If last winter brought with it a lasting lesson, it’s that we need to be prepared for emergencies of all kinds and the effects they could have on our campus.

As part of that ongoing effort, the Simmons College Emergency Response Team (SCERT) took part in an emergency preparedness seminar with other schools and hospitals in the area. More than 100 participants met at Simmons to discuss and plan a response to a Category 3 hurricane. The SCERT team worked with local and state agencies to map out coordinated communications, evacuations, continuity of operations, and recovery strategies.

The Simmons team shared their plans with other institutions throughout the Longwood Medical and Academic Area and worked with representatives from the Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police, MassDot, Eversource, and the National Weather Service to learn more about coordinated response efforts.

In addition to planning and exercises, Simmons benefits from our participation in MASCO’s Joint Operations Center which coordinates resource deployment during emergencies and provides a link between the College, other local institutions, and local, state, and federal emergency management agencies. This strategy reduces response times and provides the necessary infrastructure to keep the campus safe and functional during an emergency.

Being prepared means planning for and mitigating the effects of disruptions caused by a range of natural and human-made emergencies. Simmons is committed to constant planning and testing in preparation for whatever might come our way.

Making the campus sustainable and environmentally friendly is a significant focus for our Buildings & Grounds team. As part of this effort, they worked with our janitorial vendor, DTZ, to change all of the trash bags on campus to the greenest bags currently available, making Simmons the first and only college in the area to take this step.

The new bags, provided by Revolution Bag, contain up to 95% post-consumer recycled content, a stark contrast to the bags used previously, which contained only 10% pre-consumer recycled content. Each bag is made of resin that was once used in irrigation tubes for farming. The same company that makes the tubes then collects them, recycles them, and manufacturers new bags from the recycled materials. This process creates a closed loop, leaving behind no materials used in the original manufacturing process.

In addition to being an environmentally conscious product, the bags are also stronger and more durable, making them safer for our janitorial staff to handle. Another added benefit is cost savings: the new bags are less expensive and Simmons will use fewer throughout the year.

This is just one step in an ongoing effort to reduce waste and shrink our environmental impact across campus. To find out more about sustainability efforts at Simmons, visit Green Simmons. If you’re interested in getting involved or sharing new ideas for greening the campus, contact Sara Smith.

Earlier this summer, the Simmons College Police Department was awarded state Certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. The Commission honored Chief Sean Collins and members of the department for their commitment to a set of more than 160 established standards and policies that guide professionalism and delivery of police services to their constituents.

The Simmons Police Department joins an elite group of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts, only 22% of which have certification or accreditation. Taking this step promotes accountability and provides independent, external validation of their policies and procedures.

Certification is a self-initiated process focused on policy development, emergency response planning, training, and communications. These skill sets are an integral part of the team’s dedication to the safety and security of everyone on campus.

In addition, this effort reinforces the department’s commitment to professionalism and transparency in service to the Simmons community, and reflects the important role the department plays in the Simmons experience.