天美影视传媒

Life in the Pacific Northwest comes with two certainties: you鈥檙e going to need a good raincoat, and it鈥檚 only a matter of time before the next earthquake. Maybe even a .

Earthquakes, like the , occur nearly every day in Washington, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Most are too small to be felt. Large earthquakes are less common, but can cause significant damage. Many at UW remember experiencing the 6.8 magnitude 2001 Nisqually earthquake that caused at least $1 billion in property damage around the region.

We want you to know what to do when the ground starts shaking () and practice. At 10:19 a.m. on Oct. 19, UW Emergency Management will participate in the . We hope you鈥檒l join us. Watch for a UW Alert test message, and, if you can, practice how you’d respond.

Check out the Great ShakeOut for info about what to do if an earthquake happens while you鈥檙e in bed, when you鈥檙e driving, while you鈥檙e in a stadium or you have a sturdy table to crawl under. The Seattle Times also has a helpful .

The preparedness motto is: . Make sure you know what you would do if there was an earthquake, and what your family, friends, loved ones and housemates would do if there was an emergency.

We also encourage you to download the . The app uses the ShakeAlert automated system run by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with the UW and universities in Oregon and California. That system uses ground motion sensors to detect earthquakes and send a notification.

If you鈥檙e new to the area or need something to keep you awake at night, 鈥� a large-scale earthquake that will strike along the Cascadia Subduction Zone 鈥� on UW鈥檚 Department of Earth and Space Sciences podcast, FieldSound.

Professor Tobin is the Director of the , and the designated Washington state seismologist, studying tectonic plate boundaries, how faults work and the conditions that lead to earthquakes.

UW researchers are conducting crucial research into earthquake hazards, including as the lead partner on a new multi-institution earthquake research center based at the University of Oregon. The National Science Foundation announced Sept. 8 that the center will receive $15 million over five years to study the Cascadia subduction zone and bolster earthquake preparedness in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Seismologists estimate that there鈥檚 about a one-in-three chance of an approximately magnitude-9 earthquake occurring on the Pacific Northwest coast in the next 50 years. Better understanding earthquakes and preparing for them now is as important as remembering to pack your rain gear.

All UW staff, faculty and students are encouraged to share concerns related to sex- and gender-based violence, harassment and discrimination through the new online Title IX reporting form. Starting this quarter, reports or consultations that previously would have been directed to SafeCampus will instead be directed to the Office of the Title IX Coordinator.

Individuals who are seeking support and options for themselves or others, or who want to make the University aware of a Title IX-related concern, should use the form. Title IX case managers can offer support, explain formal and informal options, and help identify the best way to address the concern. When submitting a report, most employees can choose to remain anonymous and/or not share others鈥� names to protect an individual鈥檚 identity.

Learn more on the Title IX website.

As more than 100,000 天美影视传媒 students and employees prepare for the start of the academic year in Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell, we know our greatest strength is the self-confidence and community bonds people build over the course of the year.

Huskies watch out for each other. We do that by asking for help when we鈥檙e worried about a roommate or a colleague. We make sure our friends get home safely at the end of the night. And we know when to call 911 for a medical, fire or law enforcement assistance.

Whether you鈥檙e new to the UW and still finding your community or have proudly worn the purple and gold for years, the Division of Campus Community Safety and safety offices on each of our campuses have resources to help you:

• UW in Seattle safety resources

Please help us build safer communities by sharing these resources. You can take a few key steps now so you鈥檙e better prepared for the year ahead:

1. Sign up for UW Alert text messages

UW Alerts are issued in the event of an incident requiring your awareness and an action 鈥� to remain in place, leave an area of campus or avoid an area. You probably already receive UW Alerts via email, but please check your account if you鈥檙e not sure you鈥檙e receiving alerts via text message.

Only 8% of UW students and 17% of UW employees have added their cell phone number to UW Alert to get a text message during an emergency. Let鈥檚 drive that number up. Get the UW Alerts sent directly to your phone by signing up now.

2. Add contact information for SafeCampus to your phone: 206-685-7233

In urgent or dangerous situations, you know to call 911. But what if someone shares they鈥檙e struggling with their own safety or you notice behaviors that are making you or others feel uncomfortable? SafeCampus is here to offer support and guidance. You can contact SafeCampus 鈥� no matter where you work or study 鈥� to discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. Anonymous calls are welcome.

