What Emergencies Have 115 US Community Colleges (Not) Planned For?

A dive into the hazards included in emergency plans of community colleges in California and Pacific islands.

While you might think that institutions of higher education are good at learning, a quick look at their emergency planning suggests otherwise. Emergencies which happen with relatively high frequency, such as suicide or cyber attacks, are rarely considered in college’s emergency plans. On the other hand, threats occurring with relatively low frequency such as active shooters, bomb threats, and terrorism — feature highly. If you work in higher education and felt ill-prepared for today’s emergencies, the only consolation I can offer is that you are not alone.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) lists 137 accredited institutions on their directory, covering California, Hawaii, the Territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of these, 115 colleges have made their emergency plans readily available online; this article presents the initial findings from looking at which threats were included in these plans.

The Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education, jointly published by the US Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security…