To Enhance Readiness for Classes, Daytona Beach Campus Plans Readiness Exercises

Faculty and staff at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus will soon take part in a series of “contingency exercises” to enhance readiness as the university prepares to resume face-to-face instruction on June 30.

The scenario-based exercises are designed to help employees prepare for contingencies related to Covid-19 health precautions now in place on all of Embry-Riddle’s campuses.

Leading up to a full-scale exercise, the Daytona Beach Campus will conduct a virtual tabletop rehearsal on Thursday, June 18, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. for representatives from Academics, Campus Safety, Housing, Facilities, Health Services, and Student Affairs.

In addition, individual department and facility “dry-runs” will take place prior to their reopening, to assess required equipment and procedures. Embry-Riddle’s Prescott and Worldwide campuses will conduct separate exercises to enhance readiness prior to reopening their facilities and classrooms.

The first large-scale, in-person exercise – set for Thursday, June 25 from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. – will take place at multiple locations on the Daytona Beach Campus for participants from Academics, Campus Safety, Housing, Facilities, Health Services, and Student Affairs.

As examples, employees taking part in the upcoming exercises may be challenged to handle these or other hypothetical scenarios:

• How should a resident advisor respond if a student becomes ill?
• If a faculty member becomes ill, what actions must be taken, by whom?
• What should be done if a visitor fails to stop at a wellness station first?
• How should personnel respond if too many students are gathered in one spot?
• If someone refuses to follow health precautions, how should staff respond?

Employees selected to participate in the June 25 event will receive an email invitation. On the day of the event, be prepared with a laptop, pen or pencil and notepad from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Faculty or staff who would like to volunteer as “role players” in the readiness exercise should contact Georgia Fogle, Corporate Relations Research & Support specialist, at fogleg@erau.edu.

President Butler has noted that “by rehearsing how best to handle an array of potential events, Embry-Riddle is working to help employees feel better prepared and more confident as they return to campus.” The upcoming exercises “are all part of our effort to safely welcome students back to campus, in keeping with the university’s Path Forward strategy and Best Practices Guide,” he said.

Jackie Litzinger
Director, Campus Safety & Security
Daytona Beach Campus