Campus evacuation plans put to test
by Karie Anderson

Siren sounds echoed the halls and local businesses as crowds of students, staff and merchants slowly evacuated classrooms, offices and buildings here. The Tacoma Police Department initiated a call to the UWT security office instructing them to evacuate buildings along Pacific Avenue due to a suspicious package.

The package, found the morning of Feb. 6 located across the street from the University Book Store, was determined to be just a bunch of boxes.

"There was a security check and everything appears to be okay," said Tacoma Police Officer G. Wurges, perched on his motorcycle outside the Science building.

After the doors were reopened and the buildings were cleared for reentry, many were unclear as to what happened or why they had to evacuate in the first place.

"First we thought it was a drill, then someone said it was a fire," said Loraine Knight, a business accounting student. "Why? What happened?"

All of the buildings along a stretch of Pacific Avenue were evacuated, including businesses located under the main UWT academic building.

Patrons and customers were instructed to leave their lunches or purchases and migrate up the campus stairs and past the library to the Kragle parking lot.

"Right in the heart of my lunch hour," said Keith Flowers, owner of Renaissance Café. "I knew it was much ado about nothing."

According to Campus Security Sergeant Darren Bailey, it took approximately three minutes to evacuate after a Tacoma police officer alerted him. When such emergency situations occur campus security and facilities work together to implement proper procedures. Every classroom is equipped with evacuation plans.

"We're taking all the necessary precautions until we find out what it is," said Campus Security Officer Laura Delval.

Campus security explained the only problem was that many didn't know that the Kragle parking lot, next to the library, is the evacuation point. If the Kragle lot isn't accessible the alternate evacuation point is the Washington State History Museum parking lot.