Campus Emergency Preparedness: From Reactive Response to Continuous Readiness -- Security Today

Campus Emergency Preparedness: From Reactive Response to Continuous Readiness

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 2:00pm ET - 1:00pm CT - 11:00am PT

Today’s colleges and universities operate more like small municipalities than traditional academic institutions, managing everything from public safety and housing to utilities, healthcare, transportation, IT, and large public events. That complexity creates a growing challenge for campus security and emergency management leaders: how to move beyond reactive response models and build a culture of continuous readiness.

In this webinar, emergency preparedness experts Dennis A. Terpin, PhD, OHST, EMT-P, and Michael Belmonte, CEM, IPEM, MEP, MS, will explore how campuses can strengthen situational awareness, improve cross-functional coordination, and reduce the time between early warning signs and effective action.

Attendees will learn how modern “battle watch” and fusion center concepts can help institutions identify emerging threats faster, validate information more effectively, and support better decision-making during both high-impact emergencies and routine infrastructure disruptions. The discussion will examine real-world campus risks ranging from active threats and crowd events to utility failures, water intrusion, smoke incidents, and cyber-related disruptions. Speakers will also address governance, privacy, staffing, training, and implementation considerations for institutions seeking to enhance readiness capabilities while maintaining transparency and accountability.

Whether your campus is evaluating new technologies, refining emergency operations procedures, or looking to improve coordination across departments, this session will provide practical strategies for building a more resilient and proactive campus safety program.

About the Speaker:

Dennis A. Terpin, PhD, OHST, EMT-P, International Safety and Health Specialists

Dr. Terpin, Author, International Speaker, Certified Fire Officer is the Retired Senior Industrial Hygienist and Emergency Manager at The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), He is a master level instructor for FEMA/DHS at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, and a guest lecture at The UIC School of Health and The University of Illinois Occupational Medical Residency Program, ASSP Safety Focus, Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Global Learning Summit BCSP, ACGIH Learning Pass, OH&S On-line, AGCIH webinars. Dr. Terpin is the recipient of the 2014, Illinois Emergency Management Agency-Emergency Management Achievement Award, the 7- Gold Level DHS/FEMA/Center for Domestic Preparedness Excellence in the Training Program Instructor award and five Center for Domestic Preparedness 5.0 Perfect Instructor Awards. He was also honored with the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA) 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Currently he is the lead instructor for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement in the Lahaina wildlife recovery efforts.

Michael Belmonte, CEM, IPEM, MEP, MS, Emergency Manager – Training and Exercise for the Office of Preparedness and Response at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

A nationally respected emergency management professional and 33-year fire service veteran, Belmonte designs and leads HSEEP-compliant training programs and full-scale exercises that support preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery across UIC’s academic, healthcare, and operational divisions. Belmonte is a former Lieutenant with the Lake Bluff Fire Department and served with the U.S. Navy at Naval Station Great Lakes, where he helped develop the Navy’s first credentialed Type II All-Hazards Incident Management Team. He is a founding member and former president of the Illinois Professional Emergency Management Association (IPEMA) and has deployed to more than 18 disasters and seven presidentially declared incidents in leadership roles including Incident Commander and Operations Section Chief. A FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), and Illinois Professional Emergency Manager (IPEM), Belmonte continues to train and mentor emergency management and public safety professionals nationwide.

CERTIFICATE

A certificate of attendance is available for all individuals who register and attend the full webinar (live or on-demand).

WEBINAR ACCESS

All registrants will have access to the live event and an on-demand recording of the presentation. If registrants want to watch the presentation again or have a scheduling conflict, they can register and access the on-demand version of this webinar, which will be available soon after the live event.

Date: Jun 17, 2026

Time: 2:00 PM ET

Duration: 1 hour

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