On Feb. 5, tornadoes ripped through the campus of Union University in Jackson, Tenn. The tornadoes rolled over university dormitories and buildings leaving only wreckage.

According to CNN news, Union University President David Dockery said, “It looks like a war zone, cars and trucks thrown from one side of the campus to the other.” The disaster left nine students hospitalized. In Tennessee alone 31 people were killed due to the tornadoes.

The storms in Tennessee raise the question, is Butler’s campus prepared to deal with such a disaster?

According to Butler’s acting police chief and coordinator of Butler’s emergency response team, Andrew Ryan, the campus has a plan already mapped out for such an occurrence. The emergency plan would start upon getting notification of severe weather.

BUPD would assign an officer to monitor the progress of the storm. They would then test all emergency generators, first aid kits, roof drains and review evacuation procedures.

In the event that severe weather or a tornado is actually detected on campus, BUPD would secure and lock all cash registers or rooms containing money or safes. They would also shut down all electrical equipment, including computers that could be damaged. The incident command system, which is a chain of command from top to bottom, would be set up immediately as well.

The emergency response plan can be seen on the BUPD Web site and Ryan commented, “The university emergency response plan was approved in 2006.”

According to Ryan and the emergency response plan, students living in residence halls are to be notified by the actual Marion County early warning system sirens. Residents are supposed to seek shelter in the lowest point of their residence halls upon hearing the sirens.

But, are students actually doing this and is this plan sufficient?

Sophomore Residential College resident Chelsea Jensen said, “After Union University, it makes me nervous.” After two tornado warnings in the past two weeks -- when sirens did go off -- Jensen commented, “There should be more awareness of what we need to do.”

Jensen’s roommate, sophomore Abby Plaspohl, agreed.

“I don’t think we need a drill but maybe just some kind of a statement telling us what exactly we need to do,” Plaspohl stated.

Jensen and Plaspohl both decided to go to the basement of Residential College after the sirens went off and the weather proceeded to get worse.

Ryan gave another safety precaution, “Getting under a desk or in a closet while on the floor (if you can’t get to the lowest floor) is also an option.”

Ryan also stated there is not any new action being taken after the Union University disaster.

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