Drake Hall update

Inspection of Drake Hall following the January 29th fire that forced the evacuation of all residents has revealed that damage repair will take 2-3 months. Consequently, all Drake Hall residents will need to relocate for the remainder of the spring semester. UW-La Crosse hopes to see Drake Hall ready for re-occupancy in early June.

As of Monday morning, 132 Drake Hall residents had officially checked out of their rooms. Many other rooms are cleared of possessions except for a few items, and not officially cleared for checked out. Students have accepted housing assignments in other residence halls, the Western Residence Hall and Viterbo University. Others have moved to apartments, hotels or will commute from home.

Further updates from UW-La Crosse are here.

Not to be confused with other coming apocalypses

Found this tidbit in a recent CSHEMA post. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has finally released its overdue guidance on how to survive the coming zombie apocalypse. The tips may also apply to other minor disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

UW-Oshkosh Emergency Procedures Guide

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has developed a new manual to ensure that the campus community knows what to do during various emergency situations.

The Emergency Procedures Guide, a spiral-bound, easy-reference handbook, provides step-by-step instructions on what one should to do when faced with potential emergencies such as bomb threat, chemical or hazardous waste spill, disturbance, fire, medical emergency, severe weather, active shooter and suspicious letter or package.

UW Oshkosh always has had emergency procedures in place; the manual serves as a helpful resource on the individual level, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Services Petra Roter.

“The Emergency Procedures Guide is a way of making sure that everyone knows what that plan is,” Roter said.

The guide will be distributed at the start of the fall semester to all University employees and will be on display in classrooms, administrative offices and residence halls.

A multichannel communications tool, the guide also will be available online for quick reference at www.uwosh.edu/emergency.

Higher Education Act

On August 4, 2008, the Higher Education Act passed the House of Representatives and the Senate and is expected to be signed by President Bush shortly. Among the provisions are:

• Under the Clery Act, procedures for emergency response, notification, and evacuation must be tested on an annual basis; however, these tests can be table-top tests or simulations.
• Dropped from the Act’s language is the 30-minute requirement for notification of students, faculty, and staff during emergency situations. Also dropped is the proposed creation of a National Center for Campus Public Safety.
• Colleges and universities will be required to report and track fires that cause personal or property damage.

More information is available at the URMIA website.

Pandemic flu guidance available

Draft guidance from the US Department of Health & Human Services is available for reading and for comment on the following three topics:

• Interim Guidance on the Use and Purchase of Facemasks and Respirators by Individuals and Families for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness;
• Proposed Guidance on Antiviral Drug Use During an Influenza Pandemic; and
• Proposed Considerations for Antiviral Drug Stockpiling by Employers In Preparation for an Influenza Pandemic.

See the H&HS website for more information.