REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Emergency Preparedness &
Safety Committee
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
3:00 p.m.
Eureka Campus
LRC 107
Please note location change
Agenda
1. Call to Order
2. Introductions
3. Approve Minutes from January 19, 2011 meeting*
4. Approve Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) Committee letter of support for Crisis
Counselor*
5. Establish Mission Statement for Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee*
6. Annual Program Review for Public Safety
7. Create and distribute a Skills Assessment Survey
8. Discussions
Tsunami Drill update (drill date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011)
Extreme weather and flooding awareness
Grant updates (EMHE, Dell, State Farm)*
California Health Alert Network (CAHAN)
9. Subcommittee Reports (5 minutes each)
Emergency Preparedness (EP) – Ali Hodges, Paul Agpawa, Jenessa Lund
Behavior Intervention (BI) – Melissa Green and Matt Malkus
Security/Facilities (S/F) – George Kapitan, Tim Flanagan, and Garry Patrick
Health & Safety (H&S) – Paul Agpawa
10. Open Agenda Items
11. NEXT MEETING:
Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 3-4pm
Normally, this committee meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. This date is the 4th
Wednesday as we would like to use some of the meeting time to debrief the Tsunami
Drill that will occur earlier in the day.
12. Announcements
CCC Confer - PARTICIPANT DETAILS
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REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Emergency Preparedness and
Safety Committee
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
3:00 p.m.
Eureka Campus
Boardroom
NOTES
PRESENT
Paul Agpawa., Paul DeMark (phone), Robert Ekholdt, Tim Flanagan,
Ali Hodges, Anita Janis (phone), Kintay Johnson, Jenessa Lund, Matt Malkus,
Stephen McCollum (phone), Garry Patrick, Cheryl Tucker, Linda Turner
(phone), and Lorie Walsh.
MINUTES
The meeting minutes from December 8, 2010, were unanimously
approved.
UPDATES
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Grants (REM, SAMSHA)
Paul Agpawa will meet with Karen Nelson next week to develop a
plan on how to proceed with the grant application. Ali noted that
the grant deadline is mid-March. Paul also noted that he spoke to
Dan Larkin, Emergency Services Coordinator, Humboldt County
Office of Emergency Services and he will write a letter of support
for the grant application. Letters of support from local agencies are
required as part of the grant application packet.
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PSIC Project Submittal
Paul Agpawa reviewed information related to the proposal he is
submitting for the PSIC grant. This multi-year grant was
distributed by population to counties throughout the state. Some
large counties were not able to spend all funds that were awarded
to them and this resulted in a redistribution of those funds. Paul
noted that there is a good chance that the funds will be available in
Humboldt County.
(For detail see attachment)
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HAM Radio License Course
Paul also noted that there is a HAM Radio License 10 week course
being offered by the Humboldt Amateur Radio Club at the
McKinleyville Middle school.
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Tsunami Drill
On March 23 the Office of Emergency Services (OES) will
conduct a Tsunami drill throughout Humboldt County. This is a
good opportunity for the campus to also conduct a Tsunami drill.
Anita thinks that the Del Norte OES may also be having a drill on
DISCUSSIONS
this date. She also noted that on April 14 there is going to be a full
scale simulated gas explosion exercise in Crescent City. Stephen
McCollum will be part of the communications link. This exercise
will include multiple agencies with full resources.
SUBCOMMITTEE
REPORTS
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Active Shooter/Lockdown Drill
There was discussion regarding the development of an
Active Shooter/Lockdown drill. Paul will contact HSU to see if they have
a drill template that we can use. There is a real need for an effective
communication system on campus. The committee agreed that a
presentation to cabinet and Academic Senate should be done regarding
campus-wide emergency preparedness. Paul will contact Mike Wells so
that he can discuss this at a cabinet meeting so that it can then be
forwarded to Academic Senate.

Crisis Counselor Recommendation
The committee will draft a recommendation for a crisis counselor, Cheryl
will provide a needs statement. The models that Cheryl has seen use a
multitude of part-time staff to serve in this position which could be
established through MOUs or internships. This should be a permanent
position through the district. The Student Health fee is not currently
being charged to students who are BOG qualified; however, this may be
changing in the near future. It is a possibility that money that comes in
under the designation of health services could be used to fund this
position.
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Spring Semester Goals
Progress is being made to get all safety and emergency related updated
and posted to the website.
Emergency Preparedness (EP) – Ali Hodges, Paul Agpawa, Jenessa Lund
 Jenessa reminded everyone that there is free on-line FEMA training which
includes self-study tests. Paul noted that it is the committee’s goal for the
district to be NIMS certified. It was noted that it is very important for staff,
faculty and administrators to participate in the training. To be NIMS certified
administrative participation is mandatory.
