March 4, 2003
Preparedness Planning Continues at GW
By Greg
Licamele
GW continues its efforts to plan for the safety of the University community
by evaluating existing plans, meeting with government officials, and
informing the campus of the latest information, said John Petrie, assistant
vice president for public safety and emergency management.
We intend to keep people updated with what is going on and to
keep the University Police Department (UPD) on heightened awareness,
Petrie said. We ask everyone to be aware of their surroundings
and if something is in an unusual place, then report it to UPD.
Petrie noted that GWs status remains normal, meaning
GW is open and maintaining its usual schedule.
That is appropriate during an orange alert if everyone
understands that the city of New York has been at the orange level
since Sept. 11, 2001, and it is fully functioning, which is just what
we should be planning to do, Petrie said.
Planning in response to the nations heightened alert level continues
at GW, but also in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department
(MPD) and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan
Area. Petrie said the consortium is planning ways to support one anothers
students if the need arises. He also cited the opportunity D.C. Police
Chief Charles Ramsey offered to the consortium for a member to be present
in the citys command center during an emergency situation.
Its an opportunity for someone who thinks about things that
affect a university community to make points that are important as MPD
makes decisions, Petrie said.
Petrie referred the GW community to the GW Campus Advisories Web site
(www.gwu.edu/~gwalert) for
the latest information and resources, including the incident and preparedness
manual the University has refined over the last year.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu