UGA Building Safety and Security Representatives

TO: Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, and Department Heads

FROM: Arnett Mace, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Tim Burgess, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration

SUBJECT: ACTION REQUIRED—Designation of Building Safety and Security Representatives

Efforts continue to better prepare the University of Georgia to respond to potential emergency situations and major disasters. Building Safety and Security Representatives provide an essential role in emergency planning and response. Although the Building Safety and Security Policy has been in effect for more than a year, in the absence of a formalized registration process, compliance has been inconsistent. This makes building-level emergency planning, response, and communication less reliable. If you have not yet done so, please immediately designate one Primary, and at least one Backup Building Safety and Security Representative, for each occupied building under your control. Once designated, instruct your building representatives to register no later than August 15, 2007 at the following Web site: https://busfin1.busfin.uga.edu/osepforms/buildingrep.htm

Please note:

• Representatives should be designated for both on-campus and off-campus facilities.

• Individuals named as primary representatives should be in responsible positions that enable them to make administrative decisions for the building occupants during a crisis situation.

• Most emergencies will require a building-level response rather than a departmental-level response; therefore, identifying appropriate representatives may require collaboration across departmental lines when multiple departments occupy the same building.

• To ensure the capacity for 24/7 response and full representation throughout the building, designation of “building safety teams”—with one primary representative and a number of backup representatives—is recommended.

• Building representatives should also register for UGAAlert, UGA’s new emergency notification system by visiting: http://ugaalert.uga.edu/.

After August 15, 2007, the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) will conduct orientation sessions for all building representatives. You may read the Building Safety and Security Representatives Policy and “Frequently Asked Questions” at the registration Web site (https://busfin1.busfin.uga.edu/osepforms/buildingrep.htm). If you have additional questions after reading the policy and Frequently Asked Questions, please contact the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness at osep@uga.edu or 706.542.5845.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this important matter.