Emergencies, disasters and accidents can happen at any time and without warning. Even though we cannot always anticipate or prevent them, we can mitigate their effects through proper preparation.

USC has devoted considerable resources to planning and preparing for emergencies, including fires, earthquakes and other natural and human-caused disasters. Likewise, the university makes sure that these preparations are continually refined, rehearsed and improved.

The university also encourages all students, faculty and staff members to take individual responsibility for emergency preparedness. Especially in the event of a large-scale event, each of us must be prepared to be self-reliant for some period of time.

The USC Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning provides emergency-preparedness workshops for staff, faculty and student groups on request. The training focuses primarily on earthquake preparedness but can be tailored to cover other types of emergencies as well. To schedule, please call (213) 740-6197.