UA Acts of Kindness

May 30th, 2011 - Filed under: Cover Story

UAPD Officer D. Mosley, along with many other members of the UAPD, assisting members of the Tuscaloosa community following the April 27 storm.

Editor’s Note: The April 27 tornado changed the city of Tuscaloosa forever. When we look back upon that day, however, it will be the resilience of Tuscaloosa residents that will stand out, not the ferocity of the tornado. And, it will be the compassion and generosity of our students and employees as they worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the community we love that will define the Capstone. The stories, reflections and pictures in this issue are just a sample of the breadth and depth of countless acts of kindness, a tradition of service that will continue for a long time to come.

Before storm winds stopped, the acts of kindness began. The UA Emergency Policy Group monitored weather conditions in advance of the approaching storms, and prepared to implement the University’s emergency response plans. When the tornado struck Tuscaloosa, the plans became actions.

Because the tornado destroyed the county‘s Emergency Management Agency building, EMA officials quickly relocated to the University’s emergency operations center in Bryant- Denny Stadium, one of the few areas still with power, phones and Internet.

“This allowed for very little time to be wasted in the organization of efforts after the initial impact of the storm,” said UAPD Chief Tim Summerlin.

The Student Recreation Center opened as a shelter to displaced students and employees, a Crimson Ride bus provided transportation and counseling services were offered on site.

Crimson Ride buses were constantly on the move transporting work crews, first responders and volunteers, as well as ferrying supplies wherever needed.

Once the Rec Center was no longer needed by students and employees, first responders and work crews took their place. Not far from the Rec Center, the parking lot along Campus Drive – which normally holds a sea of RVs during football weekends – became a staging area for heavy equipment. The familiar sight of campers was replaced with a hodgepodge of earth movers, fire trucks, police vehicles, tents and power company equipment.

UAPD worked side by side with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, with primary responsibility in the Forest Lake and Cedar Crest areas, two of the hardest hit locations, according to Summerlin. UAPD also worked in Alberta City.

UAPD has served with Tuscaloosa Police, Alabama State Troopers, Alabama National Guard, Alabama Forestry Commission, Pelham Police and several other law enforcement departments dispatched throughout the area. In addition to manpower, UAPD also provided marked police vehicles.

UAPD received support from other areas of the University. UAPD Assistant Chief Lee Harris said, “We had great cooperation from divisions within the UA community, from the Rec Center and Bama Dining housing and feeding police officers from other agencies, to Parking Services providing assistance with barricades and message boards, to Athletics providing cases of drinks and ice, and Facilities providing logistical support in a wide variety of ways.”

On Friday morning, Human Resources employees and volunteers from outside the department began calling faculty and staff, targeting those living in affected ZIP codes. The purpose of the call, said Associate Director for Human Resources Travis Railsback, was to ensure employees were safe. Additionally, affected faculty and staff provided information regarding injuries and property damage.

Those faculty and staff were contacted a second time by HR Service Center employees to see how they were doing and to offer assistance with benefit-related issues, such as replacing insurance cards and prescription medicines, information on available financial resources and EAP resources.

“In most cases, while we were talking with the affected employees, they were as concerned about how we were doing as we were about them,” Railsback said.

In addition to personal calls, HR extended the time periods to submit monthly leave reports and submit/approve time records so that as many employees as possible could submit their time and be paid accurately.

And, HR worked with University Advancement and other areas to establish procedures for the UA Acts of Kindness Fund, both for gifts from faculty and staff to be payrolldeducted and for UA employees and students to apply for assistance. Within days of the storm, the fund began receiving donations. Alumni chapters across the country began holding fundraisers for the UA Acts of Kindness Fund; UA Athletics donated $1 million. As of May 10, the fund was at $1.7 million.

The Division of Student Affairs launched Operation REACH OUT, calling students within those same ZIP codes. The UA call center provided accurate information to students, employees and parents.

As efforts were underway to contact UA employees and students, the city of Tuscaloosa and law enforcement agencies listed hundreds of people missing after the storm. A group of IT staff members created a database for the city to use in accepting and tracking reports of those unaccounted for after the storm. The website, seekandfind.ua.edu, was then hosted on the University server.

MORE:

Support, Counseling Also Acts of Kindness
In the days following the April 27 tornado, the University recognized that in addition to meeting physical needs, there were psychological and emotional needs to be addressed.

Timeline
April 25 The UA Emergency Policy Group began monitoring reports from the National Weather Service and prepared to implement emergency response plans if the campus were affected by severe weather. April 27 At 10:50 a.m. an alert was issued warning of possible severe weather. The UA Emergency Operations Center was activated and staffed by 11:30 [...]

Individual/Student Organizations
What began as a simple idea to use up food in fraternity and sorority houses by cooking and serving it to the community blossomed into Greek Relief, and spread beyond the Greek organizations to other students and members of the community.

Colleges and Schools
As the tornado moved out of Tuscaloosa, the injured flooded into DCH Regional Medical Center. Members of the College of Community Health Sciences and of the Capstone School of Nursing converged on the emergency department to help in those first hours.

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