Trustees approve emergency plan

Fort Scott Community College is developing a plan designed with safety of students, faculty and staff in mind.

Dale Cathey, EMS instructor/coordinator at FSCC and chairman of the college's Crisis Management Committee, attended the FSCC Board of Trustees regular monthly meeting Monday to update trustees on the continued development of the college's Emergency Action Plan.

The Crisis Management Committee at FSCC has spent the last few years developing the plan which is designed to provide procedures for FSCC administrators to follow in the event of campus emergencies. It is designed to supply "basic administrative guidelines necessary to cope with most campus emergencies," according to the plan.

"We've spent about three years on this," Cathey said.

FSCC administrators, faculty and staff are expected to become familiar with the EAP, according to an FSCC document.

According to the plan, the college president will be the focal point for official emergency communications to the college's emergency response team, which includes the college's deans and directors, as well as members of the Crisis Management Committee.

Each team member, upon receiving notification of a campus emergency, is to pass the same information along to those departments or offices under his or her direction. The president or dean of finance and operations will notify emergency response team members as appropriate.

Cathey said the plan is a "living document" that will likely be continually reviewed and updated. He said the crisis management committee has recently updated names of contacts in the plan and is also "working on the active shooter concept" in order to "be up to date" on proper responses and procedures regarding active shooters in schools.

Any proposed changes to the EAP must be submitted to the Crisis Management Committee for review. Any changes then recommended by the committee would be submitted in writing to the president and administrative committee for evaluation and adoption.

"When we work out the requirements for training ... the document goes to the Crisis Management Committee, then to the FSCC board for approval," Cathey said.

Cathey said the next meeting of the Crisis Management Committee is scheduled to be March 16, the first day of spring break at the college.

In response to a board question, Cathey said the plan is to soon distribute the EAP to FSCC faculty and staff by electronic means.

There was also some discussion during the meeting regarding use of the college's text messaging system to distribute and send emergency messages to subscribers. Critical messages will be disseminated via the college's Textcaster messaging system, according to the plan.

College officials will use the telephone as the primary means of emergency notification during a crisis. The college also has hand-held portable radios located in various areas that can be used to communicate with other FSCC staff, as well as local law enforcement agencies and fire departments.

FSCC instructor Elie Riachi, who also attended Monday's meeting, said he has some concerns with moving students to the Round Rooms on the FSCC campus in the event of an emergency such as a tornado.

"We're working on getting expert advice to determine safe areas for students in emergencies and disasters like tornadoes," Cathey said.

"It could and should be evaluated and updated continually," Board Chairman Mark McCoy said just prior to the trustees' unanimous approval.

In other business, trustees held a one-hour executive session to discuss applicants for the college presidency position. Interim President Dick Hedges said prior to the meeting that the list of about 20 candidates has been narrowed to about four applicants. Hedges said just prior to the closed session that no action by the board was anticipated following the session.

A report on other business conducted by the trustees will appear in a future edition of The Tribune.