The university provides the Emergency Action Plan as an all-hazard emergency management guidance. This EAP is built upon scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordinating systems to align key roles and responsibilities across the university when an emergency occurs, since it is not always obvious at the outset of a seemingly minor event whether the incident will remain minor and contained, or whether it might be the initial phase of a larger and rapidly growing threat. This plan describes both authorities and practices for managing and coordinating the response to incidents that range from the serious but purely isolated, to large-scale incidents and natural disasters.

This plan is founded on the principles of the National Incident Management System, which provides a national template that enables federal, state, and local governments and private sector nongovernmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently.

Implementation of this plan will require cooperation, collaboration, and information sharing among all university departments, as well as with external agencies that may assist the university during major emergencies and disasters.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located on the 1st floor conference room of Canes Central and is activated whenever an emergency situation exceeds the capabilities of normal operations and immediate action is required to save and protect lives; coordinate communications; prevent damage to the environment, systems, and property; provide essential services; temporarily assign university staff to perform emergency work; and/or invoke emergency authorizations to procure and allocate resources.

Upon activation, EOC staff will report to the EOC. The President, Vice President, Chief of Public Safety and the Sumter County Director of Emergency Management may activate the EOC. The EOC is typically activated via telephone or text message from one of the individuals listed in the previous sentence. The EOC consolidates decision makers to ensure the flow of information and the development of response strategies. Other organizations involved in the response to an emergency may be called upon to provide a representative in the EOC.

The general roles and responsibilities of the EOC are:

• provide and collect accurate information regarding the emergency situation and current resource data to allow an on-scene official to make informed decisions on courses of action;
• determine and prioritize required response actions and coordinate their implementation by working with representatives of emergency services;
• provide resource support for emergency operations; and
• provide emergency information to the public as warranted. 

The EOC will also coordinate with the City of Americus as appropriate.

Function

The Emergency Management Committee is a university-wide committee consisting of representatives from across the institution. The committee's mission is to collaborate on emergency management strategies and initiatives designed to enhance preparedness and improve the university's ability to respond to, and recover from, all threats.

Scope of Authority

The purview of the committee is limited to matters that pertain to the Emergency Operation Plan's prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation strategies.

Responsibilities

The committee is responsible for:

• Continuously analyzing all risks which expose the university to the potential disruption of its activities, including risks that are natural and man-made.
• Overseeing the development of emergency preparedness and response plans in response to the risks identified.
• Presenting university-wide emergency response plans to the VP of Business and Finance (VPBF) for approval and further presentation to the Executive Group for approval to implement.
• Assisting with the development of emergency response plans for operational units, and for ensuring they align with the university-wide plan.
• Facilitating communication of the emergency operations plan through updates to the appropriate website and written materials as needed.
• Designing and conducting disaster drills to include participation by external emergency response agencies.
• Developing training materials and facilitating the appropriate training for the university community.
• Serving as the university's emergency response team, managing the university's response to an emergency.
• Annual review of existing emergency management plans and related policies and procedures, with changes to be recommended to the VPBF for approval and further presentation to the Executive Group.
• Recording minutes and distributing them to its membership.

Reporting Structure

The committee reports through its Chairperson to the VPBF on all matters related to its charge. The VPBF represents, and serves as the liaison to the Executive Group (senior officers) of the university. The overall authority and responsibility for the emergency management plan rest with the Executive Group, which provides support and direction to the committee.

Committee Chair

Michael Lewis, Director of Public Safety

Co-chair

Jeff Hall, Vice President for Business and Finance

Representation on Committee

The following departments will be represented on the Emergency Management Committee:

• Academic Affairs- Dr. Jill Drake, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Physical Plant– Jenn Smith, Director
• Physical Plant – Joseph Castongia, Assistant Director
• Student Services / Residence Life– Christa Faison, Director of Residential and Campus Life
• Information Technology Services– Royce Hackett, Chief Information Officer
• University Marketing and Communications– Chelsea Collins, Director of Marketing and Communications
• Student Engagement - Gaye Hayes, Interim Vice President for Student Engagement and Success
• Athletics– Michael Leeder, Director 

Additional ad-hoc consultants (i.e. legal, consultants) can be engaged to assist when needed.

The representative from each unit should be a key administrator for the operational area represented, thereby facilitating timely decisions. Due to the number of operational areas represented, each area is limited to one representative, with one alternate to participate when the regular representative is not available.

Meeting Schedule

The Emergency Management Committee will hold regular quarterly meetings, and may meet more often if the need arises.

Purpose:

The GSW Critical Emergency Response Team (CERT), in consultation with the President, is responsible for coordinating, planning and preparing our institution to respond in the event of a major incident, on or off campus that substantially impacts daily campus operations including the safety of our campus community members. CERT members include representatives from various campus divisions and units.

Responsibilities:

The CERT members’ duties and responsibilities relate closely to their normal authority and functions. However, in the event of a crisis, coordination and organization of all operations at GSW shall be directed by the CERT, in consultation with the President. The CERT members implement the strategy and planning of the response, including GSW’s “Emergency Action Plan”. They communicate with appropriate personnel, issue instructions to particular units, and monitor progress in carrying out the instructions, until the crisis is resolved.

Other responsibilities of the CERT, in consultation with the President, include, but are not limited to:

1. Keeping GSW’s Emergency Action Plan updated.
2. Ensuring that GSW is prepared and in the best possible position to respond to an emergency with it occurs.
3. Meeting quarterly to work on scenarios and case studies to practice on the steps that would be taken for different emergencies/critical incidents.
4. Identify the emergency and determine its impact.
5. Deciding the necessary level of response required to manage emergencies.
6. Using the established GSW Emergency Action Plan and department response operations as a guide to deal with a situation.
7. Facilitating a multi-unit response.
8. Provide guidance on matters of policy and decision-making authority and exercise control over emergency operations.
9. Keeping GSW’s President’s Cabinet members and others, as appropriate, apprised of all matters and issues handled by the CERT.
10. Ensuring the preservation of essential records, or other materials deemed essential, associated with crisis dealt with by GSW’s CERT.
11. Coordinating with the proper departments regarding new construction and renovation to ensure proper safety precautions are taken in the planning of new construction and renovation.
12. Advising the proper departments on safety related issues across campus including:
13. Lighting
14. Door access
15. Exterior door replacement
16. Notification systems (Alarms, panic buttons, digital signage)
17. Security cameras
18. Reviewing campus safety and security needs and making recommendations for the allocating of resources.
19. Ensuring proper education of the public and how they should respond to various emergencies.
20. Reviewing environmental safety (chemicals, labs, etc).
21. Ensuring evacuation plans are properly developed, communicated, and tested.

CERT Members:

• Director of Public Safety [Chair]
• Director of Counseling Services
• Director of University Relations
• Director of Health Services
• Director of Human Resources
• Director of Athletics
• Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Entry Program Coordinator for University College
• Director of Physical Plant: backup designee
• Director of Residential and Campus Life: backup designee
• Chief Information Officer: backup designee
• SGA President: backup designee
• Vice Presidents: Student Engagement and Success, Business and Finance, (ex-officio members)