September
September 1, 2009Sept. 3
September 3, 2009
Though south Louisiana has had a calm hurricane season thus far, Nicholls State University is offering additional communication assistance to bayou area educational systems should a storm strike.
“We are ready, should an emergency arise,” Nicholls President Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert said. “The university is working closely with surrounding parishes, schools and other entities, including Fletcher Community College, to prepare for a hurricane or other emergency situation.”
Nicholls’ Environmental Safety and Health Director Brian Clausen said the university’s leadership has established a twofold communication network under the Region 3 PK-16+ initiative.
The small emergency response subprogram gives school systems an outlet to store information should they lose communication with their network servers.
Clausen, who also chairs the university’s emergency planning committee, said it includes any school system in the Bayou Region that services students pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and two-year and four-year institutions, plus the non-educational entities under Nicholls’ MOU agreements.
Clausen said the biggest flaw in many emergency plans is not having redundancy when it comes to communication efforts.
“You don’t know what line of communication will fall in the event of a storm or natural disaster,” he said. “Each group involved in PK-16+ has their own unique emergency plan. What we are trying to do is build that redundancy that is needed when responding to disastrous situations.”
Nicholls established the program because it was in a position to offer the redundancy that many educational systems needed.
The network goes into effect in the event the telephone lines are down. Clausen said Nicholls will provide Web server access to area schools, colleges, businesses and nonprofits that have joined the PK-16+ program.
Also, members will be able to use the university’s Blackboard communication system to request resources, announce developments, post emergency plans and update the community with news and progress reports.
“This program will allow members to pool their resources to expedite the process of healing and recovery – both to assist and receive assistance,” Clausen said. “It is important for everyone to know the schedules and activities of other entities during an emergency situation.”
“Lines of communication must be maintained to ensure educational and organizational continuity,” he added. “In this way, the community can get back to normal as soon as possible.”
Clausen said Nicholls established and prepared its emergency pre-position team, purchased necessary equipment and revised its official emergency plan for university personnel.
During that same process, the university expanded is pre-existing memorandums of understanding with various state entities as well as Entergy to include new agreements with the Houma Fire Department, Little Caillou Fire Department and Bourg Fire Department.
Clausen said the memorandums allow personnel and equipment to be staged on the Nicholls campus before, during and after an emergency.
“Nicholls has become a major leader in sheltering first responders on campus,” he said.
Mike Davis, assistant vice president for administration, said agreements remain in effect with Troop C of the Louisiana State Police, the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government and Entergy.
In addition, Nicholls has conducted several meetings with sister institutions, including McNeese State, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana, to provide mutual assistance in the event of an emergency.
As part of the PK-16+ initiative, Nicholls State University said it wants to be able to offer shelter to those energy companies coming to help restore the Tri-parish area after a storm or natural disaster. * File photo / Tri-Parish Times
