By Michael Travis
Editor in Chief
As the United States approaches war with Iraq, the possibility of more terrorist attacks on American soil continues to grow.
In fact, the Department of Homeland Security recently raised the terror warning level from yellow to orange, indicating there is a serious risk of terrorist activity within the country.
In response to these perceived threats, a team of Pepperdine administrators has been working diligently to prepare for any emergency situation that may occur as a result of terrorism or impending war.
Most of the plans are similar to ones already in place for various natural disasters that occur in Malibu, like floods, mudslides, wildfires and earthquakes.
However, there are a few differences.
“In some ways, planning for terrorism is the same as planning for ‘conventional’ emergencies, and in some ways it is not,” Associate Vice President Phil Phillips said in an e-mail interview. “Many of the differences impact ‘behind the scenes’ work, like security and heightened vigilance.”
While most of the details concerning behind-the-scenes measures are kept secret for security reasons, administrators said some of the details would be noticeable.
A press release by the Office of the General Counsel outlines some of these changes.
“Depending on the level of the threat, these measures may affect tours, events, access to university facilities, and parking among other activities,” the statement reads.
According to a presentation given at a March 5 president’s briefing by Gary Hanson, Pepperdine vice president and general counsel, there are five main questions the university is seeking to answer concerning terrorism.
The first concerns the actual potential of a terrorist attack occurring on one of Pepperdine’s campuses.
Toward that end, a group of Pepperdine administrators met with a corporate security firm with expertise in terrorist attacks. According to Phillips, the meeting was productive but confirmed a suspicion that the group already had: Pepperdine is not a likely terrorist target. He also said that no institution was immune from an attack, so preparedness is essential. Others involved in the process echoed that sentiment.
“We are an unlikely target for a terrorist attack,” Hanson said. “Having said that, I will also say that terrorism is unpredictable, so we need to be vigilant, we need to be aware and we need to be prepared.”
Meetings with other Pepperdine campuses have also taken place.
“Director (of Public Safety) Earl Carpenter and I are meeting with each of our educational center directors to discuss the state of their emergency planning,” Phillips said. “Thus far, I am very pleased with the level of preparation.”
The second question involves what the university can do to mitigate risks of a terrorist attack.
In order to accomplish this, administrators are promoting a “neighborhood watch” mentality within the university community.
“The key is to use good common sense and vigilance,” Hanson said at the briefing. “If you see something out of the ordinary, like a package in a bathroom or a vehicle that looks like it shouldn’t be there, or even an individual that is acting in a strange way, it’s time to pick up the phone, call 4441 and let Public Safety know.”
The university is also in constant contact with local, state and national authorities to Carpenter, director of Public Safety, recently visited the State Department in Washington, D.C.
Pepperdine regularly examines lists released by the federal government that describe potential terrorist targets. So far, the university has not been on the list.
“We’ve layered on an additional level (of security) where we will respond in an even greater way if Pepperdine is specifically listed as a terrorist target,” Hanson said.
The third question administrators are asking about terrorism involves specific emergency plans if an attack does occur.
According to Assistant Vice President Shirley Roper, there is only so much that a university can do to prepare. Many of the things Pepperdine will do are similar to responses to other disasters, like fire or earthquake. In instances of greater magnitude, Pepperdine will have to rely on outside help.
“The bottom line is, we will have to look to our governmental authorities and agencies for assistance,” Roper said. “We have fire trucks and we can be the first responders, but the first thing we would do is contact local authorities.”
Roper also said a good place to find information about what to do in an emergency can be found in the back of the Pepperdine student handbook, as well as in disaster preparedness pamphlets given to students at the beginning of each year.
Various campus departments have also been given specific information regarding emergency plans.
“We have made contact with a number of department heads to confirm emergency plans and supplies are in place,” Phillips said. “These (departments) include but are not limited to Public Safety, Facilities Management and Planning, Housing and Community Living, the Student Health Center and Pepperdine Campus Dining.”
Phillips also said that the university has plans in place to maintain food, water and supplies on campus for use in an emergency, and that these supplies would last a minimum of seven days. Pepperdine also has arrangements with other universities to transport food and water to the Malibu campus if needed.
Actually, the fourth question administrators are asking involves working with other universities in what they are doing in response to the threat of terrorism.
“We want to be on the leading edge,” Hanson said.
And the final question that Pepperdine is looking to answer is a way to inform the university community about what is being done.
“We are in the midst of planning our annual evacuation drills for the Malibu campus,” Phillips said. “Public announcements will be forwarded to the campus community about general emergency preparedness. Also, the directors of our international programs are communicating with their residents on the subject.”
While terrorism may be a great threat to the country, Pepperdine administrators stressed that there is a line between planning and over-planning.
“We want to respond appropriately,” Hanson said. “We don’t want to over-respond and create an atmosphere of fear on this campus that hinders us from doing the good work we want to do.”
According to Hanson, that means being responsible.
“We want to plan, we want to be prepared and we want to act as responsible citizens,” he said.
Personal Preparedness
• Carrying Pepperdine identification cards at all times is recommended.
• Prepare for delays at campus entrances and in getting access to certain university buildings.
• Find out where the nearest two or three shelters are likely to be located.
• Discuss your planning with friends/coworkers/local family members.
• Identify alternate meeting place in case of separation.
• Alert family members outside the area of your plans.
• Make arrangements for your special needs.
• Store sufficient personal survival supplies.
• Store supplies to sustain you during relocation.
• Make arrangements for pets. In the event of a disaster or pending
disaster, the university will not maintain a separate shelter for pets.
— Information courtesy Department of Public Safety
March 20, 2003
