URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Imagine heading into your first week on a new job in a snowstorm. And, what if it was your new job to help prepare an entire community for an emergency that might come from the snow?
That’s exactly what happened to Brian Brauer. He’s the University of Illinois’ first-ever Executive Director of Emergency Management. That means he’s a part of the decision-making process in situations like last week’s snowstorm. On Twitter, the University of Illinois Police Department called his first week a “trial by ice”.
Emergency managers exist to plan for this. Brauer had to account for more than 400 campus buildings, staff members, students who still needed to be fed and so much more.
“Starting your first week with an emergency, or a potential emergency, right off the bat, was a great way to see how well we are prepared as a campus, that a snow event like this didn’t become an extreme emergency because it was within the capabilities of our facilities and services,” Brauer shared.
What was left for him was coordinating the school’s closure and keeping an eye on snow removal. He said if things would’ve gotten beyond what the university was prepared for, it would be up to him to call in extra help.
