Every university has their form of emergency plan. For some, they are mostly about how to handle an “active shooter” but other institutions have plans specifically related to the danger their location presents. Here at Baylor, we have detailed plans on how to handle tornados and hurricanes. There are loud speakers on the outside of each building, and voice command systems throughout each residence halls. If a tornado was seen near the campus, everyone around would know about it almost immediately, and hopefully, would know where to go to keep themself safe.
At Santa Clara we had emergency plans in the case of a sigfinicant earthquake. There are portable storage units across campus that store water and MREs and medical supplies. Staff on campus know the location to meet and respond to get more instruction if all of the phone lines and communication have been cut. We kept walkie talkies and fresh batteries at our front desks at all times. (We also had a significant plan in place in the case of a plane crash, since we were less than 3 miles from the San Jose airport).
And at Westmont, we had a plan in place in the event of a wildfire in the hills about campus. As an staff member, I heard a lot about the famous Sycamore Canyon fire of 1977 where a few campus buildings were narrowly saved from burning down. Our staff was trained to lead students to the “fire-proof” gymnasium if any reports of a fire were heard locally.
I guess the thing is… you plan and you plan and you plan for these events and then for the most part they don’t happen. But then, last night, in the dry brush above the residence hall I called home for 2 years in Montecito, California, it did. A small fire started in an area of the foothills called the Tea Garden and within minutes, because of the typical strong, dry winds of the early evening hours, the flames were threatening the campus.
I guess the good news is that the emergency plan worked! Students were ushered down the hill to the gym (many of them with no chance to grab anything), firemen arrived to work to protect buildings, and the community came together in support and concern for each other. The bad news is that the campus could not be protected this time - not like it was in 1977. Four academic buildings and four small residence halls burned to the ground. Fourteen faculty homes at the outskirt of campus were also destroyed - some of whose owners are not even in the country this semester. I’ve been watching the news, reading the reports, and feeling just a portion of the devastation that is being experienced by the members of the community who are still there.
A co-worker of mine at the time, Mark, has been a residence hall director at Westmont for many years… close to 20 now if not more. From what I’m reading, his family’s home, in the midst of the campus, was destroyed. I’m not exactly sure why, but this news was what sent me over the edge.
My heart is so heavy right now for the Westmont community, and for the other hundreds of people whose homes were completely destroyed with virtually no warning within the last 18 hours. I wish I could help in some way… and feeling unable to help is no fun at all. I guess what I can do is send my thoughts and my prayers. I’ve always said that even when I leave a university to move on to another community, I still consider it part of the world that I can call “home” and I’ve never felt that more strongly than I do right now.
More pictures taken on Friday morning here.