Campus Emergency Management at UMBC: Roles, Planning, and Practice

Abstract

College campuses and Universities are complex, high-density environments where health emergencies can escalate quickly and require coordinated, well-structured responses. UMBC operates a multifaceted emergency preparedness framework distributed across the Campus Emergency Management (CEM) program within the UMBC Police Department and the Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) office. Together, these departments jointly oversee prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and continuity of operations for a diverse campus population that includes undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, visitors, contractors, and community members.