The National Weather Service has named UNL as Nebraska's first StormReady university.
The certification, earned via a comprehensive, yearlong review process, was presented to UNL Police Chief Owen Yardley on Aug. 12. The NWS StormReady program started in 1999 as a way to help communities establish communication and safety plans designed to save lives and property before and during major weather events.
"UNL is proud to be the first university in Nebraska to receive this certification," Yardley said. "This outside review of our procedures by experts in the field has been extremely valuable. The certification shows that UNL takes preparation for severe weather or severe incidents seriously."
The National Weather Service has awarded StormReady certifications 33 times in Nebraska. The awards include 24 counties, five cities, a commercial site, a military base, a supporter and, now, UNL. A complete list is available online at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/com-maps/ne-com.htm.
Yardley said the idea to pursue the NWS certification came from Mark Robertson, UNLPD's emergency preparedness coordinator.
"When we looked at the requirements to be StormReady, we found that UNL already had most everything in place," Robertson said. "Really, pursuing this certification was a great way to show that the plans we have in place are up to snuff."
To earn the designation, UNL had to meet StormReady guidelines for a community between 15,000 and 40,000 people. Those include establishing a 24-hour warning alert system; setting up four ways for the university to receive NWS warnings and alerts; issuing alert notices to campus via three methods; monitoring hydrometeorological data from three sources; offering three annual weather safety talks; creating hazardous weather operations plans and holding annual visits with NWS officials.
"One of the places UNL shined is in the planned response after a severe weather event," Robertson said. "The NWS reviewers were impressed with how our emergency operations center and team come together and how we offer support and coordinate responses after damage occurs."
UNL Alert, a system that issues text messages and emails in response to emergency situations on campus, also played a key role in earning the NWS certification. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to register devices to receive the alerts.
Robertson and Yardley also credited partners outside the university — including the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and Lincoln-Lancaster County Emergency Management — for helping UNL earn the designation.
"The key to successful emergency management is through establishing partnerships with other local and state organizations," Robertson said. "We each offer unique resources that, when combined, allow for a quick, efficient response when needed."
Information about UNL's emergency procedures is available online. Robertson said faculty, staff and students are encouraged to review the information as a way to prepare for potential emergency situations.
— Troy Fedderson, University Communications