Emergency Preparedness and Response: Mission, Vision, and Goals
Mission, Vision, and Goals
The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response follows the five mission areas of FEMA National Preparedness:
Prevention
Prevent, avoid or stop an imminent, threatened or actual act.
Protection
Protect our students, faculty, librarians, staff, and visitors against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allows our interests, aspirations and way of life to thrive.
Mitigation
Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters.
Response
Respond quickly to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident.
Recovery
Recover through a focus on the timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic and environmental fabric of communities affected by a catastrophic incident.
About the Team
The office brings a team of professionals trained in emergency response from across the campus. The team is the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the team member is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in their area. The ERT is assembled at the discretion of the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response to address the immediate crisis and disband when the crisis has ended. Crisis events are defined as those situations which have the potential to cause injury or loss of life, loss of reputation, major campus disruptions, property damage or loss.
About the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response
Tom Kettle is the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at Westfield State University. In this role, Tom is responsible for preventive actions to reduce time to recovery. Tom provides leadership in disaster preparedness, hazard analysis, strategic and tactical planning, and risk mitigation against a wide array of potential threats.
Before working for WSU, Tom was a Fire Safety Officer at Brown University. Tom has brought his well-rounded background with nearly thirty years of emergency response, preparedness, operations, and military force protection. Tom also currently serves as the Higher Education Representative to the Western Region Homeland Security Advisory Council (WRHSAC) since 2021.
Tom has a master’s degree in Emergency Management from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He holds Certificates from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency in: Site and Infrastructure Safety Analysis, National Incident Management System (NIMS), Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP), Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), and Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) leading to the development and delivery of highly effective programs designed to improve resiliency and safety. Tom is also Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) by the National Fire Protection Administration.
Education: Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM), Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Sign Up for a Training Session
To sign up for a an Emergency Preparedness and Response training session please complete the sign up form.
Contact Us
Thomas Kettle
Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response