Friday, February 09, 2018

No matter what kind of weather Mother Nature may send, UNCW knows how to be prepared. The university received the StormReady Certification from the National Weather Service on Feb. 7; this marked the fifth time UNCW has obtained this recognition. When the university received its first certification 10 years ago, it was the first member of the UNC System to become a StormReady university.

StormReady, a program sponsored by the National Weather Service, is designed to help communities improve communication and safety skills to save lives and property in the event of an extreme weather event. By receiving training for this certification, UNCW is even better prepared to handle inclement wet weather – a reality that comes with its coastal location.

After a review process that includes site visits, equipment demonstrations, training, and National Weather Service review of policies and procedures, Assistant Director of Environmental Health and Safety/Emergency Manager Eric Griffin was pleased to announce that UNCW had received the certification, which lasts for two years.

“The certification provides additional reassurance to the campus community that an independent expert body (the NWS) has reviewed our policies, procedures, training of personnel, and warning equipment, and determined that, if implemented correctly, would increase the likelihood of survival if a tornado were to strike campus,” said Griffin. These same competencies can be applied to any weather-related challenge the university may face.

“UNCW is a leader among UNC System institutions in addressing potential campus hazards and working with internal and external partners like the National Weather Service to mitigate those hazards,” said Griffin.

EH&S collaborates with the University Police Department, the Office of University Relations, and Facilities to ensure operational efficiencies across campus. The department also offers a variety of training programs to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental health and safety regulations and to minimize risk.

-- Matt Stephenson ’20M

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