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Disaster drill finds UNE well prepared

November 24, 2005

Dixson libraryStaff were evacuated from Dixson Library at The University of New England this morning as part of an emergency management drill designed to test the university's readiness in the event of a real disaster.

The drill involved university staff, as well as local police, firefighters and ambulance officers. A simulated gas explosion on the roof of Dixson Library provided the basis for the drill. Once the building had been evacuated, police cordoned off the area around the library while firefighters entered the building to test for hazardous chemicals.

The drill, which was conducted in conjunction with Armidale Dumaresq Council, was designed to test the university's disaster management plan, as well as the council's local area disaster management plan.

The director of Facilities Management Services (FMS) at UNE, Mike Quinlan, said he was “quite pleased with how it all went” and that the university was well-prepared to deal with a real-life emergency.

“We've got a solid plan to back up the university in the event of any disaster,” Mr Quinlan said. “Staff from FMS and other areas of the university performed very well.”

“[The drill] is a requirement of the university's disaster management plan, and also a chance to try out the roles and responsibilities of the staff involved,” he said.

“It also raises awareness of the possibility of a disaster among staff, and gets them to think about how they would react and what they would do.”

Inspector Matt Lynch, from the Armidale Police, said the exercise had been an effective test of both UNE's and the local area's response to a potential disaster, and that all had proceeded well from the police's perspective.

“We feel all the agencies worked well together, and that the operation was a success,” Insp Lynch said.

For more information contact Mike Quinlan on (02) 6773 2659 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.

Posted by Leon Braun at November 24, 2005 04:42 PM