3. Know your space

Check the exits and the evacuation routes from your classrooms, labs, offices, residence hall rooms and study spaces. Doing this now means you鈥檒l be ready to respond quickly if there鈥檚 an emergency.

For more safety tips, follow Campus Community Safety on or . We鈥檒l have more information in our next blog post about how to prepare for emergencies.

UW鈥檚 Division of Campus Community Safety, which includes SafeCampus, the and UW Emergency Management, is excited to welcome Kelley Biastock as the new Director of UW Emergency Management.

Kelley is responsible for working with the greater University communities to plan and prepare for crises, disasters and major emergency incidents, particularly those that affect the Seattle campus, while supporting emergency preparedness and response work at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, as well as other university locations. She joins Barry Morgan, UW鈥檚 Plans, Training & Exercises Manager, who has been filling the director role on an interim basis. Huge thanks to Barry for his hard work over the past nine months.

Together with internal and external partners, UW Emergency Management offers planning and training support to schools and units; identifies threats and hazards; develops mitigation and solutions to threats and hazards; supports effective response efforts and promotes prevention actions 鈥� all with the goal of shortening the impact and length of time involved in recovery efforts.

Kelley has more than 15 years of emergency management experience and comes to UW from Anchorage, Alaska. Most recently, she supported the CDC Foundation on the Therapeutics Task Force, working with the State of Alaska Department of Health in ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics across the vast geography. Prior to that, she served as the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health. In this role, Kelley managed the public health and emergency preparedness program as well as helped lead the city鈥檚 response to the COVID-19 emergency.

Most notably, Kelley worked for the American Red Cross of Alaska. She managed the statewide disaster program as the Regional Disaster Officer. Her many years of contribution in the public and non-profit sectors along with the emergency management expertise and ability to partner well with multiple agencies will serve UW well.

In her spare time, Kelley loves to travel, read and be in the great outdoors hiking, gardening and taking strolls with her husband and their dog, Potter. She is the proud mama to a creative and loving 16-year-old, and a strong willed and compassionate 3-year-old. Kelley and her family look forward to continuing to have new adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

With commencement season comes the end of the first academic year of the UW鈥檚 Division of Campus Community Safety. This means it鈥檚 time to reflect on what we learned this past year and where the lessons point us for the summer and coming year.

As a reminder, the Division of Campus Community Safety was established in fall of 2022 to better address the UW鈥檚 complex safety challenges across geographies and demographics, day and night, through three key units – SafeCampus, UW Emergency Management and UW Police (Seattle campus).

We work closely with other divisions like Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities and Student Life, and allies like the and . The work is in service of reimagining what safety can mean for all of the UW community and is guided by the goals of accountability, transparency, innovation and equity.

I鈥檇 be remiss if I didn鈥檛 lead by recalling we started this school year in a way no one envisioned 鈥� with four students being hit by gunfire near the UW Seattle campus. This tragedy focused our work immediately on communicating with students, parents and campus colleagues, and working with neighborhood and government partners to change the conditions that led to the violence. That work continues.

From October onward the year has provided opportunities for learning around every corner 鈥� identifying gaps in existing services and protocols, but, also, developing impactful collaborations and making new discoveries. Skilled and compassionate people have stepped up at every opportunity.

The dominant messages from UW students, faculty and staff this year have been threefold 鈥� that personal safety is a greater concern than it has been in the past; that mental health challenges post-COVID isolation are very present; and that training in emergency response, particularly de-escalation, is desired across all UW populations.

The current urban environment has a lot to do with the first and second messages. The UW Seattle campus and U District are experiencing issues common to most west coast cities 鈥� threats, theft, assaults and property damage are up. Gun violence, homelessness, addiction 鈥� especially to fentanyl and meth 鈥� and untreated mental illness pose ongoing challenges to individuals and families community-wide.

In Campus Community Safety, we鈥檙e working to reset and in some cases create foundational policies, information, templates and trainings, while providing day-to-day responses to behaviors of concern, threats and, unfortunately, crimes. We do that thanks to the incredible work of staff in SafeCampus, UW Emergency Management and UWPD, plus partners in safety at UW Tacoma, UW Bothell and in UW Medicine.

