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BOWMAC Software Inc. has developed the REDI™ for Campus Incident Management II web-based solution for colleges and universities. It is designed to bring you into compliance with Homeland Presidential Directive-5 (HSPD-5), which requires college and universities to use the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in their planning and response.
View article on day-to-day compliance.
Colleges and Universities across the country are examining their "Crisis Plans" in light of the new reality created by the events of September 11, 2001. Traditional practices need to be challenged given the potential for violence, destruction of key systems, liability and general vulnerability of the college population to acts of terrorism. Campuses are unique in terms of the vulnerabilities that exist. They typically have fostered open access to sensitive areas such as Computer, Biology, and Chemistry Laboratories. Many Campuses house or operate large computer systems that are used by or a part of critical information systems that are national in scope. Knowledge and documentation of who has had access, the types of projects people are working on in off hours have suddenly taken on new proportion. It is no longer just an issue of preventing equipment and supplies from being stolen, but a real concern over what is being produced and for what purpose. Colleges also have large numbers of students from other countries on student visas, one of the prime vehicles used by terrorists to enter the country. It has become critical that a more global approach to managing "campus-wide" and "community-wide" events is needed. There is often a lack of clarity regarding roles, who's in charge, policy verses operational decisions and how to interface with off campus resources. [ back to top ] Features/Benefits
"REDI™ for Campus Incident Management II" acts as more than a "Disaster or Emergency Plan", which we believe is essential to its effectiveness for your organization. By focusing on "Incident Management", especially in pre-planning for non-emergency events, the Incident Management Teams develop capability and competence with the Incident Command System. The Comprehensive Emergency Plan mirrors the plans that are required by State and Federal Agencies for Community Planning around the country. Most campuses have "Crisis Response Plans", which are much more limited in scope. If there is widespread damage, recovery and contingency planning most certainly involves the entire campus community. And even without widespread damage, a high-profile event will need long-term consequence management. Other issues, such as student and staff notification, student housing evacuation, rapid access to state and federal assets, along with expanded communications, clearly require coordination and good emergency management. This cannot happen without a well-designed Campus Incident Management System. Identifying and equipping designated locations as Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) is a critical preplanning step that will reduce confusion at the point of an event. "REDI™ for Campus Incident Management II" provides a big step in that process by providing the forms and checklists necessary to function in the Incident Command System model. Attempting to organize this during an incident will only serve to extend the crisis phase, which usually results in additional property damage and/or injury. A major benefit of the web-based system is its ability to allow organizations to share experiences and gain insight as to what others have faced and how they responded. Your Planning Officer in the EOC will be able to access a secure area where other campuses have provided after-action reports on a variety of incidents and "get ahead of the curve" with his/her planning activities. This area will grow richer with time and use and should prove to be an invaluable tool in the future. Our Web Site itself will be a resource for clients with timely articles and links to topical information, i.e., everyone's sudden need to find out all they could about protecting ourselves from Anthrax attacks. [ back to top ] Training Elements
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