Risk Management and Safety

The Deputy Chief of Police also serves as the University’s Environmental, Health, Safety and Hazardous Waste (EHS / HW) Officer. These duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Directs the implementation of the university EHS / HW Program including: fire safety, inspections, accident investigations, hazardous waste, environmental, safety rules and procedures.
2. Develops and/or makes recommendations for safety/environmental policies as needed.
3. Serves as the liaison for federal, state, and local agencies
4. Oversees testing and monitoring programs for environmentally hazardous areas and processes
5. Directs the Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal Program
6. Makes safety/environmental inspections when deemed necessary
7. Coordinates the campus safety and environmental training program
8. Coordinates the industrial hygiene activities for the campus

In this position, the Deputy Chief of Police oversees a number of addition on-campus programs, including:

Building Coordinators. This program helps ensure that buildings have adequate resources to manage fire alarms, evacuation, as well as respond to man-made or natural disasters when basic emergency service staff are stretched thin.

Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT). This structured FEMA program trains faculty, staff, and students in basic level of disaster response to provide additional support during small to large natural or man-made incidents. Building coordinators and supporting staff are trained assist in building evacuation, fire drills, and fire events when large numbers of people will need to be moved from a building. This program continues to evolve, as does the Building Coordinator Program.

Emergency Management. The Deputy Chief/Safety Officer is a resource for planning and liaison. Working with the Incident Management Team (IMT), the University Emergency Response Plan takes an all-hazards approach to emergency planning and response. The Safety Officer works with the IMT to update this plan. Because the Safety Officer works on a regular basis with the Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) in policing matters, this is a natural relationship for emergency management issues too. From emergency weather briefings, chemical releases at surrounding plants in the parish, to flooding and other events the Safety Officer attends both briefings and can hold a seat in the Parish Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as needed.

Fire Alarms and Building Evacuations. These are managed primarily through the use of building coordinators and their support staff in each building. Emergency responders will manage the actual emergency scene. Building coordinators are also responsible for working with the Deputy Chief/Safety Officer to schedule and manage required fire alarm drills throughout the year.

In-Service Safety Program. This provides a system of safety meetings and training coordinated at the building level by various university staff, who then report completion of the training back to the police department.

• Safety Meetings – General Safety Program

• Quarterly meetings may be reviewed by employees on the Safety website

Hazardous Waste Disposal and Chemical Handling. Chemicals are used on a daily basis in various areas of the university, including classroom settings and in the workplace. The tracking, storage and auditing of these materials falls upon the user department, which usually involves faculty members. Policy, accountability and audit oversight is managed by the Deputy Chief Safety Officer. Any hazardous waste incident or spill triggers a response by the police department, fire department hazardous waste unit and may require outside private contractors to complete any cleanup.

Risk Management Investigations. These usually involve an on-campus injury. University police officers respond to these events and conduct a preliminary investigation. University employees may also be required to complete mandatory reporting. These events are reviewed by the Deputy Chief, who works with the university’s underwriting company, the Office of Risk Management, and other internal university departments.

Policy Development. The Deputy Chief/Safety Officer serves as a resource to university senior management in the development, review and revision of policies concerning a multitude of safety and risk areas. Using the resources of state agencies, vendors, and professional associations, the Safety Officer is able to advise senior staff on best practices.