Inaugural Emergency Preparedness symposium held at Saddleback
The Emergency Preparedness department from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, in conjunction with CaliforniaVolunteers, recently hosted an inaugural two-day symposium at Saddleback College to educate first responders and nurses on emergency preparedness.
The California Colleges and Universities Community Emergency Response Team Symposium, which took place on April 16 and 17, featured workshops by the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on how to create and improve existing community response programs, as well as a tabletop response exercise simulating a catastrophic earthquake entitled “A disaster hit, now what?” to help responders better understand the logistical needs immediately after a disaster strikes.
The keynote address was delivered by Community Emergency Response Team founder Frank Borden and California Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker, who also leads CaliforniaVolunteers, the state office responsible for the management of programs and initiatives that aim to increase the number of Californians engaging in service and volunteering.
The event played host to more than 120 representatives from nearly 50 colleges, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
The University of California Office of the President and the California State University Chancellor’s Office were both sponsors of the event.
The symposium is part of an effort by the Disaster Resistant California Community Colleges Project, which was launched by the CCCCO in 2007, to promote emergency preparedness in community colleges.