A 60-page emergency plan doesn’t help much in the case of a tornado or open shooting.

That was University Police Lt. Todd Short’s thinking when he decided to consolidate hundreds of individual building plans into one comprehensive plan for the campus.

 Until now, the University has not had a campus-wide emergency plan.

The Building Emergency Action Plan includes a simplified version of existing plans, essentially laying out two options: get out or stay in, depending on the emergency.

The cooperative effort is being headed by the University police department, the campus code compliance and fire safety section of the planning division of Facilities and Services and building administrators.

The plan also includes rescue assistance areas where people, including those who are physically or mentally disabled, can go if they are not able to evacuate or get to a safe area, according to the plan.

“My goal is to give people as few things to think about as possible to expedite their (emergency) response,” Short said.

These plans not only include University properties, but any Greek or private certified housing that falls within the boundaries of University Avenue in the north, Lincoln Avenue in the east, Windsor Road in the south and Neil Street in the west.

“We’ve been (working) very quickly because not only do we have an obligation and responsibility to assist people with (emergency plans), it’s just the right thing to do,” Short said.

He said each building on campus is unique, and the people who work in these buildings would know them best.

The plan will eventually be available in an online format that will be accessible to first responders at emergency scenes.

Bob Rauber, department head of atmospheric sciences, originally got involved with the project in order to bring the University to storm-ready status. Rauber had also been working toward achieving National Weather Service StormReady certification for the University and realized the two projects integrated well.

“The idea of storm readiness really has evolved with the disasters that have happened,” Rauber said. “We’ve seen that there is real, life-saving potential through preparation awareness.”

In order for the campus to be certified as StormReady, all buildings on campus must meet certain criteria.

First, a disaster plan must be in place, and second, staff must have access to building plans so students can be informed as well. This can be done by notifying students as to where they can seek shelter during the first few minutes of their first class, Rauber said. Also, all buildings must be inspected to determine whether there is a tornado refuge area.

“We don’t want people telling people to go somewhere that might be locked or might be closed until we know what’s all there,” Rauber said.

The third aspect is proper signage on campus buildings indicating shelter.

“Right now, it’s very spotty on campus,” Rauber said. “If you look around, you won’t find many buildings with tornado signs on (them). They generally don’t lead you to the place you should go. We want to fix that.”

The Building Emergency Action Plan has been in the making since May 2012. The plans for the first 100 buildings are expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2013, and, all together, more than 200 buildings are expected to be completed by May 2013. About 40 buildings have already finished their plans. Short said the plans will be updated every 11 months.

“It’s a lot of work, it’s a labor of love, (and) it’s a labor of respect for the University,” Short said. “I’ve been affiliated with this area for 40 years. I went to school here, and it’s not only what I do for a living, but it gives me great joy to be able to feel like I’m really making a difference one building at a time.” 

Tyler can be reached at tadavis2@ dailyillini.com.