More and more businesses are realizing the importance of having a continuity plan that workers can turn to in the face of emergencies. Businesses small and large are crafting plans to prepare for, respond to, and recover from events such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or disease outbreak.
Students in University of Minnesota professor John Shutske's course were able to tap into his professional network on a "real-world" emergency planning exercise with the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC). The class met with MCC safety and security manager Patrick Fleming, who briefed students on the facility's preparedness plan.
"Like all work in public health, students do their best if they immerse themselves in and listen to the needs of the community," says Shutske. "In this class, they learned about the vital assets that their client wanted to protect from harm."
Students had 24 hours to create a guidance document that they would present to MCC officials. The guidelines--based on a post-9/11 national standard known as NFPA 1600--could be used to supplement MCC preparedness practices. The students chose to focus on preparedness and response planning surrounding the food service functions at the MCC.
"I was impressed," says Fleming of the presentation. "The students were committed to putting out a good product."
Fleming, who has worked in safety and security for 30 years, says he was happy to "learn a thing or two" from the students.
"It takes a lot of work to set the stage for this type of class," says Shutske. "But once the class begins to roll, it's incredibly enjoyable when everybody wins."
Return to: School of Public Health : Academic Health Center : myU : U of M Home
