Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness at SMC

The safety and security for students and staff of Santa Monica Community College District is a priority. As part of the Disaster Resistant California Community College consortium, SMC has the opportunity to continually improve, evaluate and modify emergency procedures and protocols. All six SMC campuses face both natural and human-made disasters. By planning, training and organizing mock exercises, SMC will be better prepared to handle these critical incidents.

As members of the community, it is our responsibility to prepare at home and at our places of employment, so that we can faithfully fulfill our role during a disaster. We can do this by attending the trainings for public employees (Standard Emergency Management System, FEMA IS 100 & IS 700) and by attending local training exercises that will help us be more prepared citizens.

Emergency preparation and procedures

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Tips on What to Do In an Emergency

• Call SMC Police (310-434-4300 or 911) from a college phone to report any emergencies.
• Study the emergency posters located in the campus classrooms and on this Emergency Preparedness Website. Know ahead of time how to get from your classroom or office to the closest designated shelter area or to exit the building by the most direct route during an evacuation. Share this information with your students.
• Faculty — Stay with your students and provide them with direction to the nearest shelter area or to the nearest exit. Keep a roster to account for your students. Notify College Police of any persons with disabilities requiring assistance. If possible, have someone stay behind with persons with disabilities until emergency personnel arrive.
• Persons with disabilities — go to stairway landings and wait for emergency rescue personnel. Stairwells are constructed with a higher fire rating than any other areas of a building. Emergency personnel responding to the building will be checking the stairway landings for persons with disabilities upon their arrival.
• Remain calm and walk do not run.
• During an evacuation, do NOT use the elevator. Take the stairs.
• Do NOT use fire alarms for individual emergencies. Use fire alarms in the event of a fire or the evacuation of a building.
• When evacuating, remember to turn off the lights and lock your office or classroom behind you.
• In the event of a lockdown- Shelter in place, stay clear of windows and wait for updates via phone, text and email.
• Keep up-to-date contact information on file with the Office of Human Resources.
• Print out, and read, the Guide to Family & Home Preparedness.
• Attend Emergency Preparedness trainings offered by SMC.
• To be prepared at home: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be informed.