Drills prep students for airborne threats

The Daily Pennsylvanian

If terrorists released an airborne toxin on campus, would you know what to do? Penn safety officials are trying to make sure students know what steps to take.

The Division of Public Safety held shelter-in-place drills -- designed in part to prepare students for a terrorist attack -- in three college houses last week.

During the drills, students gathered together in corridors to practice what would happen if an airborne toxin like anthrax were released near campus.

The University plans to hold 15 more drills in buildings around campus by May 15.

A statement sent to all residents of DuBois, Harnwell and Harrison college houses said the drills were being conducted so students would know what to do "in the event of the release of hazardous airborne contaminants."

Ted Bateman, Penn's director of Fire and Emergency Services, said that preparation for emergencies such as natural disasters, chemical accidents or terrorist attacks is critical.

"This could happen because there was a tanker carrying noxious fumes that crashed on the highway," Bateman said.

The University created an emergency plan that did not include such drills for students and staff in the summer before the September 11, 2001, terrorist strikes. Since those attacks, Penn has expanded the plan to include the shelter-in-place drills -- 53 of which were conducted in 2005 -- in addition to standard evacuations like fire drills.

During last week's shelter-in-place drills, students in the high-rise college houses were instructed to leave their rooms and gather in the corridors of odd-numbered floors.

But some students did not see the point.

Harrison resident and College senior Cristina Ferrell said she did see how gathering in the halls would increase safety.

"It just didn't make any sense," Ferrell said. "I don't see why the odd-numbered corridor air would be any safer than the other corridors or the air in your room."

Bateman said the only reason to have students gather on odd-numbered floors is to know where students are in a crisis.

"There is no difference between the safety" of each floor, he said. The policy "is for uniformity."

Even so, Ferrell said she did not think that students would be safer during a crisis after participating in a shelter-in-place drill.

"It's like in the 1950s, when if there was an atomic bomb you go under your desk," she said.

Though the purpose of drills is to accustom students to procedures in the event of an emergency, confusion marred the process during Harrison College House's drill last Wednesday.

Ferrell said a fire alarm sounded during the shelter drill and students gathered in the stairwells instead of the corridors -- an unexpected occurrence that Bateman said he is looking into.

"The important thing is that everyone did what was right" after the fire alarm was activated, he said.

Though some students did not see the point of the drills or chose not to participate, Bateman said students who don't take the drills seriously are risking their lives.

"Especially in a high rise, when there are so many people there, it is important to take every alarm seriously," he said.

Danielle Qi, a College and Wharton senior and residential adviser in Harrison, said that "there was some confusion" because of the fire alarm, but added that such drills are important for student safety.

"I am sure it is necessary," Qi said. "A lot of people don't [participate], and every time we have an alarm, people don't know where to go."

Preparing for the worst - The Division of Public Safety conducted 'shelter-in-place' drills last week in three college houses - The exercises are part of a revamped emergency plan implemented after Sept. 11 - During the drills, residents gathered in the hallways on odd-numbered floors

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