Here are a few learning points from the past 10 months.

Building intruders and visitors in crisis

Unfortunately, the Seattle campus has seen a sharp increase in calls regarding people smoking fentanyl in places like the Central Plaza Garage stairwells; people breaking into labs in buildings like Hitchcock and Chemistry; and actively unwell visitors entering classrooms and offices in buildings like Electrical Engineering, PACCAR, Communications and Guggenheim.

UWPD officers respond to these calls and activate responders, as available, from REACH, the group doing outreach and service engagement with homeless individuals in the U District, and from the Downtown Emergency Services mobile crisis intervention team.

The ongoing issues with people setting up overnight to smoke fentanyl and other drugs, and damage doors and elevators, prompted UW in March to establish a working group on safety issues in buildings and in April to increase the number of unarmed security guards working at night. The guards are assigned to the Central Plaza Garage (and stairways) and check other buildings as determined by calls to UWPD.

Concerns about safety also prompted UW to pay for additional unarmed security on Friday and Saturday nights October to June in the heart of The Ave鈥檚 nighttime activity.

In April, sorority and fraternity leadership conducted a North of 45th safety walk with representatives from Seattle Police, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Department of Transportation to highlight lighting, sidewalk and abandoned buildings challenges.

Calls for concern and safety planning rise this year

SafeCampus, UW鈥檚 hub for violence prevention, threat assessment and response, wellbeing concerns and safety planning, responded to 1,268 situations in calendar year 2022. This represents a 25% increase in calls from 2021.

Mental health concerns increase

In 2022, 25% of the situations SafeCampus engaged with related to some type of mental health concern for the caller or someone they study, work, live with or otherwise care about. An additional 7% were related to suicide concerns. And 32% of calls were related to sex- and gender-based harassment, stalking, violence and/or discrimination.

Providing training and safety planning

To help mitigate threats of violence or harm, SafeCampus leads Violence Prevention and Assessment Team Meetings with partners from around the University to think creatively about solutions, de-escalation and safety planning. In 2022, SafeCampus led 36 safety planning meetings.

SafeCampus also offered the Violence Prevention and Response training to 919 people; the Building Healthy Workplaces training to over 850 people; and tailored trainings to 21 departments in 2022.

If you are worried about someone or to request training for your area, please reach out to SafeCampus at safecampus@uw.edu.

Re-energizing emergency preparedness at UW

In November UW launched the new Preparedness Oversight Committee, a critical early step in resetting and reenergizing UW鈥檚 post-COVID approach to emergency preparedness and response.

BARC is back

This year marks the return of UW鈥檚 BARC (Business, Administration, and Research Continuity) program. BARC 鈥� planning for a breakdown or crisis that interrupts regular business operations 鈥� was active 2007 through 2018. This year, Jim Tritten was hired as the new BARC program manager for the program鈥檚 reboot. Over the next year, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma and key UW Seattle departments will be asked to participate in BARC planning as we get this critical function off the ground. If you鈥檙e interested in learning more or have BARC questions, contact Jim at jtritten@uw.edu.

UW leaders practice emergency management skills

In May UWEM hosted more than 50 leaders from the UW鈥檚 Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell campuses, and Cascadia College, to get re-grounded in the basics of emergency response and to practice working together during a simulated disaster. The training kicks off a re-commitment to regular emergency response exercises for groups all through the UW system.

Work for the summer and coming year

As we go into summer and prepare for a new school year to start in the fall, we have key priorities to work on with partners, including:

• Developing foundational emergency and security policies.
• Finalizing a contract with REACH for a homeless outreach worker assigned to the Seattle campus.
• Ramping up trainings in de-escalation and active threat response.
• Standing up an advisory committee on campus community safety.
• Developing a plan for naloxone availability on campuses.
• Converting the UW Alert to an 鈥渙pt out鈥� for text messages.

Finally, I want to say thank you to the students, faculty and staff who engaged with me and others from Campus Community Safety as we worked to solve problems together this year. Across UW you鈥檝e been curious and thoughtful, kind and insistent when called for. Several of you have operated under very difficult circumstances amid competing demands. Thank you for your service. May you have a great summer.

