Environmental Health and Safety coordinated and hosted a two-day Damage Assessment course sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on June 9–10.
Twenty-eight engineers, inspectors, architects and safety professionals from across the state met in Illinois State’s Emergency Operations Center where FEMA taught the basic functions associated with how to pre-screen buildings for vulnerabilities to earthquakes, as well as evaluate damaged buildings after earthquakes or weather-related catastrophes such as floods, wind storms and tornadoes. Sessions instructed participants in the federally-recognized standard for performing rapid inspections and placarding buildings.
Nine members of the Illinois State University community attended both days of training and received a completion of certification good for five years. Should an event occur damaging University buildings, this team will be dispatched to assess the facilities (15-20 minutes per building) to determine what level of re-occupancy, if any, is permitted. Following the review of the damaged building, the team will affix color-coded placards to building entrances to control access based on the damage assessment. This is a critical service to help emergency personnel and building occupants know if residents and/or University functions have to be relocated.
Members of the University’s Damage Assessment Team include:
- Jim Ganieany (team lead), Arnold Hernandez, Steve Lancaster and Al Toliver from Facilities Management
- Tony Herter, Mike Johnson, and Rick Kentzler from Facilities Planning and Construction Management
- Don Kunde from Environmental Health and Safety
- Joseph Cleary from the Department of Technology
