About the Office of Emergency Management

The mission of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is: To administer comprehensive emergency management, business continuity, and fire prevention programs to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and reduce the impacts of events that threaten the mission of the university.

Emergency Management

Emergency Management is an ongoing process to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, maintain continuity during, and recover from, an incident that threatens life, property, operations, information or the environment. Emergency Management provides the structure for campus-level emergency planning, response coordination and recovery, the campus Emergency Operations Plan, and the conduct of campus-wide emergency response exercises.

The Emergency Management Team consists of the Campus Emergency Manager (CEM). The CEM provide internal consultation to campus divisions and units on the development of their own specific emergency plans. This approach looks at the entire life cycle of the emergency, from the period before the emergency occurs (sometimes years in advance) through the event and into the post-emergency recovery phase. The four elements of emergency management are traditionally identified as follows:

  • Mitigation - eliminating or minimizing hazards that may result in a major emergency
  • Preparedness - preparing to deal with hazards that cannot be controlled
  • Response - responding to emergency situations that do occur
  • Recovery - returning to a level of normalcy after an emergency has occurred

The Campus Emergency Manager leads the campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Planning Section during major emergencies and planned events, and also serves as the primary campus liaison to the Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and other local, state, and federal emergency planning groups.

Public Education

Public education for members of the campus community on fire safety and emergency preparedness is also a key function of OEM and is supported by all OEM staff. OEM coordinates campus training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and basic first aid and administers the campus public access AED program. OEM also provides Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to the campus community as well as training in general fire safety, emergency preparedness, and other related topics.

Mass Notification (CruzAlert)

OEM manages the CruzAlert system for the campus and works closely with UCSC Police Department management and dispatch personnel to ensure that the system is ready for use during any emergency. CruzAlert messages are primarily sent by the Police Department's dispatch center during active emergencies, with OEM providing system management and overall administration.

See Also