Publication Date
Spring 5-27-2026
Document Type
Instructional Material
Executive Summary
Improving Emergency Preparedness: Disaster Response Gap Executive Summary
Universities in Washington State have a responsibility to maintain both educational continuity and campus safety, particularly because of the region’s vulnerability to major earthquakes. Although many institutions maintain emergency preparedness plans, the accessibility and strategic placement of emergency resources remain critical concerns. At a private university in Seattle, Washington, the project team identified gaps in earthquake preparedness related to the accessibility, visibility, and availability of emergency supplies.
This project aimed to develop a practical and achievable proposal for university leadership to strengthen disaster preparedness efforts. The project focused on improving access to emergency medical and survival supplies by evaluating current storage practices and emergency response capacity. Recommendations included relocating emergency food, water, shelter, and sanitation supplies to a more accessible campus location, moving medical supplies near the designated triage site, and increasing supply availability to better support the campus population during a mass-casualty event.
Background
The university involved in this project is located in Seattle, Washington, where earthquakes represent a significant public health and safety concern because of the potential for injury, infrastructure damage, and disruption of emergency response systems. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (2025), there is an 85% probability of a magnitude 6.5 or greater deep (intraslab) earthquake occurring in the Puget Sound region within the next 50 years. Additionally, the university is situated in a liquefaction-prone area, meaning soil instability during a major earthquake may increase the likelihood of structural damage, transportation barriers, and temporary isolation from emergency resources.
The university serves approximately 1,800–2,500 students, faculty, and staff during daytime campus operations, making emergency preparedness essential to reducing injury and maintaining continuity of care during a disaster. During collaboration with the Assistant Director of Safety and Emergency Management, the project team identified critical gaps in the university’s current emergency preparedness plan. First, the existing storage site for food, water, shelter, and sanitation supplies was located on property the university planned to sell, creating uncertainty regarding future storage security and access. Second, and most significantly, all medical supplies were stored in a closet within a campus health building. Furthermore, the university maintained medical supplies sufficient to triage approximately 15-20 individuals, despite a daytime campus population ranging from 1,800 to 2,500 students, faculty, and staff. This means that only about 1.2% of the campus population could be supported in a mass-casualty event, representing a substantial preparedness gap.
Evidence-based literature supports the importance of immediate access to emergency resources during disasters. According to the American Red Cross (2023), early access to emergency supplies and first aid significantly reduces complications and improves survival outcomes. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2026) emphasizes that individuals may need to rely on accessible on-site supplies for up to 72 hours following an earthquake due to delayed emergency response. These recommendations emphasize that emergency supplies must be strategically located and accessible during disasters.
Activities with Rationale
The team undertook activities during this project aimed at improving the university’s preparedness by addressing gaps in access to both medical supplies and basic survival resources during a disaster. Through a windshield assessment of the campus and surrounding community, the team evaluated geographic risk areas, existing emergency resources, storage locations, and the university’s current emergency response capabilities. This assessment process identified key preparedness concerns, including delayed access to medical supplies and limited accessibility of food, water, shelter, and sanitation resources during a large-scale emergency. Delays in accessing medical supplies have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality during natural disasters (Salam et al., 2023). By recommending the relocation of supplies to accessible outdoor locations and increasing supply capacity, the project addressed identified preparedness gaps and aligned with national disaster preparedness recommendations.
Primary activities included developing a formal proposal and presentation for the agency to recommend approval of a medical container with adequate supplies near the designated triage area. The team developed a recommendation for installation of a dedicated 10-by-10-by-10 medical supply unit near the designated triage area and proposed increased supply quantities based on assessment of projected needs.
Current supply capacity remains inadequate for projected mass-casualty needs, supporting only 15–20 individuals. An additional activity involved relocating emergency supply containers to a safer, more accessible campus location. These activities are supported by current evidence of the university’s emergency plan, which displays a critical gap: medical supplies being stored in an inaccessible location, limiting nursing students and staff’s ability to respond efficiently and effectively.
