Emergency preparedness training sessions continue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – All-Hazards Awareness Training is continuing to be offered to the Purdue community through in-person sessions and online through the university's Blackboard Learn and WebCert websites.

To register for the facilitated sessions held at the Purdue Police Department Conference Room (Terry Building), go to the Emergency Preparedness website. To take the All-Hazards Awareness Training online, go to the Blackboard Learn website, enter your Purdue career account information, and click "Browse Course Catalog." In the "Search Catalog" section type in "All-Hazards Awareness Training" and enroll in the course. The WebCert and Blackboard Learn menus also can be found on the Emergency Preparedness website.

The one-hour All-Hazards Awareness Training sessions, open to faculty, staff and students, have occurred on a regular basis since February in the Terry Conference Room at the Purdue Police Department. It also has been offered at sites around campus upon request. The training is designed to help people know how to react in potentially dangerous events that threaten campus safety.

"This online program is part of our layered All-Hazards Awareness Training strategy," said Jefferson Howells, Purdue's assistant director of emergency preparedness and training. "We have been fortunate that nearly 2,000 people have gone through the training. Using the Blackboard Learn platform now provides an opportunity for any current faculty, staff or student to go online and take the training when it is most convenient for them. Our goal is to make it as convenient as possible so that we can reach as many people as we can with the training."

The training provides reminders on what constitutes an all-hazards emergency event and how faculty, staff and students in the classroom or elsewhere on campus should react in such a situation. Emergency preparedness officials explain how the campus community receives emergency notifications through the multi-layered Purdue Alert system, what "shelter in place" means and how to respond when they see the phrase in alerts sent out; evacuation procedures; what they can do to prepare; and available tools and resources.

The Campus Emergency Preparedness and Planning Office's All-Hazards Awareness Training PowerPoint presentation used for in-person sessions has been modified to a narrated auto-play format for the online version. A 10-question assessment has also been developed to allow the student an opportunity to review and reinforce All-Hazards Awareness Training concepts.

Several other resources are available on the emergency preparedness website at http://www.purdue.edu/emergency_preparedness/ including:

* "Shots Fired on Campus: When Lightning Strikes," a video providing active shooter awareness training;

* "Campus Safety with Purdue Pete," YouTube videos featuring pedestrian safety, property security, fire safety, Purdue's Safe Walk program and alcohol awareness among other safety areas, and;

* Extreme weather tips.

The Purdue Alert emergency notification system includes text-messaging, campus-wide emailing, posting to the Purdue home page, sirens, and Boiler TV and social media. Those who have not already registered to receive text alerts are strongly encouraged to do so. To register, go to http://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue, click on "Change My Emergency Contact Number," enter your Purdue account name and password, click on "Emergency Contact Information" and enter your cell phone number.

Purdue recently established an open Twitter account for anyone who would like to receive alerts and information on emergency situations at the West Lafayette campus. Twitter account holders can follow "@PurdueEmergency" to receive up-to-date information on campus emergencies. The account will post only information related to campus emergencies and will mirror information that is being shared via Purdue's text alert messaging. 

The Twitter app also allows users to push the notifications from "@PurdueEmegency" to the main screen of their smartphone for immediate notification. Instructions to set up the Twitter app for push notifications are available on Twitter's support site.

Sign up using text messaging: Type "follow Purdueemergency" to number "40404." The number should confirm, and then texts will begin.

Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu

Sources: Jefferson Howells, assistant director of Campus Emergency Preparedness 765-494-9269, jfhowells@purdue.edu

Ron Wright, director of Campus Emergency Preparedness, 765-494-0446, rdwright@purdue.edu