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"Everything We Do is a Disaster!"

UW Emergency Management (UWEM) is the smallest of the seven Facilities Services departments. We are responsible for developing and implementing institution-wide programs and projects that promote disaster planning, training, mitigation, response, prevention and recovery for all-hazards. We work in close-partnership with other UW public safety departments, such as UW Police and UW Environmental Health & Safety to promote a safe and disaster resilient institution. For detailed information on UW programs see our our mission, vision, values and 5-year strategic plan. Included in this site are guidelines for what to do in case of various emergencies or disasters.

The kinds of major emergencies or disasters that can impact our university include:

In addition to the emergency preparedness information contained on this web site, you will find links to many other web sites pertaining to emergency preparedness.

Welcome to our site. We hope you find this information useful.

In accordance with Federal, State, local and UW Administrative Policy Statements 13.1 and 13.2, the University of Washington has established a comprehensive emergency and disaster preparedness program to protect its people, resources and environment

What’s New

Training of the Week: Continuity of Operations Planning for Pandemic Influenza
June 13, 2013

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute has a comprehensive resource for helping you and your department, office or organization begin planning what to do if pandemic diseases begin to manifest here in the Puget Sound region. IS-520: Introduction to Continuity of Operations Planning for Pandemic Influenzas is found here and we have education & training materials on our main homepage that were developed during the H1N1 Flu event several years ago.

While focusing specifically on how to prepare for a public health incident involving various strains of influenza virus, many of these “best practices” are just as useful in reducing your risk from other epidemic diseases, like the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus MERS-CoV. With many UW-affiliated community members traveling abroad for summer or returning to their home countries to visit family, the potential to encounter this hazard is clear in a globally-connected city like Seattle.

Is It Safe To Go Back In?
June 05, 2013

With today’s news of a building collapsing in downtown Philadelphia, UW Emergency Management would like to remind all members of the UW community of some of the resources we have to directly respond to crises on campus.

The PEAT (Pre-Entry Assessment Team) is a group of specially-trained professionals here at UW Seattle and UW Tacoma who can mobilize to monitor disaster sites for chemical or other hazardous material (HAZMAT) presence before advising first-responders, employees or students that it is safe to return inside of a building. They are equipped to operate for up to 72 hours without outside assistance if necessary, based upon identified needs experience during the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. You can learn more about how our PEAT works here.

Depending on the original emergency that occurs, the Applied Technology Council’s field manual for evaluating buildings’ structural safety after earthquakes may also be referenced by first responders. ATC-20 utilizes a skillset more often found in UW Facilities Services department, as well as Campus Engineering, among others.

25 Technology "Must-Have's" for Disaster Preparedness
May 30, 2013

With our increasing reliance on technology for our day-to-day lives, its almost impossible to think of how we could survive with it. Check out the following online article (click here) for 25 online tech tools, apps and gadgets to help you and your family ride out the next storm.

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