UTHealth Trains Area Safety Liaisons in All Things Safety

Have you thought about what to do during building fire drills or an actual fire event? Fortunately, trained University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) employees are available to assist during various emergencies and to encourage safety knowledge among all employees.

The annual Area Safety Liaison (ASL) training was held in September, providing ASLs with their annual training requirement. UT Police at Houston (UT Police) joined representatives from Safety, Health, Environment, and Risk Management (SHERM) and the Office of University Relations and Equal Opportunity (EO) to discuss critical processes, awareness, knowledge and responsibilities in regards to fire drills, fire alarms, police incidents, and other dangerous situations. UT Police participated in the event with a general campus safety presentation that was presented as part of five scheduled ASL training events held at several UTHealth campus locations.

ASLs are trained volunteers located throughout the UTHealth campus that are assigned to oversee a specific area within the vicinity of their own workspace. They help identify and address potential safety and security issues and are responsible for reporting safety hazards to SHERM, reporting security concerns to UT Police, and facilitating evacuations during an emergency. In essence, because they know their people and places best, ASLs are the front-line “eyes and ears” for safety and security.

Scott Patlovich, assistant vice president of SHERM, led the training and shared information on what to do during an emergency. He reminded ASLs of their role during critical incidents: Providing assistance during building fire drills or during any potential real fire events to ensure all individuals in their area are evacuated, accounted for, and safe; and identifying building occupants who may need assistance during evacuations so that appropriate plans can be made.

Deana Moylan, deputy Title IX coordinator for EO, provided an overview of Title IX and how it applies to employees, students and residents. She also shared information on how to report a sexual assault and resources available to victims.

Bryan Evans, risk and emergency preparedness manager, discussed how critical information is shared with the campus population during an emergency.

UT Police Sgt. Gabriel Wisneski provided an overview of departmental services, including reminders to employees and students about the importance of wearing institutional photo ID badges, securing personal property and reporting suspicious behavior. Wisneksi ended the training with a brief general campus safety presentation educating attendees on how they can participate in their safety.