Effective campus response to an emergency depends on efforts done prior to the incident. Individual and collective responses have similarities to any other learned behavior; playing a musical instrument, game, or sport. Knowledge and practice make a huge difference in performance. Drills are especially important to ensure proper response in high stress situations.
UT has detailed plans for all types of emergencies and trains key personnel on their roles during emergencies. Those plans are evaluated and adjusted based on realistic training and exercises designed to challenge participants and expose weaknesses in the plan. This spring campus conducted a full scale exercise simulating a tornado ripping apart Neyland Stadium just before a football game.
First responders from eleven agencies participated in the drill and more than 100 nursing students—the entire junior class—portrayed victims, complete with theatrical makeup that gave them realistic-looking gashes and bruises.
Check out this video of the exercise.
Have you done your part? Where would you shelter if you got a tornado warning UT Alert right now? Do you know the difference between a watch and a warning? Learn more at the campus safety page.