University
Social Work Adds Fun to Emergency Prep
- The School of Social Work was praised for its creativity while playing The Go Game on campus.
By Cadonna Dory on March 30, 2009 7:51 AM
Emergency preparedness was the theme of an annual retreat held on March 18 by staff members from the USC School of Social Work.
Instead of having a day full of speakers highlighting what to do in case of an emergency, some 60 staffers participated in a scavenger-hunt type game in which players raced across campus completing missions, taking photos and making videos.
Many of the missions forced participants to think about what to do - or not to do - when an emergency strikes.
The game was designed by The Go Game, a company that helps organizations succeed through innovative team-building exercises. The company customizes each game to fit the needs of its clients.
“In creating the game, we integrated information from the emergency preparedness curriculum into our offbeat missions and wound up with an experience that energized the participants without trivializing the lessons,” said game master Greg Snyder.
Steve Goldfarb, the USC fire safety and emergency planning specialist, was not surprised by the School of Social Work’s creativity during the event. He said of all the schools on campus, this one is leading the way in terms of prepping its faculty and staff for an emergency.
Goldfarb and David Carlisle of the USC Department of Public Safety were a part of the retreat’s morning agenda, which included a viewing of a training video about workplace violence and a panel discussion featuring the two safety officials; John Gaspari, executive director of USC’s Center for Work and Family Life; and Carmen Frierson, associate dean of administration for the School of Social Work and a member of the retreat’s planning committee.
Following the “Shots Fired” video, Carlisle stressed the importance of always being prepared. Whether it is a fire, earthquake or a shooter in the building, people need to have a plan of action.
Although fairly uncommon, workplace violence and school shootings can happen, said Carlisle, who noted the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. There are usually clues that a co-worker or peer may be a possible threat, Carlisle added.
“We all have a responsibility,” he said.
Weeks prior to the retreat, School of Social Work staff members received tips via e-mail about where to find emergency supplies, what to do, how to act and who to call if a situation occurs. Throughout the day of the retreat, staffers participated in raffle drawings and were given rewards if they could answer questions developed from the tips.
Latest University stories
- Life on the Rez February 9, 2012 12:10 PM
- Professor's Analysis Followed in Prop. 8 Court Ruling February 9, 2012 7:52 AM
- MSW Student Takes Leadership Role February 9, 2012 7:36 AM
-
For Journalists »
-
USC in the News
for 2/8/2012 »-
The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
-
-
Campus News
- Capital Connections
- USC faculty, staff and alumni in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento
- In Print
- New and recent books written or edited by USC faculty and staff
- Family Matters
- Achievements and awards
- Obituaries