September 13, 2018

Exercise Public Announcement from UW Emergency Management

UW Emergency Management is conducting a Full-Scale Exercise that will take place Friday, September 14, 2018, in and around UW Medical Center and UW Health Sciences (Pacific Tower, the I and K wings) in the south campus area. The full-scale exercise will start at 8 a.m. and will last approximately 6 hours (concluded approximately around 2 p.m.).

The UW Earthquake Response Teams are made up of the ATC-20 (assess the structural integrity of buildings); PEAT (pre-entry assessment team – manages potential hazardous materials spills); and RAT (Rapid Access Team – assess needs of animals). The exercise is being conducted to enhance the overall resiliency of the University and to improve the overall preparedness of the response to an earthquake event.

This exercise is intended to simulate a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that has affected the Puget Sound Region specifically the UW Seattle Campus. Exercise participants will work through simulated structure integrity assessments and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response. THIS IS ONLY AN EXERCISE AND NOT A REAL RESPONSE.

The Earthquake Response Teams will be wearing personal protective response gear as they would in a real-world response to the “affected area” on the campus. For the safety of the response teams, the exercise and exercise areas will be closed to UW students, faculty, staff, and the public. We ask for your patience and support if the exercise disrupts your daily routine.

UWEM thanks you all for your support of this important exercise for the University.

Thank you,
UW Emergency Management Team