Sincerely,
Sally Clark
Vice President
Division of Campus Community Safety

In the past few months, students, faculty and staff have reported concerns about personal safety on the Seattle campus at night. These issues center heavily on the Central Plaza Garage (CPG), but also include other parking areas and buildings.

Unfortunately, like in other parts of Seattle, these reports describe encountering people displaying disruptive 鈥� sometimes threatening 鈥� behavior. Students and employees report coming across drug-use paraphernalia and human waste, and report stolen property (including cars), property damage, fires and offensive graffiti.

As a result of the increase in safety issues, we have increased cleanup frequency in the Odegaard and Kane stairwells and elevators connected to the CPG so that the areas are usable for students, staff and faculty. UW Building Services, the UW Police Department, Environmental Health & Safety and Transportation Services are meeting regularly to collaborate on additional strategies to ensure safety for all in the CPG primarily, and also in other campus spaces.

In an effort to prevent these drug use, waste and damage issues from occurring in the first place, UW is immediately increasing the number of unarmed security guards working on the Seattle campus overnight. These guards will be from a private company at first while UW works to staff up internally, and they will be assigned to the CPG and check other buildings as determined by UWPD. The guards will have radios for direct communication with UWPD dispatchers and officers for situations that require a law enforcement response.

These additional security guards are necessary to meet the immediate need for assistance at night. For the CPG, additional security upgrades are slated to start later this summer, including roll-up style gates at the garage entrances, keycard access doors on the pedestrian entrances to the garage, security cameras and Wi-Fi. That work is slated to be complete in summer 2024.

It鈥檚 important to note that UW and almost every other entity with public spaces in cities across much of the United States are wrestling with how to ensure safety and address the root causes of the issues causing fear and concern 鈥� humanity-wrecking addiction; a lack of mental health supports; deep trauma; homelessness; and more.

UW continues to help fund a outreach worker in the U District who builds relationships with people experiencing homelessness and connects them to the help they need – everything from food and clothing to medical care, shelter and mental health and/or substance use treatment. UWPD officers and security guards will keep sharing information about safe places to sleep for those who need support.

Through this combination of short- and long-term efforts 鈥� along with continuing work on addressing the root causes of the significant issues facing our society 鈥� we aim to provide a safer environment for our students, faculty and staff, as well as all members of our surrounding community.

Steve Charvat鈥檚 arrival at the 天美影视传媒 as Director of Emergency Management in 2003 brought with it many firsts. Coming to the UW after serving as deputy emergency director in Washington, D.C. 鈥� on the heels of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and anthrax scares 鈥� Charvat was asked to build an emergency management program at the UW and put some structure around aspects of emergency planning that hadn鈥檛 yet been tied together.

In the years leading up to Charvat鈥檚 arrival, the Nisqually Earthquake shook the region in 2001, the Center for Urban Horticulture was targeted in a firebombing attack that same year, and the Educational Outreach Building was destroyed in a 2002 fire on the site along 25^th Ave. NE that is now the Northcut Landing retail and office space. These incidents and concerns over emergency preparation and response served as the catalyst for development of a dedicated Emergency Management unit.

The UW soon became a model for emergency preparation, becoming among the first FEMA-designated 鈥渄isaster-resistant universities鈥� in 2003, and the first university in the Pac-12 and in the state of Washington to be designated 鈥淪torm Ready鈥� by the National Weather Service. Charvat also teamed up with the City of Seattle to apply for federal grant funding to equip a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center, which opened in Spring 2011. The previous EOC was in a small room mostly used for yoga classes in the dilapidated Bryant Building, which has since been demolished.

After nearly two decades, Charvat is stepping down from his role as director of emergency management to pursue other opportunities.

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e put my mark on the program in laying the foundational elements so that the next generation who lead the program have the tools, knowledge and information available to take it to the next level,鈥� Charvat said. 鈥淓ach drill, home football game, exercise, training, campus incident, storm response, crisis and disaster over the past 20 years tested our plans, challenged our assumptions and provided a number of lessons learned for future improvement.鈥�

Emergency management is not easily or immediately recognizable to many聽and, through planning and a little luck, may be called upon in crisis infrequently 鈥斅爐he past three years notwithstanding. But, Charvat said, people and organizations have immediate needs when a major threat or disaster happens. The UW鈥檚 Emergency Management unit was established to provide a one-stop spot for planning for disasters and coordinated damage assessment, communications, assistance and recovery. With a foundation two decades in the making, the next era of emergency management at the UW is around the corner.

