UW Emergency Management

EM Training & Exercises

The UW is committed to minimizing the impact of emergency and disaster disruptions. That means supporting a comprehensive training and exercise program to ensure key University personnel have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform essential functions during an emergency.

UWEM is in the process of transitioning our training calendar to a new, web-based, online training management system. More information to follow soon.

The benefits of an online training management system:

  • Obtain certificates for completed trainings
  • Access a personalized transcript
  • Access UWEM EOC training plans
  • Register for online and onsite courses

NOTE:  Training sessions, workshops and classes/courses offered, coordinated or supported by UWEM are offered and promoted primarily to UW stakeholders (staff, students, faculty and direct partners).  Training slots for non-UW affiliated students are provided on an as-available basis.

 

Looking for Basic Preparedness Training?

a logo showing a classroom and instructorBeing prepared and ready for any disaster or crisis is everyone’s responsibility!  The UW encourages and in some cases, mandates that employees have a plan for their personal preparedness as part of their department/unit continuity plan.  Studies have shown that organizations that recover faster from a disaster are those which have employees who are prepared at home.  Knowing that your family, pets, and loved-ones are safe and secure at home, will allow you to return to work faster to assist your fellow UW employees in recovering from the incident/disaster.

The UW does not mandate how often or the content of personal preparedness training, but UWEM does provide a list of options that can be considered (in no particular order):

  1. Attend our monthly UW Preparedness Workshop.  This workshop is held virtually each month.
  2. Request UWEM to conduct an on-site basic preparedness workshop for your staff.  Contact UWEM for availability and logistics.
  3. Take one of many free FEMA online independent study courses... some take only 1-2 hours to complete.  While most focus on government and institutional planning, there are a few that address personal and home preparedness.  One example is S-394.A: Protecting Your Home or Small Business From Disaster.
  4. Become a member (or get credit for being a member) of a local community CERT Team.  The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced.
  5. Attend a community-based disaster training workshop where you live.  Check with your local city or town emergency management department.  If you live in the City of Seattle, for example, there are a number of free workshops that residents can take on basic disaster preparedness, neighborhood response systems, special events and workplace readiness.

Exercise program

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The University of Washington’s annual emergency exercise program was established in 2004 as an ongoing preparedness effort designed to make the UW more “disaster resistant.”  The need to conduct regular and ongoing campus-wide drills and exercises involving the University’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is critical to ensure the safety of our campus and coordination with regional partners.  The annual drill cycle and related improvement process meet UWEM’s overall goal of saving lives, protecting property and safeguarding the environment of the University.

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UWEM conducts a quarterly drill to ensure that the University EOC staff are fully and capable of responding to an emergency and have sufficient skill and knowledge to work in a coordinated response with partners. Also, the drills provide UWEM the ability to test specific technologies to maintain proficiency and current records.

The state of Washington has adopted the Homeland Security and Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) as the state standard. The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program is a capabilities and performance-based exercise program providing a standardized method and terminology for exercise design, development, conduct, evaluation and improvement planning. The program is a national standard for all exercises.