A group of five Elizabethtown College students are working on a community-based research project gathering data on levels of emergency preparedness in Lancaster County to identify areas in the county where increased assistance may be needed in an emergency situation.
The group is gathering data to submit to the county Department of Public Safety using a brief 5-10-minute survey available to all county residents. Participants must be 18 years or age or older and the deadline to complete the survey is Monday, March 10.
“The data gathered will be essential for communities during both natural and man-made disasters,” Elizabethtown College Criminal Justice major Jack Pigman ’25 said. “Lancaster County residents should participate in the survey, as it provides valuable insight into safety and preparedness for both themselves and their community.”
The group is looking to collect data from all residents of the county, both people who are prepared and those who may be less prepared for an emergency.
The data gathered by the group will be compiled into a report submitted to the Department of Public Safety, which will work to improve emergency management responses county-wide.
The students’ community-based research project is the continuation of work that began during the 2023-24 academic year, when the group began collaborating with Zachary Gibbons ’18, alumnus and the Hazardous Materials Administrator for the Lancaster County Department of Public Safety: Emergency Management Division.
