By By Maggie Biunno

Controlling nature and other potential threats is virtually impossible, but the University can be prepared for other disasters.

Even though the University is less susceptible to deadly hurricanes because of its location, there are other situations that can have devastating repercussions. Being equipped with emergency plans is necessary to ensure safety. But even more important is the awareness of such plans.

“Since we haven’t had anything other than a fire evacuation, I wouldn’t feel prepared for a situation,” Adam Doyno, a senior political science major, said. “But I trust that public safety knows what they are doing, because if they have contingency plans, that means they have already thought about it.”

The University has not one, but approximately 25 different emergency plans for situations; varying from hurricanes and floods, to bomb threats and disasters involving hazardous materials as well as many others. These plans are revised yearly in order to keep the University up-to-date with the most current problems and the best solutions to these dreadful situations.

“I feel that 25 plans of action are sufficient in keeping our students safe from a disaster of great proportions,” freshman Courtney Enriquez said.

Edward Bracht, the director of public safety, explained how the University does all they possibly can to ensure the safety of the students. Through reviews and revisions, the plans are constantly being improved. When situations such as Hurricane Katrina arise, the members of the public safety department are put on alert.

“When we were notified about Hurricane Ophelia, we went and checked our supply of flashlights and the fuel in our trucks,” Bracht said.

The department also made sure that extra workers were available at all times of the day in order to assist during a disaster.

Last year, Kroll Inc., a risk consulting company, reviewed the University’s emergency plans. Their emergency management assessment summary included a positive evaluation of the public safety department as a whole and gave praise to the University’s emergency strategies.

“Based upon the Kroll’s review of Hofstra University’s Emergency Notification and Response Plan and interviews conducted with Hofstra’s faculty and staff, the University has a comprehensive set of emergency procedures in place and well-trained personnel who are able to respond to an incident on campus,” read a statement in the report.

There are many factors that contribute to producing a successful emergency plan. Depending on the situation, there may be advance notice, but occasionally individuals are not so lucky. The University Arena is a safe shelter if a disaster were to occur. There is also a generator outside of the arena that is used during emergencies.

Conference Services and every residence hall has extra linens, mattresses and supplies that are used throughout the year and in case of an emergency.

In conditions that have not reached a dangerous point, commuters and residents might be advised to leave campus and go to their homes. If a situation is extremely hazardous, the University would then work as a team with Nassau County Offices of Emergency Management.

In the past, public safety has worked against the power of horrific incidents in order to keep the University safe. Through the tragic events of 9/11, Bracht immediately made arrangements for commuter students to be as comfortable as possible.

“We knew they would have no access to the city, so I called local motels and Twin Oaks early in the morning,” Bracht said.

Through 9/11 and other events, such as the power outage in August 2003, the University has constructed a group of emergency plans that prove learning from experience makes the overall result better. The Kroll report noticed this aspect of the University’s plans and said: “policies and procedures have been drafted to respond to a variety of scenarios based on past experiences and best practices.”

“It is nice to know that Hofstra has the safety of the students first in their mind,” Jessica Ferguson, a sophomore accounting major, said when learning about the many different plans for all situations. “You would never think a terrible disaster would occur, but after Hurricane Katrina you never know what to expect.”

Professor E. Christa Farmer, a paleo-oceanographer who works in the geology department, studies climate changes over long spans of time, but was able to relate to the risk of a hurricane hitting Long Island.

“There is increased evaporation over warm water,” Farmer said, explainingwhy hurricanes form in the equatorial region. “The evaporation fuels the atmosphere into creating energy, which forms a storm.”

According to a report from Science Magazine titled, “The Recent Increase in Atlantic Hurricane Activity: Causes and Implications,” since the late 1980s, there has been a rise in the numbers and frequencies of hurricanes.

“The question is whether they increase in strength due to anthropogenic effects,” Farmer said.

Kerry Emanuel from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote a letter to the Nature Publishing Group. In it, he stated that through the research of mathematical calculations over time, the intensity and duration of hurricanes have increased.

“The winds move the hurricane west into the Gulf of Mexico or sometimes they go north,” Farmer stated. This increasing strength gives the hurricane more energy to come up north. With this important information, it is vital for students to be aware to look out for situations where emergency procedures might need to be used.

Although a fire alarm should always be taken seriously, there are always people that tend to ignore it. In the case of a horrible disaster or storm, the University would make sure each student was informed of the plan either by e-mail, phone or, if needed, a staff member would come to the dorm and relay the message.

“Katrina was a wake-up call, just like 9/11, to learn that evacuation must be taken seriously,” Bracht said. “The biggest part can be reviewing the plans, but you need to have people accept and implement.”

“I know it’s difficult to make plans for the entire student body, plus the faculty and anyone else that might be on campus,” Jean Kempster, a sophomore political science major said. “But I’m glad that Hofstra is ready for any type of situation that could happen,”

Since a situation like a hurricane or snowstorm is never the same twice, it is difficult to prepare for the safety of the whole University. Bracht concluded that he is pleased with the results of the University’s emergency procedures.

“We’re as prepared as we can be,” he said.

The generator outside the arena is among several precautions the University has in place for emergencies. (Anastasia Tsioutas/The Chronicle)