Kaley Patterson
Staff Writer
Oklahoma has its fair share of weather, but around this time of year Cameron University begins to prepare for intense thunderstorms and destructive tornadoes.
Recently, Senior Director of Public Affairs Josh Lehman sent out an email to students, faculty and staff informing them of the protective areas across campus and Lawton’s use of sirens. Lehman said Cameron University wants its students and faculty to be aware of what the warnings are and where safe locations are on campus.
The Cameron website has a detailed list of the shelters on campus varying from restrooms, enclosed interiors and basements. Each protective area has a sign designating its location.
Similar to the city of Lawton, Cameron has its own siren/sound system. This past fall, the university installed loud speakers across campus on the roof of various buildings.
“We have the ability to do a verbal outdoor message, if needed, to let people know of particular emergency situations,” Lehman said.
Lehman said people cannot hear the speakers inside buildings, but Cameron has an Emergency Communication System (ECS) that has the ability to alert students, faculty and staff of server weather by text message, phone call and email.
Alerts from the ECS automatically go to Cameron email addresses, but if students, faculty and staff would like to receive text messages, phone calls or alerts to another email address, they can update their information on their Aggie Access. Lehman said Cameron also uses the system to inform students of class cancelation due to inclement weather.
Vice President for Student Services Jennifer Holland said Cameron not only wants to prepare the students, faculty and staff for severe weather but also its housing’s Resident Assistants.
“We train our RAs in where the safe places are,” Holland said. “We train them on emergency response. Oklahoma weather is so crazy that it could be gorgeous outside, and by 4 p.m., you could be dealing with severe weather.”
Holland said that RAs are trained in August and January to go over the different safe places and emergency responses. Each residential area has severe weather shelter areas.
According to Holland, the Shepler Towers are built so firmly that if students take refuge in the core of the building, the lounge or bathroom, on either floor, then they will be safe. Shepler residents can also seek shelter in the basement under the cafeteria, but it does not have the capacity for everyone. Holland said residents would be safer in the severe weather areas on each floor.
Holland said that in each building in the Village, residents are supposed to take refuge on the first floor of the building.
“We have reinforced the hallways with steel, the whole hallway, and students will want to close the doors,” Holland said.
Students living on campus can also prepare themselves for severe weather by being mindful of the weather, making sure that their contact information is up to date on the ECS and to check the weather if they are traveling.
“I would encourage students to get a text alert when there’s severe weather,” Holland said. “This again is just a reminder that if my county, Comanche county, is under a thunderstorm warning or a tornado watch or warning. Knowing what the differences of those are, I think is really important.”
Holland said students should also be aware of high winds; during that time, they need to stay away from glass, go into an interior area and cover their heads if they have that ability.
If students would like more information about how to prepare for severe weather, they can visit cameron.edu/ops/tornadosafety.html.