Mississippi universities’ chiefs of police, law enforcement and emergency personnel met at Jackson State University Wednesday for the first of what could be a regular series of conferences to address emergency preparedness.
Titled the JSU IHL Partners in Preparedness Conference, the event was open to first responders from across the eight campuses of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.
The gathering was welcomed by JSU President Carolyn W. Meyers, who told the group that JSU was pleased to host the conference and that the university would be willing to help coordinate or host future meetings.
Universities should concentrate on security, she said, “so students can concentrate on learning.” For emergency and security personnel, she said, “the object is to respond quickly and effectively.”
“The forum was Dr. Meyers’ idea,” said Lindsey Horton, JSU’s associate vice president for Public Safety. The goal was to share information across campuses so that all universities could benefit.
The agenda included sharing tips on training, communication and safety techniques, said Willie Gray Jr., JSU emergency manager.
Each university shared questions, challenges and useful information.
Studying recovery issues from natural disasters and information about the National Incident Management System were also discussed.
Meyers said future conferences could be useful for continuing the dialogue and sharing best practices for emergency management.