Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: April 27, 2007             No. 10

Attachment A

 Chancellor’s Office Statement: 

April 20, 2007 

Dear Emergency Planning and Preparedness Representatives: 

The tragic incident at Virginia Tech this past week reminds us of the urgent need to diminish the vulnerabilities and enhance the security of our own colleges. In California we are faced with a multitude of hazards—natural, human-caused and technological. The need for campus preparedness is clear and the time is now for us to do all that we can to better plan and prepare for the inevitable disasters that may lie ahead.  

In education, we are constantly seeking best practices and successful models to replicate. The same should be true for emergency planning and preparedness; we must absorb and adapt lessons learned in order to prepare our own campuses––from assessment and mitigation to response and recovery. Both state and federal laws mandate that educational institutions plan and prepare for all types of disasters, ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff. This includes conducting proper training under the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and State Emergency Management System (SEMS) as well as having a compliant emergency operations plan. Failure to comply with these regulations can result not only in loss of state and federal funding but also in professional and personal liability. 

To assist the community colleges in meeting these requirements, the System Office secured a grant from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. We are using this grant to support the districts and colleges in assessing individual campus risks and to bolster system-wide emergency planning and preparedness. 

Late last year, the System Office distributed an Emergency Planning and Preparedness Questionnaire to all districts and colleges, which was met with a 100% response. Based on the results of this survey, we have initiated the Disaster Resistant California Community Colleges (DRCCC) program.  The purpose of this program is to aid all districts and colleges in establishing compliance with new federal emergency planning mandates and in becoming better prepared to respond to crises and emergencies.  

Specifically, the DRCCC will be working with the System Office, districts and colleges on the following items: 

·        Launching program initiatives for NIMS/SEMS compliance.

·        Creating effective system-wide emergency management procedures and practices.

·        Conducting college vulnerability/risk assessments.

·        Creating a state DRCCC taskforce.

·        Creating six regional DRCCC task forces.

·        Providing conferences, training and workshops.

·        Improving system-wide communication and information sharing.

·        Developing a system-wide emergency management website.

·        Seeking additional and sustainable funding.

·        Enhancing collaboration with state and federal agencies, including Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Department of Public Health.  

The first portion of the Homeland Security grant has been contracted with Global Community College, Inc to provide expertise, direction and leadership for this project.  Dr. Craig Zachlod, Ed.D., C.E.M, will direct the DRCCC project along with Kay Goss, C.E.M., former Associate Director of FEMA, and Renee Domingo, MBA, E.F.O., Director of Homeland Security for the City of Oakland Fire Department.  Each of these individuals has extensive experience in higher education and campus emergency preparedness. Over the coming months they will be working directly with the System Office and districts and colleges. Soon we will be contacting all Emergency Planning and Preparedness Coordinators to request their participation in one of six regional DRCCC task forces and to attend an upcoming regional conference for the community colleges.   

If you have any questions, please contact Tod Burnett, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Communications, at tburnett@cccco.edu or (916) 322-4005 or our lead contractor Craig Zachlod at czachlod@foundationccc.org or (916) 325-1856.  

The System Office and DRCCC are here to support district and college emergency planning and preparedness efforts and to help ensure that all community colleges have done their best to prepare for inevitable hazardous events.  After all, the safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff are our ultimate responsibility.   

Sincerely,

Mark Drummond

Chancellor