Getting to Know the Team that Keeps Us Safe

Dear Colleagues,

I recently attended a huddle of the Security, Safety and Emergency Management team. I was able to hear how the team keeps us, our patients and the public safe while they are on our MU Health Care and School of Medicine campus.

Then, just days later, I was able to see these efforts firsthand when a fire occurred on the seventh floor of the Medical Sciences Building of our medical school. I am proud to share just a glimpse into how this team responded.

Steve Potter, life safety compliance coordinator, immediately responded and used a fire extinguisher to suppress the fire. Chesly Manning, security captain, along with Security staff and Engineering Services staff, began coordinating site security and onsite response efforts with the Columbia Fire Department.

A centralized response effort was quickly established and led by Josh Creamer, administrator on duty, who took on the role of incident commander. Chesly, along with Taylor Veach, security investigator, assisted Amber Lashley, director of patient experience, in facilitating access to the building so faculty and staff could retrieve their personal belongings.

Through a coordinated response involving team members from across our health system, local partners in emergency management, and MU campus and emergency responders, we were able to re-open the majority of the Medical Sciences Building in just two days. This is truly impressive and speaks volumes of everyone’s professionalism and dedication to our mission.

The huddle I attended included several staff who gathered to discuss various procedures and operations for the day.

It is abundantly clear to me how important this team is — their efforts allow health care providers, educators and researchers to accomplish our mission to save and improve lives through exemplary clinical care, education and research. We cannot accomplish our mission without a well-organized and effective Security, Safety and Emergency Management team.