The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties from 8 p.m. Friday January 27 to 6 p.m. Saturday January 28 due to gusty Northeast winds and very low humidities. The peak of the Santa Ana winds is expected to occur Friday night into Saturday morning, when mountain areas will likely see gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range, while most coastal and valley areas will receive gusts between 45 and 55 mph.

Red Flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service identify time periods when conditions are ideal for wildfires. During Red Flag warnings it is especially important to:

• Report any signs of smoke immediately to emergency responders. If on the Malibu campus call Public Safety at (310) 506-4441. At all other locations report smoke by calling 911.
• Use caution when disposing of cigarettes and ensure that they are completely extinguished.
• Minimize any use of open flame in outdoor settings.

Pepperdine Public Safety is monitoring the situation and is prepared to respond to potential wildfires. Additional information regarding Red Flag warnings and Pepperdine’s wildfire response plans is available on the University’s Emergency Information Page, http://emergency.pepperdine.edu, and in the Emergency Preparedness Guide found in WaveNet beginning on page 14.

Welcome to Pepperdine University’s Emergency Information Web site. CURRENTLY ALL UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS ARE NORMAL.

This Emergency Information Web site may be accessed via a link on Pepperdine University’s Home Page at anytime. You may wish to save the URL for easy referencing in the event of an emergency impacting Pepperdine University in Malibu, or any of its campuses. During an emergency, information on this site will be updated regularly to keep students, faculty, staff, and family members informed with accurate and current information.

In addition to briefings which are posted during an emergency, this site makes it easy for you to obtain the latest information or road conditions affecting the Malibu campus. In the event of an emergency, the latest information will be posted at the top of this page.

Pepperdine’s Toll Free Emergency Hotline: (888) 286-5659.

The recorded message is updated regularly during emergency situations.

Information about current road conditions is also available on the Road Condition Hotline at (310) 506-ROAD (7623).

To report an emergency on the Malibu campus, please call the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4441. At all other California campuses, please call 911. Then call the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4442.

If you have any questions, please call the Office of Public Relations and News at (310) 506-4138.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reports that “All the available information continues to indicate Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories, and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity,” despite the reports of low concentrations of radioactive particles heading eastward from Japan.

On April 8, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that there are no radiation related health risks to individuals outside of Japan. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control remains confident that there will be no serious health consequences here in the U.S.

The U.S. continues to monitor the situation through Radnet, a system of 100 radiation monitors overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pepperdine University officials are also following developments for any changes. Additional information is available from the resources below:

• The California Department of Public Health has opened a phone hotline to address concerns regarding local radiation exposure. The hotline is (916) 341-3947.
• The Centers for Disease Control has also opened a line for those with questions (800) CDC-INFO or (800) 232-4696. Additional information is available on their web site http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/.
• The World Health Organization www.who.int
• The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission http://www.nrc.gov/
• The Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/radiation/
• Southern California Air Quality Management District http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2011/Radiationmonitoring.htm
• EPA link to common sources of radiation exposure in everyday life (please scroll to the bottom of the page) http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/perspective.html

State and federal health officials do not believe that radiation from Japan will create a harmful health threat to the U.S. west coast. Nevertheless, Pepperdine University officials are closely monitoring the situation for any changes. The U.S. Department of Energy has activated the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center to determine how the radiation would disperse in the atmosphere from Fukushima, and we are following that progress. At this time there are no indications of a risk to the U.S. west coast. Pepperdine remains poised and prepared to respond to various types of emergencies; we maintain food, water, medical, and other supplies for use in an emergency, and our staff practices emergency response. We communicate widely to our student community so that all should know how and where to get instructions during emergencies. Please see our emergency webpage at emergency.pepperdine.edu for further information.

A tsunami advisory is in effect for coastal areas in Southern California. The wave surge is expected to be 1-3 feet and arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 this morning. The tsunami does not threaten the Malibu campus. All operations are functioning normally on the Malibu Campus.

Due to a lightning strike, an unexpected regional power outage occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m., which included Pepperdine’s Malibu and Westlake Village campuses. Power was restored to both campuses at approximately 11:50 a.m. Southern California Edison does not expect further interruptions from this situation. Roughly 90,000 customers were impacted. At this time power has been restored for roughly half of those customers.

While maintenance related power outages had been scheduled in the Malibu area, they were canceled due to the approaching storm and were not related to this incident.

For further information on how you should respond and how the University responds to Power Outages please see the University’s Emergency Information Page at: http://emergency.pepperdine.edu/power-outages/.

Contact the Office of Insurance & Risk at (310) 506-4410 with any questions.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Americans traveling in Europe to be vigilant about their surroundings and aware of possible terrorist attacks aimed at both public transportation and tourist destinations. The full alert, which is available at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_europe.html#, urges travelers to remain aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves.  The following is meant to assist you in these two areas.

The Pepperdine University community should take precautions and plan before travel:

• Review the U.S. State Department travel information for your destination city and country.
• Insert as much detail as possible into the International Programs Travel Log regarding your planned destinations and emergency contact information.
• Create a brief emergency plan with your traveling companions including ensuring that you have contact information for each other as well as designating a safe place to meet in your destination city in the event of an emergency.

Remaining aware of your surroundings can provide you information, which may help you to react quickly and safely in an emergency situation.

• Be aware of anything or any person that seems odd, out of place, or suspicious such as:

• Individuals who appear to be observing a location, counting or timing, or taking photos or video in a way that strikes you as odd or multiple times in the same place.

• Individuals who you see unexpectedly in multiple locations or at multiple times in the same location.

• Report any unattended items or baggage in public places.
• Always know where the emergency exits are located at Pepperdine campuses, on public transportation, and at all other locations you visit.
• Avoid large crowds and gathering places for Americans tourists.

If you find yourself in a situation that is dangerous or has the potential to become dangerous:

• Make a decision, trusting your instincts, to take action to protect yourself and survive the situation. Make this your mindset.
• You generally will have two options:

1. Get away: The best thing is get away early. This might include climbing a wall or a fence, climbing out of a window, or breaking from a large group. Scatter away from the location to avoid being trapped. Once in a safe place, alert local authorities, your program director, and your parents to your situation.
2. Hide: If you cannot get away, hide. If possible find a room that locks.

• Blockade the door with furniture or other heavy objects.
• Close the blinds, turn off the lights, remain quiet, silence cell phones, spread out from other individuals, and move behind available cover. Stay on the floor, away from doors or windows, and do not peek out to see what may be happening.

As you are travelling, if you become aware of an emergency in or near your destination city or country, alert the program director and your parents of your status and location as soon as possible. Never discuss your travel plans with strangers or in places where your plans can be over-heard by others.

Please review additional best practices available online in WaveNet by viewing the Shots Fired and Safe Passage videos, and on the University’s Emergency Information Page, http://emergency.pepperdine.edu.

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 “swine flu.”  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an April 27 notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time.  CDC’s notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico.  CDC provides recommendations for those who must travel to an area that has reported cases of swine flu, and recommends measures to take following return from an area that has reported cases of swine flu.  The complete CDC notice can be found at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/.  Please check this site frequently for updates. This Travel Alert expires on July 27, 2009.