Emergency response will be put to the test at Rockhampton North campus

CQUniversity is set to put its emergency notification alert system (ENAS) into action, within a fully simulated critical incident environment.

A joint emergency services real-time scenario will be delivered on Tuesday, 31 March, with the Queensland Police Service at the Rockhampton North campus.

During the scenario, actors will play various roles, and emergency services personnel will be involved as part of their ongoing training. Some actors will have realistic moulage injuries applied and QPS members will use training weapons and blank rounds (like a paintball gun).

If you will be on the Rockhampton North campus on Tuesday, 31 March, either for classes or to access facilities like the Library, keep reading for more details and how to prepare…

Will all of Rockhampton North campus be included in the scenario?

While the scenario will be held in and around the Engineering precinct, the exercise will impact the entire Rockhampton North campus.

All students who are on campus on the day will take part in the exercise, during the emergency lockdown procedure.

Director of the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Professor Judith Brown admires the moulage injuries (simulated wound) on Theatre student Hayley Long during a scenario for Paramedic Science in 2015.

Can I opt-out?

The scenario is designed to be as real as possible. If you think you will find this distressing, we recommend that you speak with your unit coordinator or teacher in the first instance and raise your concerns.

CQUniversity has a confidential Student Counselling service to support you.

Townsville paramedic science students participated in a multi-casualty emergency scenario in 2019.

How can I prepare for the day?

Prior to the critical incident response scenario, you can prepare yourself by:

  • Noting the date on your calendar, so you are not alarmed on the day.
  • Organising water and refreshments as you could be locked down for a long period of time, and will need to supply your own food and drink.
  • Ensuring your contact information is up to date in MyCentre.
  • Downloading and signing up to the free SafeZone App on your mobile device. Please ensure you sign up to the app using your student email address and once logged in, check you have turned on notifications for Rockhampton North.
  • Watching this video.

How can I find out more?

To help us prepare for the day, all students who will be on campus during the scenario, either for classes or to use the facilities, are invited to attend a short information briefing at any of the following dates and times:

• 11 March 2020, 11 am – 12 pm, in Building 29, Ground Floor, Room 07
• 18 March 2020, 11 am – 12 pm, in Building 29, Ground Floor, Room 07
• 25 March 2020, 11 am – 12 pm, in Building 29, Ground Floor, Room 07

This will be a fantastic learning experience for all involved and will help us to further assess the effectiveness of our current procedures.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact OHS-Unit@cqu.edu.au.

Mae Swarbrick (https://cqunilife.com)

Mae Swarbrick is a current student, studying part-time in the Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts, and working full-time as Student Communications Officer. Mae's ongoing experience as a current student is invaluable in her role as leader of the Student Communications team. Combine this with practical experience in the call centre, Admissions and Student Communications teams, and she’s ready to share some first-rate uni hacks for new students. Follow Mae on #How2Uni.


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