Moorpark Fire Watch
Moorpark had the opportunity to practice Emergency Preparedness last week as it followed the progress of the Sesnon Fire that spread from the Porter Ranch area to east Simi Valley on Monday morning, October 13. Although more than 10 miles away, concerned students and faculty traveling from the San Fernando Valley began calling the College almost immediately for school closing information. The Incident Commander (IC) and the Public Information Officer (PIO) coordinated to immediately post an advisory on the college website.
For the next two days, the PIO contacted the Ventura County Fire Department and the Air Quality Management District to provide IC with information necessary to make decisions about college closure. The website was periodically updated throughout the fire watch. Campus departments particularly sensitive to poor air quality, such as athletics, child development, and the teaching zoo were in close telephone contact with Incident Command. By mid-day Thursday, October 16, the fire was being contained. Web and media advisories were discontinued and Incident Command was disengaged. |
