IEMA announces Parkland College attains ‘Ready to Respond Campus’ designation
Parkland third campus in state to complete program requirements

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[May 02, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD – Parkland College in Champaign today was recognized by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) as the third institution of higher education to achieve the Ready to Respond Campus designation after completing the program’s rigorous campus safety criteria.

Parkland College was one of nine campuses in Illinois that participated in a 2013 pilot of the Ready to Respond Campus program. The IEMA initiative is aimed at enhancing campus safety through a comprehensive, community-based preparedness and response effort, including public safety, campus administration, faculty and students.

The voluntary program is now open to all institutions of higher education in Illinois.

“The Ready to Respond Campus logo tells students, parents and others that safety is a top priority on this campus,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “It’s not easy to satisfy the program’s many criteria. I applaud Parkland College officials for tackling this challenge and, as a result, becoming only the third campus in Illinois to achieve this enhanced level of campus safety.”

Joseph presented the college with a plaque bearing the Ready to Respond Campus logo. The college can use the logo on official correspondence, websites, brochures and other media. The designation is valid for three years, at which time Parkland College officials can submit updated documentation in order to renew its status.

“Parkland College is honored to receive this designation from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency,” said Parkland College President Tom Ramage. “Parkland College is committed to the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus. The Ready to Respond Campus designation is an affirmation that we have the policies, procedures and training in place to respond to any emergency that may occur.”

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To achieve Ready to Respond Campus status, a college or university must meet criteria that address hazard identification, risk assessment and/or consequence analysis, operational planning, incident management, training and exercise. In addition, the campus must develop and maintain a violence prevention plan and implement a campus outreach and education campaign.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Richland Community College achieved the Ready to Respond Campus designation in 2014. Joseph said several other campuses currently are working toward the designation.

The Ready to Respond Campus program is the latest component of Illinois’ Ready to Respond effort. IEMA announced the Ready to Respond Community initiative in 2012. Additional information about the IEMA Ready to Respond program is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

[Illinois Emergency Management Agency]

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