Safe Communities - Injury Prevention Programs

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Emergency Preparedness

 

Emergency
 Preparedness
 oversight for 
the university 
is provided by 
the Emergency 
Management
 Core Group, which consists of 
 members in key
 areas that would 
be involved
 should we have
 disaster at WKU. This
 group convenes
 monthly to
 discuss any potential concerns that need to be addressed across the five phases of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

A key concern for emergency responders is assuring the safety of persons with disabilities during an emergency. Building Emergency Action plans (BEAPs) include provisions for assisting disabled persons. These plans are administered by the Environmental Health and Safety department.

WKU hosts FEMA training courses for members of the Emergency Management Core Group, Environmental Health and Safety, our community partners, and neighboring universities.

 

StormReady Designation

In February of 2013, WKU received a StormReady University designation by the National Weather Service. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improve local hazardous weather operation by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.

 

Fire Emergencies

WKU's Fire Marshal continuously monitors fire prevention and alarm systems to ensure that all inhabitants are protected in the case of a fire emergency. The Fire Marshal works with the Housing and Residential Life department and the WKU Police Department to ensure all fire alarm and suppression systems in all WKU buildings are in proper working order.

The Student Life Handbook contains a section entitled "Emergency Procedures" that includes Fire Emergency instructions.

  

Situational Safety

Outdoor warning systems are located at D.S.U. (Downing Student Union), Cherry Hall, and Douglas Keen Hall. The system is designed for emergency notifications, and public announcements.

WKU personnel and students can register on TopNet for SMS texting alerts, which notify the campus community of weather related emergencies and school cancellations.

 

Lighting, Escort Service, and Emergency Phones

Maintaining appropriate levels of lighting both inside and outside of campus buildings is the responsibility of the facilities management department. The department has dedicated staff members to monitor and repair lighting on a Campus Administrators and Student Government Association hold a "Campus Safety Walk" each fall. The purpose of this walk is to assess safety issues on campus. The walk helps pinpoint areas where additional lighting may be needed to improve the safety of the area.

The Escort Service is an on-campus service provided by the WKU Police Explorers for the protection of students, faculty, staff and visitors of the Western Kentucky University Campus. Escorts will be provided from dusk until dawn by calling WKU Police Department.

The University has 92 emergency phones located strategically around the University. When the activation button is pushed, the phone dials the police department automatically, and provides the location of the caller. In addition to calling the police department a blue flashing strobe light is activated on top of the call box. This draws attention to the area and provides another safety feature for the caller.

 

Automated External Defibrillators

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are provided in 77 locations on WKU's campus for use by responders to assist a person who has gone into sudden cardiac arrest. Training is available for those interested in being a responder.