Emergency Preparedness Officers also referred to as EPO’s, are volunteers from our internal community. They are volunteer employees from support staff to faculty to administration. They are deployed during crises to support the response activities of our Campus Security personnel. They do not act as security personnel, but provide peripheral support to allow security resources to concentrate on the immediate crisis location and supporting emergency response personnel.
The EPO’s receive specific training from Life Safety and Security Services in relation to their duties under the Emergency Management Policy. EPO’s participate in training twice per year in addition to scheduled drills (fire alarm and lock down) throughout the semester.
General Responsibilities
- Be knowledgeable on the Emergency Preparedness Guide
- Provide emergency response leadership in their assigned building area
- Take a leadership role by directing occupants in their assigned area to follow the established procedures and protocols for the emergency at hand
- Take an active role to communicate with building occupants in their assigned area, by advising them of the nature of the emergency and the procedures that are to be followed
- During emergency situations EPO’s are not expected to take a command role, but ensure occupants are following the established emergency procedures