(June 21, 2019) — Following a June 7 site visit of the UTSA Emergency Operations Center, an evaluation of UTSA’s application and review of the university’s current warning and preparedness capabilities, the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio (NWS) has reaccredited UTSA as a StormReady University for another three years, through 2022.
The NWS StormReady program helps prepare communities, universities and businesses with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and preserve property during a severe weather incident. The program ensures that warning capabilities and clear procedures are in place to assist decision-makers and emergency managers in strengthening local preparedness programs.
UTSA was first certified in 2010, and recertified in 2013 and again in 2016. This is its fourth recertification.
During the recertification process, the NWS noted that the overall quality of UTSA’s campus preparedness programs was excellent, and the university was fully adapted to meet the needs of its diverse populations.
“When developing our campus preparedness strategy, we seek to identify how students, faculty, staff, and visitors receive and interpret information differently, then we adapt our programs and services to meet those needs,” said Lorenzo D. Sanchez, UTSA director of emergency management. “Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility, and we aim to provide our university community with emergency planning resources so everyone knows what to do and how to stay informed during an emergency.”
UTSA has over 140 designated severe weather shelter areas across its four campuses. The full list is available at the UTSA Alerts website along with other safety tips and information.