Behavior Intervention (BI) – Melissa Green and Matt Malkus
 Cheryl and Melissa are working to update the Student Code of Conduct. They
attended an early alert training two weeks ago which led to interesting
questions and problem solving resulted.
Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for February 16, 3:00 p.m. in the
boardroom.
ADJOUNED
The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
Submitted
lw
College of the Redwoods
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee
Crisis Counselor Recommendation
The Behavioral Intervention Team’s work in the area of student mental health has
been a difficult goal to accomplish. There is a lack of adequate training coupled with
staffing issues that makes this into an overwhelming problem. This is not a reflection
of the team or the high quality of the individuals that make up the team. But rather in
the staff’s level of training and the ability to handle their normal workloads and
accommodate this additional load. In the light of incidents that have happened
throughout the U.S. and here on campus, there is a feeling that pre-emptive action
could have prevented some, if not most of these incidents from occurring.
Recognition, evaluation, corrective action, and follow-up require staffing and
collaboration with outside agencies to be effective.
A program if implemented should have a coordinator, administrative assistant, and a
crisis counselor. Both the coordinator and administrative assistant would be existing
staff on reassigned time. The crisis counselor would be a new position created
specifically for handling student behavioral and mental situations.
It is the opinion of this committee to endorse the recommendation of the Behavioral
Intervention Team for the creation and hiring of a Crisis Counselor and
accompanying program to accommodate students who are at risk for emotional,
psychological problems and the related incidents that may arise from those situations.
Respectfully Submitted,
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee
Paul Agpawa, Jenessa Lund, Alison Hodges, Michael Wells Co-Chairs
Members-at-Large
Tim Flanagan, Garry Patrick, Kintay Johnson, Melissa Green, Cheryl Tucker, Daniel
Bixler, Anita Janis, Steven McCollum, Josh Edelman, George Kapitan, Susan
Mindus, Matt Malkus, Linda Turner, Lorie Walsh, Robert Ekholdt, Teresa
Daigneault, Paul DeMark, Diana Hutton, Geisce Ly
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SAFETY COMMITTEE
MISSION STATEMENT
Committee Purpose:
The Redwoods Community College District has established a District Emergency Preparedness & Safety
Committee to increase communication and provide information regarding safety of employees and students
throughout the District. Additionally, the EP&S committee will establish subcommittees for the Del Norte
and Mendocino Educational Centers. This committee sets forth policy concerning identifying and
controlling occupational hazards as well as events requiring emergency response. It is the intent of this
committee to increase safety awareness among the employees of the District. The EP&S committee will
meet the requirements listed in District Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP).
The membership of the committee will be comprised of faculty, classified, and administration staff.
Specific Required Activities of the EP&S Committee:
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Meet at least quarterly
Prepare, distribute and maintain written records of the meetings
Review results of periodic scheduled workplace inspections
Review investigations of occupational accidents and causes of incidents and submit suggestions to
prevent future incidents
Review reports of hazardous conditions or work practices and assist with remedial actions
Review and submit recommendations regarding employee safety suggestions
Verify abatement action taken to abate OSHA citations
Plan and implement Emergency Response drills and exercises.
Specific Goals and Objectives for the Committee:
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Follow the above requirements listed in the District IIPP
Develop a formal workplace inspection program to identify hazards and implement corrective action
Create a written and functional Injury and Illness Prevention Program in compliance with applicable
OSHA regulations and state law. These procedures shall promote an active and aggressive program to
identify and reduce and/or control hazards. Update this plan as needed.
Update the Districts Emergency Action Plan for employees and students.
Provide training in the key areas of: Emergency Response, Health and Safety, and Behavioral
Intervention.
Establish a Hazard Communication Program, which includes an inventory all chemicals on site,
instructions for employees and students on the safe handling of such materials, maintaining a copy of all
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and proper disposal methods for hazardous materials.
Review and update the Districts Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan. Review plan annually.
Review the Chemical Hygiene Plan for Chemistry and Science laboratory facilities.
Review and update all other required safety plans as required by OSHA and local regulations
Revised 2/22/10
License No. 0451271
College of the Redwoods
February 14, 2011
OA Members,
College of the Redwoods is currently in the process of writing a grant proposal for the
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) for Higher Education
(EMHE) Y2011. As part to the grant we will be able to provide workshops and training
that will be open for local and State agencies to participate in. This will also allow us to
increase our level of collaboration and coordination with local and State agencies as
well as the community at large. We are requesting letters of endorsement of support
from your agencies.
