Official explains evacuation plan

By Malissa Trenholm
The Collegian

Fresno State’s emergency evacuation plan, its graphic posted online and around campus, simply advises students and staff to proceed to any of the four corners of campus: the softball stadium at Barstow and Cedar avenues, O’Neil Park at Barstow and Woodrow, parking Lot V at Shaw and Woodrow and parking Lot G at Shaw and Cedar.

In the event of an emergency, once all students have reached the four points of evacuation, they are to wait for further instruction.

If individuals decide to leave campus “they are out of our jurisdiction and into the city’s,” Director of Public Safety David Moll said.

As an emergency unfolds, campus police become involved. Officers are to secure the scene and assist in the evacuation. The campus public safety officers are to assist in building evacuations, traffic control and pedestrian movement.

Moll said the idea of the plan is to move students and faculty away from the center of campus and as close to the roadways as possible. Examples of possible disasters that would lead to an evacuation are a plane crash on campus, a gas leak or a hazardous material spill.

Moll said every building, department and dormitory on campus has emergency coordinators.

These people are usually faculty or staff who are specifically trained to handle their building in an evacuation. The CSUF emergency procedures brochure says they are the primary points of contact, are to coordinate for an orderly evacuation and make sure all individuals escape the building safely, including people with disabilities.

Steve Martinez, director of environmental heath, said he conducts meetings once a semester with all department coordinators to keep them updated on safety issues required at the federal or state level.

Moll said a drill was recently done in the Conely Art ,Joyal and Peters buildings. He said it went well, though he discovered some glitches in the system.

“Our communications need beefing up,” Moll said.

Moll said the drill revealed that more people were needed and more high-tech equipment needs to be installed. As a result, Moll and Martinez purchased two-way radios and hand-held crank radios for the coordinators to improve communication with others and nearby stations.

Moll said his number one rule is “nothing is cast in concrete.” He said he feels when a major emergency does occur, everyone should be flexible depending on the type of emergency because being too grounded can lead to problems.

“In a plan of action, don’t stick to the plan,” Moll said.

He said he also wants to make clear that “it’s all from the bottom up.

“It starts at the department, the building, the campus, then to the city, county, region, state and finally the federal government.”

Martinez said he and Moll are also open to ideas about how to improve the system, because “an emergency comes to everyone’s forefront.”

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