Be smart about emergencies and disasters

To: UCSC Community

From: Patrick Goff, Executive Director, EH&S and OES

Welcome to UC Santa Cruz! In the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the campus is one of the most stunning and beautiful locations in the central coast of California. From the redwood forests to the scenic beaches, we are sure you will enjoy the many activities living in Santa Cruz provides.
However, living in such a captivating place can also have its perils. The Santa Cruz mountain range is home to two of the largest fault lines in California. The drought has created conditions favorable to wildfires. And the cold ocean, large waves, and strong tides, not to mention the possibility of tsunamis, make beach-going a potentially dangerous experience. More information regarding ocean safety can be found online.
These natural hazards are not unique to Santa Cruz. They exist throughout much of the western United States coast. Millions of residents accept this reality and treat nature and the environment with the respect they deserve. They do this by being prepared, planning ahead, and maintaining good situational awareness. More information on what to do in the event of an emergency or disaster is available online.
CRUZALERT
CruzAlert is UCSC's emergency notification system, which is used to quickly communicate information during emergency situations. Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to keep their contact and emergency contact information up-to-date to ensure that emergency notifications are received in a timely manner.
PREPAREDNESS
UC Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Services (OES) is committed to maintaining a resilient and safe campus to live, work, study, and play. By partnering with the university's students, staff and faculty, as well as agencies and organizations in the surrounding community, we are working to build a strong preparedness program.
All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to be ready for an emergency or disaster by preparing a go-kit, and visiting the OES website for more community risk and hazard preparedness information.
READY SLUG VIDEOS
The Ready Slug Videos were produced as part of a student project designed to promote a variety of safety and emergency preparedness topics for students, faculty and staff at UCSC. The videos focus on different aspects of campus life and operations, and they all contain valuable information.
We want your experience here at the campus of UC Santa Cruz to be a safe and enjoyable one. You can help do that by being a ready Slug!