Office of Emergency Services Annual Report 2022-2023
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background. San Francisco State University’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) was formed as a new department in 2020 immediately prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. OES was primarily occupied with pandemic mitigation and response in its earliest months. Consequently, FY 22-23 was the first full academic year during which OES was able to launch a strategic and comprehensive emergency preparedness program. In developing initial departmental priorities, OES used two primary sources: 1) Audit Report 19-38, Emergency Management, an audit which resulted in 11 major categories of findings aligning with CSU Executive Order 1056 Emergency Management; and 2) SF State Strategic Plan Mission, Vision, Values and Strategic Priorities.
Strategic Planning. OES developed its own Vision Statement to align with SF State’s Strategic Plan and initiated a comprehensive assessment of campus capabilities and gaps to assist in the design of a forward-facing strategy. Highlights from FY 22-23 included an expansion of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) roster; establishment of formal training requirements; hosting multiple EOC trainings and exercises; expanding campus community trainings on emergency procedures and personal preparedness; and increased relationship building with on- and off-campus partners.
Emergency Response and Improvement Plans. The EOC activated 5 times during FY 22-23:
· August 27, 2022: Power outage
· October 19, 2022: Power outage
· December 2, 2022: Electrical hazard and power outage
· February 14, 2023: Power outage
· March 14, 2023: High winds
Following each activation, a debrief was conducted resulting in an After-Action Report (AAR) to be shared with stakeholders. The goal is that each emergency result in process improvement; to that end, each AAR included an Improvement Plan with action items resulting in tangible improvements. Examples of these programmatic improvements include the creation of an Academic Liaison role in the EOC, development of a briefing form to streamline communication with the Policy Group and additions of emergency procedures guidance to the OES website.
Relationships. Underlying all the work of the Office of Emergency Services is a commitment to developing and maintaining strong relationships with on-campus stakeholders, neighbors, and City and State partners. It is with great pride that OES has become integrated with San Francisco Department of Emergency Management bi-monthly meetings, American Red Cross SF Leadership Council monthly meetings, Merced Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association quarterly meetings and has launched Resilient Southwest San Francisco neighborhood resiliency hub. These efforts are fundamental to the strength of the department and directly impact our campus’s ability to respond and recover from emergencies.