The team developed a finalized proposal outlining interprofessional collaboration needs, including coordination with the art department and the Office of Safety and Security to support long-term sustainability.
Outcomes
The project achieved several key process outcomes related to emergency preparedness planning. The team successfully completed a campus preparedness assessment, identified critical gaps in emergency supply accessibility, evaluated current storage limitations, and developed evidence-based recommendations to improve emergency response capacity. In addition, the team developed a proposed budget and presented recommendations for relocating emergency supply containers and increasing medical supply availability near the designated triage area. Current supply capacity remains inadequate for projected mass-casualty needs, supporting only 15–20 individuals, while population data recommend that an effective response requires the ability to care for up to approximately 10–15% of the exposed population, consistent with casualty estimates used in FEMA’s HAZUS earthquake loss‑estimation methodology and public‑health surge‑capacity planning models (FEMA, 2023; Barbera & Macintyre, 2007; Hick et al., 2012). Increasing supply volume to meet this benchmark would close this gap and align available resources with projected needs. Although implementation remains dependent on administrative review and approval, the project met its primary goal of providing a practical, evidence-based strategy to strengthen campus disaster preparedness. Key facilitators included collaboration with the Assistant Director of Safety and Emergency Management and access to current emergency preparedness data. Potential barriers include financial costs, administrative approval processes, and long-term maintenance planning.
Conclusion
The current emergency plan at the university contains a significant gap in access to essential medical supplies during a disaster. Because building access may be restricted after an earthquake, relying on a single indoor storage site is unsafe and limits health services and security personnel’s ability to respond effectively. The proposed recommendation provides a practical, achievable solution by moving the shipping containers to a more accessible area near the university's designated triage area, thereby increasing the quality and quantity of medical supplies available to support at least 10 percent of the university's population.
These changes would allow for quicker access to supplies, better quality of care, and a more organized response from first responders with medical skills. In addition, the university can demonstrate a commitment to campus safety while reducing institutional liability by fostering a culture of preparedness across campus. By implementing these recommendations and encouraging collaboration among university departments, the institution could create a more effective emergency preparedness system that protects students, staff, and faculty, while also ensuring effective care in the event of a disaster. Continued evaluation of supply adequacy, routine disaster simulations, and sustained interprofessional collaboration will be essential to maintaining long-term campus readiness and emergency response effectiveness.
References
American Red Cross. (2023). Earthquake safety. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/earthquake.html
Barbera, J. A., & Macintyre, A. G. (2007). Medical surge capacity and capability: A management system for integrating medical and health resources during large‑scale emergencies. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://catalog.nlm.nih.gov/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9915175433406676/01NLM_INST:01NLM_INST
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2026). Earthquakes. https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes
FEMA. (2023). HAZUS earthquake model technical manual. Federal Emergency Management Agency. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/fema_hazus_earthquake_technical_manual_4-2.pdf
Hick, J. L., Hanfling, D., & Cantrill, S. V. (2012). Health care system surge capacity: Principles and strategies. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 6(3), 265–271. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness
Salam, A., Wireko, A. A., Jiffry, R., Ng, J. C., Patel, H., Zahid, M. J., Mehta, A., Huang, H., Abdul‑Rahman, T., & Isik, A. (2023). The impact of natural disasters on healthcare and surgical services in low‑ and middle‑income countries. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 85(8), 3774–3777. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000001041
Seattle Pacific University. (n.d.). SPU facts.https://spu.edu/about-spu/spu-facts
U.S. Geological Survey. (2025). Earthquake probabilities and hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20253050
Recommended Citation
Pamatz Rangel, Yunuen; Palapos, Angela Reine; Bondarenko, Edward Vladimir; Wilson, Sarah Marie; Mehari, Semhar Misgina; and Lucas, Benjamin Lee, "Improving Emergency Preparedness: Disaster Response Gap Executive Summary" (2026). Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects. 72.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/shs_nlce/72
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