About the Grant:
The Emergency Management for Higher Education (EMHE) grant program supports
institutions of higher education (IHE) projects designed to develop, or review and
improve, and fully integrate campus-based all-hazards emergency management
planning efforts. A program funded under this absolute priority must use the framework
of the four phases of emergency management (Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness,
Response, and Recovery) to:
1. Develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate a campus-wide all-hazards
emergency management plan that takes into account threats that may be unique
to the campus;
2. Train campus staff, faculty, and students in emergency management procedures;
3. Coordinate with local and State government emergency management efforts;
4. Ensure coordination of planning and communication across all relevant
components, offices, and departments of the campus;
5. Develop a written plan with emergency protocols that include the medical, mental
health, communication, mobility, and emergency needs of persons with
disabilities, as well as for those individuals with temporary special needs or other
unique needs (including those arising from language barriers or cultural
differences);
6. Develop or update a written plan that prepares the campus for infectious disease
outbreaks with both short-term implications for planning (e.g., outbreaks caused
by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or food-borne illnesses)
and long-term implications for planning (e.g., pandemic influenza);
7. Develop or enhance a written plan for preventing violence on campus by
assessing and addressing the mental health needs of students, staff, and faculty
who may be at risk of causing violence by harming themselves or others; and
8. Develop or update a written campus-wide continuity of operations plan that would
enable the campus to maintain and/or restore key educational, business, and
other essential functions following an emergency.
Typical activities included in grantee programs include reviewing and revising existing
emergency management plans; conducting vulnerability assessments of campus
facilities and grounds; providing training to campus staff, faculty and students;
organizing tabletop exercises or large-scale drills; improving on-campus
communications; collaborating with local first responders and community partners; and
developing or enhancing behavioral threat assessment processes on campus.
Please send your agencies endorsement letter to:
Paul Agpawa
Director of Technology Infrastructure and Planning
College of the Redwoods
7351 Tompkins Hill Rd.
Eureka, CA 95501-9300
Your support and endorsements are much appreciated and needed.
Thank you for all you do for the college and community.
College of the Redwoods Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee
There’s a lot more to the Safety Committee than just safety. In fact, the committee encompasses
several areas which include Emergency Preparedness, Security, Health and Safety, Facilities,
and the Behavioral Intervention Team. Over the past 6 months we have been active in
integrating these components together to form a coherent effective committee. As a result of this
integration the committee has changed its name to “The Emergency Preparedness & Safety
Committee.”
So what exactly has the EP&S Committee been
doing? For starters, any written Emergency
Operations Plan is only as good as the ability of
those who need to respond and carry out the
plan. Having said this, a plan sitting on a shelf
that has not been put into practice is unfortunately
not effective. As a result we are revising and
updating the EOP and putting its principles into
practice. For example, the college now has an
emergency response team (CERT) that works
with Maintenance and Operations, Academy of
the Redwoods and the Teen CERTs. This team
is specially trained in the areas of search and
rescue, light fire suppression, first aid and triage, and the Incident Command System (ICS.) We
have been doing drill exercises and providing training when possible that is open to all district
employees as well as the community. One of our goals is to recognize and utilize people
resources; there are many employees in the district with special skills and knowledge that would
benefit the district. Another of our goals is to get NIMS (National Incident Management System)
certification and to this end we are also actively seeking grants and other funding for equipment,
supplies, and training. In addition, we have
several district representatives who participate in
the Humboldt Operational Area Committee
(chaired by the Office of Emergency Services
OES.)
As far as Health and Safety, we are planning on
utilizing the on-line courses that Keenan and
Associates offer for Injury & Illness Prevention
and Protection, Blood Borne Pathogens, and
Hazard Communications. We are also working
with the Red Cross to host some of their training
and workshops (we have already hosted “Living
and working in a Tsunami Zone”.) which are open
to all district employees and the public at no charge.
Behavioral Intervention is also an important component of the EP&S committee since
situations may arise that affect the safety of the campus at large. In the light of recent incidences
that have occurred throughout the U.S., pre-emptive measures could have prevented these
tragedies from happening. The BIT and EP&S are working on recommendations for a crisis
counselor and possible grant opportunities.
The EP&S committee and the BIT consists of the following membership:
Co-Chairs: Alison Hodges, Jenessa Lund, Paul Agpawa and Mike Wells
Standing Members: Melissa Green, Kintay Johnson, Cheryl Tucker, Garry Patrick, Tim Flanagan,
Daniel Bixler, Paul DeMark, George Kapitan, Robert Ekholt, Hillary Reed, Josh Edleman and
David Maki (Mendo), Anita Janis and Steve McCollum (Del Norte), Susan Mindus, Matt Malkus,
Teresa Daigneault, Michael Thomas, Diana Hutton, Trish Blair, Nikiya McWilliams, Mike
Woychak, and Lorie Walsh.
We meet every 3rd Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00 in the Boardroom. Our meetings are open for
anyone interested and wishing to attend.