BY AUGUSTA STATZ
September is National Preparedness Month, and while the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) provides a plan for citizens of Chatham County, SCAD has their own.
According to Jeff Smith, SCAD’s head of security and transportion, SCAD has its own Emergency Management Plan that would be carried out in the event of an emergency.
Here’s how SCAD students can be better prepare for an emergency before one occurs.
Before the emergency:
Update contact information
“The way we get the word out to everybody is through emails, text messages, things like that,” Smith said. He urged students to make sure that their contact information, including cell phone numbers, are up to date, because that’s how students will be notified during an emergency situation.
Know what to take
You don’t have to have a bag packed and waiting by your door, but you do want to have an idea of the things that you would need to take with you in an emergency. Smith suggested having a blanket and a pillow, toiletry items, medications and anything that would fit in one carry on bag. CEMA also recommends taking important documents such as passports, social security cards and bank account records.
During the emergency:
Know how and where to relocate safely
Students that own cars will be asked to evacuate on their own and aid others without transportation. Plan ahead and know where you are going. Go home or to a friend’s house, but have a plan. Try to let someone know where you are going, so that all students can be accounted for once the evacuation is complete. Students who do not own cars are to board SCAD buses bound for the Atlanta campus. Buses will be leaving from the Weston Dyson area. If it looks like the evacuation will last for a few days, students will be allowed to leave for home from the Atlanta airport.
If you ride a SCAD bus, pets will not be permitted. The transportation on Chatham Area Transit buses, provided by the City of Savannah, that leaves from the Civic Center does allow pets, however.
Know where to find information
If you need to find out information about evacuation times or more details about the emergency situation, know that you can visit MySCAD or the CEMA Facebook for more information. Residential assistants will be in charge of notifying people in the dorms, and they are also a good source of information.
For more information about emergency preparedness visit CEMA’s website.
