Community colleges are prepared for emergencies

The Ventura County Community College District, including Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges, became the first of the state's 72 community college districts to be fully compliant with the established federal and state training requirements for emergency preparedness.

"Ventura County Community College District has done an outstanding job in setting a model practice on the importance of emergency preparedness," Chancellor Diane Woodruff said.

The Disaster Resistant California Community Colleges project began in early 2007 under the direction of a statewide task force partnered with regional and local emergency preparedness organizations and has worked to improve readiness across the colleges.

The program has conducted a systemwide survey and nine regional training workshops, organized a hazards/risk assessment at more than 100 colleges, secured $900,000 in grant funding, created public/private partnerships, prepared for a range of hazards including pandemic outbreaks and manmade and natural disasters.

For more information, visit emergency.cccco.edu.