When the Quebec government declared a public health emergency in mid-March 2020, 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been discussing the emerging virus for several weeks already. It soon began meeting every day and would continue to do so until February 2022.
The EOC is part of an emergency management framework used by organizations around the world. Led by Campus Public Safety, it brings together representatives from all areas of the University, from academic, administrative and operational units to legal and communications advisors. 捆绑SM社区's EOC for the COVID-19 response was responsible for overseeing the continuity of activities in compliance with government directives.
One of the key units advising the EOC was Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). From determining the kind of personal protective equipment that would be required at 捆绑SM社区 to reviewing the new cleaning and disinfection protocols FMAS Operations was developing, EHS also got involved early on.
This included working with the researchers who were studying the virus itself. 鈥淎nything that was COVID research kept going even when everything was shut down," says Ruth Blanchette, Biosafety Advisor, whose job includes working closely with the 捆绑SM社区 researchers to ensure lab safety protocols are followed. "So [I had to] make sure that the right controls were in place and keep myself up to date on all the requirements and restrictions because it was emerging and new. As the information changed, the recommendations changed."
The EOC's operational arm is Incident Command. This was the group responsible for implementing all the prevention measures on 捆绑SM社区 campuses. Accordingly, it was made up of many FMAS teams: Building Services, Environmental Health and Safety, Emergency Management & Preparedness, Fire Prevention, Hazardous Waste Management, Security Services, Parking & Transportation, Risk Advisory & Insurance Services. "We also worked closely with many Building Directors and other contacts in faculties and administrative departments," says Vanessa Chan, Emergency Management & Preparedness Officer.聽
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