In the past couple of years, Santa Barbara County has been devastated with a series of life-threatening disasters. It is unfortunate to think about the lives that could have been saved had the citizens of Santa Barbara been better prepared and more aware of the safety precautions necessary to take. It is no surprise that most students at UCSB acted out of sheer panic by fleeing home for the holidays early, leaving behind their finals.
With flash flood alerts and possible evacuation warnings in place this week, students are reminded of the stressful times that they experienced last winter. This stress might be reduced if students were trained to effectively protect themselves in these unexpected life-threatening situations.
Considering this, UCSB should develop a disaster preparedness program to help educate students on how to act sensibly in these unforeseen dangerous situations.
