At 6:30 a.m. on November 8, 2018, a fire was reported in the mountains outside Chico. Within 30 minutes, the sky over our city—40 miles away—had turned black from smoke as the flames raced into the town of Paradise and neighboring communities, decimating everything in their path and eventually coming within 12 miles of campus. By 5 p.m. that day, the University initiated an emergency closure that would last for 15 days. More than 320 students, faculty, and staff members would lose their homes, hundreds of others were displaced, and countless others were affected in some way or another. Our community, and our University, were forever changed. Through it all, University Communications was a leader in releasing messaging, guiding Emergency Operations Center decisions, and supporting the Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund, an emergency fundraiser to provide those impacted with immediate funds for basic needs.
From the Judges
In their communications, the team displayed a keen sense of understanding the “emotional impact” of a significant crisis on their community both on and off campus. They showed a capability to sustain effective crisis communication across multiple channels over time in response to an evolving crisis. The central role of a University Emergency Operations Center in monitoring a developing crisis was noteworthy.