鈥淭he UW is a wonderful place to work and I鈥檝e always been very proud of the partnerships and the expertise within the University dedicated to protecting our mission of teaching, research and public service,鈥� Charvat said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen the program grow, and I am confident that the program will continue to meet the challenges of tomorrow by building on the successes of the past.鈥�

A search for Charvat鈥檚 successor will get underway in winter quarter.

Welcome back to winter quarter, Huskies.

Welcome back to classrooms and labs, lectures, bus and train commutes, locking up your bike, walking across campuses in the dark, watching for snow and ice, and thinking about spring.

We have a few Top of the Quarter Tips for you. Some of these may seem basic, but sometimes it鈥檚 the simple things that keep you, our community and your gear safe.

Think ahead. If you鈥檙e working in an open area, a caf茅, a library or wherever, don鈥檛 leave your things behind and out of your sight in order to get another coffee or use the restroom. It鈥檚 a pain to pack up, but it鈥檚 a bigger pain to lose all your work when your laptop (or phone) walks away with someone else.

Bike theft remains unfortunately too common on all UW campuses. Use a U-lock instead of a cable. We鈥檝e had cases of thieves using power saws on U-locks, but it takes more time and attracts more attention. On the Seattle campus you can your bike鈥檚 make and serial number with UWPD, which gives a chance of the bike turning up when second-hand shops check the database.

More basics:

• Register your cellphone number with UW Alert so you get text advisories and alerts (in addition to emails).
• Download the app so you have another option for quickly reaching 911. SafeZone, also, has a non-emergency 鈥渟afety timer鈥� function for people who walk to and from the Seattle campus. For instance, if you walk regularly at night from Suzzallo Library to your apartment at NE 47^th and Brooklyn NE, activate the app when you leave Suzzallo and it connects with 911 dispatch as a 鈥渧irtual guardian.鈥� If you don鈥檛 arrive at your destination in a certain period of time, 911 will check on you.
• Interest in (206-685-9255) service for the Seattle campus surged last quarter and additional capacity has been added. It鈥檚 not a walk anymore, by the way. This is a ride with a UWPD Security Officer or a Lyft driver if demand means the wait for an officer would be too long. Also, you can hop the night-time circulator bus, Husky , to move around the Seattle campus.

Be aware. Keep connected with your surroundings when moving around campus and around town. The Puget Sound region is experiencing all the challenges of the post-COVID economy and the human crises of unsheltered homelessness and untreated mental illness. Seattle鈥檚 U District is a great neighborhood teeming with excellent food, small shops and entertainment. Capitol Hill, Downtown, SODO, Columbia City and other neighborhoods also have fantastic music venues reachable through the magic of light rail. Be adventurous, but be smart.

UW campuses are public spaces where everyone is welcome. However, not every interior space is open to the public. Locked spaces are for the security of students in residence halls and for students, staff and faculty who work with expensive equipment, privileged data or during hours when not many people are around. Tailgating, allowing someone you don鈥檛 know to enter a secure space behind you, compromises safety for others. This can be complicated at crowded passing times, but it鈥檚 OK to say something to someone trying to trail in behind you, like: 鈥淗i, I鈥檓 Jane. What鈥檚 your name? Do you have your Husky card? We鈥檝e had some weird stuff in the past quarter and I鈥檓 practicing my no-tailgating skills. How am I doing?鈥�

Be kind. That means to yourself and others. It may sound trite, but it鈥檚 true 鈥� everyone is carrying something the rest of us don鈥檛 easily see.

For most of us, being a good friend, ally and bystander takes thought and practice. Sometimes it鈥檚 just going for a walk or coffee, but sometimes it鈥檚 more. For students, each campus has a counseling center ready to help with stress and mental health concerns. For faculty and staff, that help comes via . Maybe your concern about your own well-being or someone else鈥檚 behavior is rising, though. Don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to SafeCampus, the University鈥檚 violence prevention and response unit.

Feeling safe and being safe in our campus communities depends on all of us. Thanks for doing your part.