Department of Emergency Management

The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) provides planning, preparedness, training, business continuity services and management for all potential hazards to the Cal Poly campus.

Mission & Goals

DEM’s mission is to support our students, faculty, and staff to ensure that as a university we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards that may impact our campus.

Our goal is to develop, maintain, and sustain a campus-wide, comprehensive, all-hazard, risk-based emergency management program that engages the whole community.

Cal Poly's Emergency Operations Center team and volunteers in a simulated disaster

Alongside developing and maintaining campus-wide emergency management programs for potential campus hazards, DEM manages the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is a collaborative coordination system through which recommendations and frameworks are developed and presented to Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and his cabinet.

Accomplishments

Emergency Management is a continuous cycle that ensures our campus is ready for any emergency. It starts with Mitigation, where we identify risks and take steps to reduce potential damage. Preparedness focuses on planning, training, and equipping our teams to respond effectively. When a disaster occurs, Response is the immediate action we take to protect lives and property. Finally, Recovery helps our campus and community bounce back and rebuild stronger. Below are key accomplishments in each mission area that demonstrate our commitment to keeping Cal Poly safe and resilient.

Mitigation
- Hazards and Vulnerabilities Assessment (HVA) conducted to identify risks and vulnerabilities
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) performed to assess potential operational disruptions
Preparedness
Planning
- Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Rewrite
- Developed 5-Year Strategic Vision and Planning Matrix
- Developed and adopted Severe Weather Hazard Specific Annex
- Developed Duty Officer Program, enhancing readiness
Organizing
- Maintaining Building Emergency Response Coordinator (BERC) program
- Established Cal Poly Red Cross Club (CPRCC)
- Helped launch the California Emergency Response Corp (CERC) externship program for CSU campuses to cultivate and inspire the next generation of Emergency Manager
- Helped revive Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
- Serves as standing members on CSU Systemwide Emergency Management committees
- Formed public/private partnerships with local pharmacies and Cal Poly departments to plan and host community-wide vaccination clinics
Equipping
- Secured $100K School Communications Interoperable Grant Program
- Transitioned to Rave Alert for mass notification
- Relocated Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from Campus Core to Mustang Business Park
- Adopted GIS capabilities for emergency response
Training
- Designed and delivered emergency management trainings
- Presented on behalf of Cal Poly's Public Safety Unit at numerous New Employee Orientations
- Developed and hosted the 2023 CSU Emergency Management Conference
Exercising
- Soggy Poly Functional Exercise
- Poly Express Functional Exercise
- Regional Active Shooter Drill
- Great SLO-Cal Shakeout
- SLO Burn Functional Exercise
Response
- EOC Activations for:
- Mutual Aid Deployments:
Recovery
- Secured $6 million in post-incident recovery funds
- Supported campus-wide recovery efforts after major incidents

Response Roles & Responsibilities

Emergency Management's coordination roles and responsibilities begin at Type 3 incidents or disasters, involving multiple business units. The table below illustrates the national framework that the Emergency Management profession operates under.

Incident Type	Description	Qualifying Incidents	Potential Resources Utilized
Type 1	Most complex Requires national resources and coordination	Major hurricanes Large-scale terrorist attacks Pandemics	National response teams Federal agencies All available local and state assets Military support Specialized disaster response teams like urban search and rescue Comprehensive incident management teams
Type 2	High complexity Requires regional resources and coordination	Regional wildfires Major earthquakes	Regional and federal resources State emergency management teams Multiple mutual aid systems Specialized equipment Mobile hospitals
Type 3	Medium complexity Requires state and local coordination Affects two or more business units	Smaller wildfires Flooding events	State and local emergency services Mutual aid from nearby jurisdictions Specialized teams Regional assets
Type 4	Low complexity Managed with local resources Maintain awareness, should complexity expand	Small hazmat spills Isolated search and rescue	Local police Fire departments Local public health Single jurisdiction Specific task forces like a hazmat team

Authorities

Emergency management relies on a structured set of legal authorities that guide preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. These authorities ensure coordination among federal, state, and local governments, as well as educational institutions like Cal Poly. Below is a breakdown of the key emergency management authorities that impact our operations.

Federal
- Interstate Civil Defense and Disaster Compact (1951) - Establishes cross-state disaster response cooperation.
- Robert T. Stafford Act (1988) - Authorizes federal disaster relief and emergency assistance.
- Homeland Security Act (2002) - Established the Department of Homeland Security.
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive 11 (HSPD-11) (2004) - Enhances terrorist-related screening procedures and strengthens security measures while safeguarding civil liberties.
- Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) (2006) - Strengthened FEMA’s response capabilities.
- Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8) (2011) - Defines national preparedness policies.
- Federal Continuity Directive 1 (FCD-1) (2017) - Establishes requirements for federal executive branch continuity programs to ensure critical operations continue under all conditions.
- Federal Continuity Directive 2 (FCD-2) (2017) - Provides guidance for identifying and validating Mission Essential Functions (MEFs) and Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEFs).
- National Incident Management System (NIMS) (Ongoing) - Standardizes incident response coordination.
State
- Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) (1993) - California’s emergency management structure.
- Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) (1996) - Enables mutual aid across states.
- California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement (Ongoing) - Defines mutual aid responsibilities among state and local agencies.
- Governor's Executive Order - Emergency Preparedness for State Agencies - Development of Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government (COOP/COG) plans.
California State University System
- CSU Executive Order 1056 (2010) - Establishes the CSU system’s emergency management framework.
Cal Poly
- Campus Administrative Policy 162 (CAP 162) - Provides the framework for emergency management at Cal Poly.
- Campus Administrative Policy 383 (CAP 383) - Outlines Cal Poly’s Business Continuity Program.

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