Today it is perfectly normal for a parent to worry for the safety of their child in the classroom.  Tragically, it appears there is no safe place for a child, even in the grade school classroom.  It is natural for parents to be particularly concerned about the well being of their child once they send them off to receive a college education.  Universities are taking measures to deal with this, and are consciously forming plans for properly dealing with emergency situations.

Emergency Response Guides

Most universities provide their students with an emergency response guide.  This guide provides the student with emergency contact lists.  It also lays out the chain of command that is in place at the school to deal with emergencies.  It will make clear where information can be found during the event of an emergency.  It will give general outlines for how different types of emergencies will be dealt with.  For example, emergencies that are discussed may include the injury of a student, or a fire, chemical spill, disruptive riots or protests, natural disasters, or utility outages.

It is important for parents to familiarize themselves with the emergency response guides that are in place at the university their child will be attending.  This will ensure that there is a sound system in place in case of emergencies, and will also provide you with the information you will need in the event of an emergency.  Familiarizing yourself with the emergency response guides is a way to eliminate the anxiety and stress that can be caused by a fear of the worst possible situation.

Communication

Almost all universities follow three basic steps when dealing with an emergency.  These steps are preparedness, response, and recovery.  Universities have a formula in place that they will follow in the event of an emergency.  During the response, the disaster will be dealt with.  For example people will be rescued and the emergency will be put to an end, or endured until it naturally ends.  The response involves communicating with parents, the press and the general public.  Once the physical safety of the students is ensured, communication takes place.

This communication is particularly important to parents.  There is probably nothing more frightening than imagining knowing that your child is in the midst of an emergency but not begin able to communicate with them to find out how they are being affected.  Most universities will provide students and parents of students with telephone numbers that can be called in order to receive up to date information during the event of an emergency.  They will also provide parents with a web address that can be accessed online in order to find information.  Parents can also refer to Facebook and on campus text messaging systems to find information.

The Recovery step of dealing with an emergency on campus takes place after the emergency, and involves getting the daily functions of the university up and running again.

Weather

Although there is the chance of manmade emergencies, a major source of most emergencies that can strike during your child’s higher education is nature.  Some larger universities have received what is called a StormReady designation from the National Weather Service.  This means that weather is monitored on campus and that a hazardous weather plan is in place.

The weather is monitored 24 hours a day and the university is prepared to contact the students, parents and the public in advance of a major storm.  Parents that are looking to rest easy in regards to their child’s safety may prefer to send them to a university with the StormReady designation.

There is much that cannot be controlled during an emergency, but many universities are taking the steps they can to reassure families that they are prepared to deal with disasters in an efficient manner. These measures are being advanced and perfected through such studies as an Online Safety Degree.