A Message from President Gash: Pepperdine’s Emergency Preparedness

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Each year, Pepperdine shares this message to keep you informed of our emergency response plans and to highlight the vital role preparedness plays in keeping the community safe. As we begin a new school year, you can take comfort in knowing that safety remains our highest priority.

Pepperdine operates like a well-equipped, self-reliant small city. We maintain our own fire trucks, emergency response personnel, 24/7 facilities staff, emergency food and water, health and counseling centers, and resident faculty and staff who assist in emergency responses. We are prepared to act as our own first responders during initial crises or utility disruptions until local first responders can reach campus. We use well-rehearsed protocols to evaluate risks and can open pre-planned relocation centers if necessary.

Pepperdine’s Emergency Operations Committee leads the University during challenging moments and posts their latest information on Pepperdine’s Emergency Information Page. Timely, accurate, emergency alerts are shared with the University community via the University’s mass notification system, Everbridge, which allows messages to be sent to all faculty, staff, and students, via cell, office, and home phones, emails, and text messages. To ensure that you will receive such alerts, please take a moment to ensure your contact information is listed correctly in WaveNet. 

We also rely on proactive safety programs and community resources:

  • Department of Public Safety (DPS): DPS officers are on campus 24/7 and their dispatch center is also available anytime at 310.506.4442 (non-emergency) or 310.506.4441 (emergency)
  • LiveSafe App: Allows users to send tips to DPS, access emergency procedures, and use SafeWalk for peer-to-peer virtual escorts on/off campus or abroad.
  • International SOS: Provides 24/7 global concierge medical and security assistance for those in our international programs.
  • Threat Assessment Team: Pepperdine’s multidisciplinary team of University leaders, Counseling Center staff, and outside experts who meet regularly to evaluate and address potential threats and alert law enforcement as appropriate.

Our emergency plans are living documents, continuously evolving to employ global best practices and lessons learned. While we hope our emergency plans remain unneeded, we are ready. 

We look forward to a rewarding, successful, and safe academic year together.

This entry was posted in International Campuses, US Campuses.