Wednesday 20 November 2019 9:21pm
An Emergency Exercise will be held on the Dunedin campus next Wednesday 27 November, from 8am to 4pm.
A map showing the area to be closed (outlined in red) and the pedestrian route being offered during the exercise (yellow).
The University will next week put its emergency procedures and responses to the test with a full scale Emergency Exercise being held on the Dunedin campus.
The exercise will take place in the heart of the campus through Castle Walk between St David Street and the University Union on Wednesday 27 November, from 8am to 4pm.
These areas will be closed with barrier tape from 7am and signage will be placed at strategic points, highlighting the exercise area. Although the area will be cordoned off, staff will still have access to any buildings in the affected area. Staff will also be able to move through the campus via the routes marked in yellow on the map (right).
The University’s Emergency and Business Continuity Coordinator Andrew Ferguson, who is coordinating the exercise, says it is incredibly important for the University to test its emergency procedures and responses each year.
“It is important that we train with Emergency Services annually to ensure that we can work effectively together and address any issues that arise. In any emergency, communication and coordination between organisations is key. Training allows us to work on that to ensure that in a real event we know what everyone’s responsibilities are and what assistance we can offer Emergency Services.”
"In any emergency, communication and coordination between organisations is key. Training allows us to work on that to ensure that in a real event we know what everyone’s responsibilities are and what assistance we can offer Emergency Services."
Mr Ferguson says approximately 120 people – including University staff, Emergency Services personnel and volunteer victims – will take part. There will also be a number of observers from Southern District Health Board, Otago Polytechnic, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago Christchurch, University of Otago Wellington, Civil Defence and other Otago staff.
He says the volunteer victims, with simulated injuries, will be present throughout the exercise areas. Emergency Services vehicles will be in the area outside the St David Lecture Theatre complex. There will also be armed Police moving through the exercise areas and possibly of gunshots (blanks), and shouting.
In addition, the University will perform a full, campus-wide, test of its Emergency Broadcast System between 10am and 10.15am. It will play a test message only and will last for one minute.
Staff, students and visitors are reminded that this is only an exercise, albeit a realistic one,” Mr Ferguson says. “We realise it will cause some inconvenience, however we have tried to limit this as much as possible.”