University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Sgt. Billy Abrams was tweaking some wiring for computers inside a brand new mobile operations center when the news came. A series of explosions had sparked a massive fire at a chemical plant near the New Iberia Research Center.
Abrams quickly wrapped up his work. He and other officers then headed down U.S. Highway 90 toward the NIRC in Iberia Parish, about 30 miles south of Lafayette. They were concerned because the NIRC employs about 230 people and houses about 6,500 primates on its 100-acre campus.
When they arrived, the officers set up the mobile unit about a mile and a half from the burning plant and monitored the blaze via a video camera perched atop a 30-foot mast.
University officials knew a mobile operations center would come in handy one day. They just didn’t expect its shakedown to occur only a week after it was delivered to campus.
“Fortunately, no one was hurt and the NIRC wasn’t affected. But we still had to get workers in and out of the area safely, so the animals could be fed and cared for,” Abrams said. He’s the UL Lafayette Police Department’s public information officer and serves informally as its information technology specialist.
The explosion occurred in June 2011. The mobile command center was so new that workers had to install antennas for its radio system while it was at NIRC. It stayed there for four days, while the fire burned itself out. “We were fortunate that the winds continued to blow away from the center,” Abrams observed.
The 33-foot motor coach is designed and outfitted to serve as a command center for University leadership in any crisis.
The front of the unit is a mobile dispatch center and operations office, with four computer stations and monitors for external cameras. The rear is a command operations room, with a table, seating and an interactive, wall-mounted computer monitor. Officers can also hold briefings outside the vehicle, where an awning protects a large exterior monitor.
The center has an on-board computer server and the capability to manage voice and data communications, including satellite transmissions.
The exteriors of built-in cabinets are whiteboards, giving officers space for handwritten notes, instructions or diagrams. And, there’s an incineration toilet, powered by electricity, which works without a water source or sewage system.
If electricity isn’t available, a generator that runs on regular gasoline can power the Mobile Operations Center.
Grants covered the cost of the $223,500 Mobile Operations Center. UL Lafayette’s National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies center landed and administered a $153,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
University Police received $52,000 in state and parish grants. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided an $18,500 grant.
The mobile unit is usually parked inside Abdalla Hall in University Research Park, where the University has an Emergency Operations Center that was established in May 2011. It is equipped with telephones and computers; it can be used during any emergency.
There are showers and sleeping areas on site, as well as a kitchen. Key campus phone lines can be transferred seamlessly to the Emergency Operations Center.
“We could run the campus from the EOC, if necessary,” said Joey Pons, director of the University’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety. “Because of our geographic location, we deal with hurricanes and other weather-related events on a regular basis. But we have to be prepared for man-made events, too.”
UL Lafayette has an approach to safety and emergency preparedness that universities and communities have adopted nationwide. “In the past, emergency response was compartmentalized. We tried to anticipate a variety of possible circumstances. Now, we have an all-hazards approach to emergency planning,” Pons explained.
That means identifying resources in advance and relying on people with a diverse range of skills and training.
The University has an emergency preparedness plan that is based on best practices and has been reviewed by international experts and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It also conducts regular training and drills.
“This functional plan engages all aspects of the University, including planning, operations and logistics. It enables us to keep the University operating, even if an event lasts for days at time,” Pons said.
“We can’t anticipate every circumstance, but we are as prepared as we possibly can be.”