Fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and smoke detectors aren’t free. Personnel to plan for emergencies don’t work without pay either.
As part of the anti-terrorism package of bills in the state Legislature, public colleges and universities with more than 25,000 students are required to appoint an emergency management coordinator.
But since colleges already are state-funded, no additional money is allotted to provide for the position.
“We made universities have an emergency manager, and I saw it as a potentially unfunded mandate,” said Rep. Chris Kolb, D-Ann Arbor.
As part of revising the Michigan Emergency Management Act, one bill, introduced by Rep. Gary Newell, R-Saranac, revised it to include colleges and universities.
Kolb introduced a resolution seeking funds from the state and federal government for emergency planning on college campuses.
“The universities recognize the need for it,” Kolb said. “But without state funding, it’s a cost of doing business. Most universities have two areas of funds - state appropriations and tuition and fees.”
MSU police Lt. William Wardwell is one of two emergency management personnel at MSU. Wardwell oversees emergency action plans for all of campus.
“We have a very extensive basic plan that outlines how we would operate in times of a disaster, and specific plans for events, like football games,” Wardwell said. “Every building on campus has an emergency action plan.”
Plans are posted in hallways and on the wall of every classroom on campus. Residence halls have escape routes posted in hallways and eight fire drills a year.
“Within each residence hall they have their own safety plan,” University Housing director Angie Brown said. “All of the rooms are wired for smoke detectors, and we’re working with the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety so that when a fire alarm goes off, public safety is immediately notified.”
Kolb said false alarms aren’t as common on campus as one might imagine.
“We don’t get as many as we used to,” Wardwell said.
Students are educated about emergency planning through newsletters, postings in their hallways and written posters in classrooms.
“We encourage professors to point them out so people are aware of them, and each building has an emergency action plan that’s several pages long,” Wardwell said.
With increased funds, Wardwell anticipates adding a full- or part-time staff member and building on existing plans. At University Housing, Brown said the university will stay on top of safety standards.
“We’d probably install sprinkler systems throughout the residence halls and keep them up to code,” Brown said. “We’d keep the equipment we have in top working order.”
