StormReady®: Georgia College earns national safety certification

By Mike Cavaliere

G eorgia College & State University earned national recognition Friday, Sept. 12, when the institution was certified as StormReady® by the National Weather Service.

One of only 18 institutions in the state to earn this distinction, Georgia College was recognized for being prepared for all severe weather events, from hurricanes and tornadoes to floods and winter weather. To earn this certification, organizations must establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center, develop a formal hazardous weather plan, hold community trainings and seminars, and meet other requirements.

"We've created a culture of preparedness," said GCSU President Cathy Cox at the ceremony. "[It] reflects a proactive commitment to the wellbeing of our community."

Public Safety Chief Wes Hardin credited Associate Director of Emergency Management Jeremy Nobles with the earning of this designation.

"He's taken emergency preparedness to the next level," he said. "If you're not preparing, you need to prepare to repair."

Nobles reinforced the power of proactivity, explaining that the way organizations prepare on "blue sky days" makes all the difference in how they weather "the gray days."

He also promoted the importance of collaboration at the local, state and federal levels, calling National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist David Nadler - who also attended the event - a "beacon of light."

"We can't stop hurricanes from happening," Nadler told the crowd, before the official StormReady® sign was presented, "but we can understand them, and be ready for them."

Also in attendance was Georgia State Rep. Floyd L. Griffin Jr., Baldwin County Emergency Management Department Director Wayne Johnson, Milledgeville Police Department Maj. Etta Gray and many more community stakeholders.

Serve. Protect. Educate.

Learn more about Georgia College's safety culture - including its recent $856,000 investment into campus safety equipment - on Front Page.

GCSU's Office of Public Safety can be reached at 478-445-4054 or [email protected].

Header Image: David Nadler, of the National Weather Service; Georgia State Rep. Floyd Griffin Jr.; Georgia College President Cathy Cox; Jeremy Nobles, associate director of Emergency Management at GCSU; GCSU Public Safety Chief Wes Hardin; Baldwin County Emergency Management Department Director Wayne Johnson