During the test, e-mail and text alerts will be sent to all registered email accounts and devices.

Drills are an important component of ACC’s readiness plan. The ACC Police Department is the third largest police force in Travis County with approximately 80 trained officers.

“We are committed to protecting our students, faculty, staff, and visitors, but sometimes emergency situations are out of our control. That’s why we take proactive steps to make sure we’re all prepared,” says Chief Lynn Dixon, ACC police chief. “We know that the way a person responds in a drill is how they’ll act in a crisis. The more practice we get, the better prepared we’ll be in the case of a real emergency.”

For more information on Emergency Preparedness Week and to learn more about the In Case of Crisis app, visit austincc.edu/emergency.

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