http://www.ecsu-campus.info/go/feed/1397/dt/17742/atom10/ Elizabeth City State University Crisis Information 2010-04-21T15:14:43Z 2010-04-21T15:14:43Z http://www.ecsu-campus.info/go/doc/1397/524515/ Press Releases University of North Carolina 2010-04-21T15:14:43Z Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,

In the course of testing the university's emergency response system last Friday, we used multiple channels of communication (e-mail notices, text messages, voice mail notices, TV station slides, and announcements on WRVS-FM 89.9) to provide students, staff, and faculty with reasonable advance notice that an emergency drill would be conducted. We also sent a follow-up notice just before the drill began. Unfortunately, those messages did not reach some students and faculty, who therefore were caught by surprise and understandably alarmed during the simulated emergency. I deeply regret and apologize for the confusion and resulting alarm caused by these communication problems. Director Roosevelt Askew and other counselors from the ECSU Counseling and Testing Center are available to meet individually with students, faculty, and staff to discuss any concerns you may have now or in the future.

The Center, which is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, is located on the first floor (room #121) of the Ridley Student Center. The phone number is 252-335-3275, and the email address is raskew2@mail.ecsu.edu . For after-hours assistance, you may call 335-3273. In the event of an after hours emergency, the Counseling and Testing Center has a partnership with Albemarle Mental Health and Albemarle Hospital where students can seek assistance. Our goal was to identify ways to make our campus safer for our students, faculty, and staff. I can assure you that the hard lessons learned and important feedback you’ve provided will help guide and improve our future communication and safety efforts for the good of the entire campus community. We will halt all plans for future emergency drills until our internal processes have been thoroughly reviewed and revised as appropriate. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Willie J. Gilchrist
]]> 2008-02-28T22:16:33Z http://www.ecsu-campus.info/go/doc/1397/194160/ Press Releases University of North Carolina 2008-02-28T22:16:33Z Elizabeth City State University is one of many universities in the University of North Carolina system using the Public Information Emergency Response System (PIER). The system is one of many communication tools ECSU uses to relay messages during emergencies or events that interrupt the normal operating hours.

Last Friday, the university conducted one of many routine drills to determine how well university officials can respond to a crisis. Unlike other situations that centered around a natural disaster such as a fire or tornado drill, university officials used a scenario involving an intruder.

Five days in advance, the ECSU Office of University Relations & Marketing distributed messages by an internal, mass, phone number network and by e-mail. Students, staff and faculty were warned the university would conduct an emergency response drill. At approximately 1:31 pm students, staff and faculty received e-mail and text messages to announce the start of the drill:

“This is a test. ECSU is holding a test drill where an armed intruder will enter a room in Moore Hall and be detained by Campus Police.”

Campus Police took the steps they normally would in such a situation. They set up road blocks at the major entrances of campus. They surrounded Moore Hall where the scenario was taking place in a second floor classroom. The intruder was also a member of the Campus Police squad. He held a plastic, red model gun used for such drills. Less than 15 minutes later, the scenario ended and the intruder, Mr. Williams was escorted away from the building by his Campus Police peers.

Dr. Anthony Brown, vice chancellor for Student Affairs at ECSU, says the entire drill helped university officials determine their level of preparedness and the improvements that must be made.

“Student safety and campus security is a concern for all of us, and measures must be taken to test the preparedness of our emergency crisis systems. Tabletop exercises and real time scenarios are just one of those measurements.” Dr. Brown said.

ECSU Chancellor Willie J. Gilchrist is well aware of the kinds of crisis situations facing schools and universities across the nation. He decided the university needed to increase the usual scope of drill scenarios.

“ECSU is located on the coast of North Carolina so we are subject to far more hurricanes, tropical storms and evacuations than other University of North Carolina universities. We want to prepare students, staff and faculty for emergencies but emergencies are not always related to the weather,” Gilchrist said. “We made every effort to inform our students, staff and faculty five days in advance that a drill would be conducted.”

“We did not inform that particular class per se, but it was a learning experience beyond table top experiences where every person knows what is going to happen next. Unfortunately we learned lessons from frightened students that result when live scenarios are carried out. However, we want our campus to be ready in case of such an event,” Gilchrist said.

University counselors remain available for any students who were troubled by the drill. ]]> 2008-02-26T22:14:18Z http://www.ecsu-campus.info/go/doc/1397/194159/ Press Releases University of North Carolina 2008-02-26T22:14:18Z