Two departments within Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness (EHEP)—Fire & Life Safety and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM)—hosted a tabling event at MD Anderson Library to answer students’ questions and distribute safety resources and information.
The event marked the first time this year that the departments hosted a joint tabling effort at the library, and students quickly took notice, stopping by in large numbers to pick up items such as fire hydrant stress balls, pens, mini flashlights, red sunglasses, and informational brochures highlighting EHEP services.
“Our objective is to increase awareness of our department and ensure students, faculty,
and staff know that the university has a Fire & Life Safety office dedicated to campus
safety,” said Marcus Hicks, Assistant Fire Marshal.
“We also want to make people aware of the services we offer, because many students
don’t realize the full range of safety resources available to them. Most importantly,
we want to build relationships and let them know, ‘We are here for you.’”
As students gathered around the table, Fire & Life Safety staff shared information about CPR classes and fire extinguisher training, while OEM representatives discussed hurricane preparedness and emphasized the importance of enrolling in the UH Alert system.
Maia Solomon, Emergency Management Specialist with OEM, said many students asked about
UH Alert—specifically how it works and the types of emergencies it covers.
Solomon said that events like this provide valuable opportunities for students to
ask questions and receive immediate answers.
In addition to safety-related questions, students were also curious about careers in fire safety. Biochemistry sophomore Lucas Thibodeaux asked fire marshals about their day-to-day responsibilities, expressing genuine interest in their work on campus.
“I think it’s really cool that they are doing this and answering everyone’s questions,”
said Thibodeaux.
Mechanical engineering freshman Edgar Barbosa asked about training opportunities beyond
campus, including what it takes to become a volunteer firefighter. He also inquired
about potential summer programs through Fire & Life Safety and learned more about
the training process.
“I was under the impression that firefighters were part of a national system, but it turns out it’s department-based, which is interesting,” Barbosa said. “This was very helpful, and now I know I can contact my local fire department for more information.”
Ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are informed about available safety resources and services was the central goal of the event, highlighting EHEP’s commitment to campus safety and engagement.