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Preparedness isn’t created during a crisis; it’s built in the relationships and planning formed well before.  

As part of Portage County’s plan to encourage and honor community partners who prepare, plan and test for emergencies, a new recognition program launched by the Portage County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) spotlights organizations demonstrating exceptional commitment to emergency management, readiness and community safety.

�Ը������� University has been named the inaugural honoree of the Portage Preparedness Initiative, and representatives from the Portage County agency visited the �Ը������� Police Department on Friday, Nov. 21, to present the university with the recognition. There to receive the award were Chris Jenkins, director of public safety and chief of police at �Ը�������, Rick O'Neill, assistant director of public safety and police captain, and Vincent Marino, emergency management coordinator at �Ը�������. 

“Today is the inaugural recognition of our very first partner to get certified through the Portage Preparedness Initiative,” Ryan Shackelford, director of the Portage County Emergency Management Agency, said, “which recognizes everything that �Ը������� University does to ensure the safety and wellness of their students in the event we have a larger emergency beyond our day-to-day operations.”

The county agency developed the Portage Preparedness Initiative to highlight local institutions that go beyond standard expectations in their planning, training and coordination efforts. According to the agency, the award recognizes organizations that model best practices in emergency communication, collaboration and preparedness planning across Portage County.  

“It's always been a really big passion of the three of us to make sure that all the communities and organizations within Portage County understand the importance of what it means to actually be prepared for something,” McKenzie Villatoro, emergency management specialist, said during the ceremony, referencing her agency team of Shackelford and Brett Lee, deputy director.

The certification process for the initiative includes applicants submitting a certification package that includes a completed application, a self-evaluation form and supporting documentation that addresses 32 standards of preparedness, 12 of which are required for all applicants. The standards cover categories such as Communications, Public Information, and Warning, Facilities, Hazard Identification, Hazard Mitigation, Operations, Planning, Prevention, Program Administration, Resource Management, and Training and Exercises.

"The adage in our career field is that everything starts and ends locally,” Shackelford said at the award ceremony. “And what that means is that we're only as strong as a county as most prepared we are at the most local level, and that includes our university partners."  

�Ը������� was selected as the program’s first recipient for its ongoing investments in campus safety, proactive emergency planning and close partnership with county and regional emergency agencies. The agency’s work was, in turn, recognized by university leadership.

“Ryan and his team from the Portage County Emergency Management Agency, their passion, their dedication for the work that they do speaks volumes for what's happening in Portage County and particularly, their collaboration, and their respect for the uniqueness of each community,” Jenkins told �Ը������� Today.

The Portage Preparedness Initiative emphasizes collaboration as a key component of community safety. �Ը�������’s selection acknowledges the university’s continued partnership with local first responders, health agencies, school districts and county officials. Partnership is a key component of how �Ը������� approaches the role.

“I think the most important thing about this job is the relationship building,” Marino added. “So, when disasters happen, we're not meeting each other for the first time in the thick of it. We already know each other. We have those relationships built. And I think that the relationships that we've built with the county are really important.”

The award also highlights �Ը�������’s role as one of the region’s largest institutions and a central partner in supporting countywide readiness efforts.

“If it wasn't for those relationships, this wouldn't work,” Jenkins said. "It starts with people having similar visions and wanting to do similar things for the best interest of the public and the communities.”

As part of the new initiative, the agency plans to highlight other local organizations throughout the coming year that demonstrate excellence in emergency preparedness. �Ը�������’s recognition sets the tone for the program’s future and underscores the university’s leadership in creating a safe and responsive campus environment.

“I think we're uniquely situated in that we're the only political subdivision in the county to have an emergency management coordinator,” Jenkins said. "So, it was the foresight, the university's buy-in and commitment to it that really speaks over decades of work to get here and have this strong partnership and relationship with Portage County EMA.”  

Jenkins noted that this foresight was put in place more than a decade ago by people with a vision for preparedness, specifically recognizing Bill Buckbee, retired assistant chief, and former chief Dean Tondiglia, who retired in 2024 after 43 years.

“For me, it's highlighting the good work of folks that aren't here anymore,” Jenkins said.  

Learn more about �Ը�������’s Emergency Management Services.