Earthquake may be unlikely, but university is ready

by | Apr 4, 2011 | News Slider

Lipscomb students are prepared mentally for tornados, floods and fires — but  perhaps only recently began wondering about earthquakes. The recent earthquakes in Japan have rattled many Tennesseans, especially in the western part of the state, which rests on the New Madrid fault line. Though disaster from a quake in West Tennessee is unlikely to reach Nashville, but Lipscomb is ready anyway. It has been around 200 years since Nashville’s last earthquake. Kathy Hargis, Lipscomb’s Director of Risk Management, said that “by all predictions, we are long overdue one.” Hargis said Lipscomb has an “all hazards approach” to handling any type of disaster, including an earthquake. This means that the university would be self-sufficient for a period of seven days if a natural disaster were to occur. “We are prepared to sustain around 1,500 students,” Hargis said. “We have bought bottled water, which would last about two days and large bulk water for the remainder of the week. We looked at Sodexo for food, along with purchasing dried fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter crackers and 2,400-calorie bars.” All of these emergency items are dispersed around campus in places like Allen Arena, the Student Center and in surrounding storage sites.  That way if one building collapses, all is not lost. Allen Arena would be used as an emergency shelter where an assortment of medical supplies would be available. A medical clinic could also be set up in the Baptist Sports Clinic underneath the arena, so cuts and broken bones could be treated and IV bags could be administered. Lipscomb has partnered with Red Cross and has plans in place with a trauma doctor...