On the morning of June 4, Simon Fraser University held an exercise to test its emergency response plan in a full scale emergency simulation exercise.
This event involved all three campuses, with a major event in Burnaby involving the West Mall complex and parkade.
The event took place in cooperation with numerous first responders, including BC Ambulance and Emergency Response Team, and members from several police departments. These first responders were joined by SFU Security, along with student and staff volunteers.
In an effort to make the exercise as realistic as possible, volunteers were provided with make-up to simulate a variety of injuries, ranging from simple scrapes and bruises to fatal gunshot wounds. These volunteers were also provided with varying symptoms that could progressively worsen if they were not treated quickly.
Terry Waterhouse, chief safety officer for SFU Safety and Risk Services, was thankful for the expertise and support of the first responders and the participation of the volunteers. In addition, Waterhouse stated that “the exercise was successful in deepening our learnings for emergency response and in strengthening our partnership with the RCMP — for the safety of all members of our campus communities.”
“The safety of our three campuses is a top priority at SFU, and this full-scale test of our emergency response plan is an important step in ensuring that we are prepared in the event of an emergency,” said Waterhouse.
He continued, “In addition to lessons learned, testing our response systems will help us to further develop our education outreach, as we continue to inform and prepare our campus communities for potential emergency situations.”
Several RCMP members also stated that the exercise was a learning experience for them, as it allowed them to utilize their training in a real-life setting, helping to bridge the gap between training and a reality that they hope will never come to pass.
SFU Safety and Risk Services is preparing a more detailed release for the near future, once they have received feedback from all those involved in the day’s exercises.
Counselling services were also made available for those who felt they may have suffered trauma as a result of the simulations.
SFU Security is planning to organise similar events in the future.
