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From terror attacks to flu, organization prepares students for emergency situations
By Jenny Albers
jalbers@mscd.edu

With the recent anniversary of Sept. 11, September may be a good month for students to start thinking about what they would do in an emergency situation.

One Metro student is working to prepare himself and others in the case of an emergency.

Brian Gardiner, a junior, is heading up the Student Emergency Response Organization to educate and prepare students for emergencies that could potentially happen in Colorado.

The organization will focus on emergency preparedness and management.

His hope for SERO is to raise awareness on campus and to educate students in the steps they need to take in order to prepare and cope with emergency situations.

With terrorist attacks or a flu pandemic possible, he said, the time for emergency preparedness education is now.

The organization will also attempt to organize volunteers to provide first aid and assist local authorities in the case of a disaster.

“We want to be in the thick of it,” Gardiner said. “Learning how to manage and organize people in these already tense situations can help responders focus on the things they need to do most, (to) save lives.”

Gardiner said emergency preparedness has been part of his life since he was a child, and that he has known CPR and first aid since the age of 7.

“Emergency preparedness is part of who I am,” he said.

One way SERO will help inform the public is by having an emergency preparedness fair on campus each semester.

Gardiner said the organization will try to build relationships with established organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, which will be encouraged to participate in the campus events.

Gardiner hopes to have the organization registered with Metro by the end of September.

He then plans to hold weekly meetings in order to discuss what actions need to be taken in order to educate students on how they should prepare for disaster.

All students at Auraria are encouraged to attend.

To keep the cost of joining low, Gardiner hopes to fundraise by selling one-liter bottles of water on campus.

He believes that by doing this, the group will both raise money and educate students that one liter of water is a two-day ration during an emergency.

In the meantime, Gardiner said students should have a 72-hour emergency kit at all times as well as a winter emergency kit in their cars for the upcoming season.

But most of all, he said, education is the key to disaster preparedness.

“The education part cannot be underestimated,” he said. “That is what leads everyone to action.”
If you would like to learn more about SERO, contact Gardiner at bgardine@mscd.edu.