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    Parsons Named Safety Chief on Permanent Basis

    By JOAN MAGRUDER

    Larry Parsons is now the permanent head of Environmental Health and Safety.
    After a national search, Larry Parsons has been appointed director of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), where he has served as acting director since April 2001.
    In making the announcement, Everett Kirkelie, associate vice chancellor of administrative and auxiliary services, said "Larry brings a wealth of credentials and experience to this position." As acting director of EH&S he "successfully extended a cooperative agreement between the Community Environmental Council and UCSB to provide hazardous waste disposal services to the community," noted Kirkelie.
    Parsons has been a member of the EH&S staff since 1977, serving as manager of occupational and construction safety, and as the campus emergency planner. He has been the primary campus contact for faculty, staff, students, and the community regarding such areas as emergency planning, ergonomics, safety training, and construction safety.
    "The most challenging emergency during my career at UCSB was the Painted Cave Fire on June 27, 1990," Parsons said. "The fire destroyed over 440 homes in Santa Barbara and cut Highway 101 south of Turnpike Road. It was the first time we opened a major Red Cross shelter on campus, housing over a hundred residents who couldn't reach their homes."
    The disaster was an impetus for the design and construction of the new campus Emergency Operations Center, located in the Environmental Health and Safety Building. It also led to enhanced, coordinated emergency planning efforts with the County Fire Department, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Red Cross. "Because of this disaster, the campus is now better equipped to deal with any type of major emergency," Parsons added.
    Since the terrorist events of 9/11, awareness of the need for more extensive security and safety practices has increased. Parsons reports that UCSB is an active participant in the Countywide Terrorism Working Group, along with the Sheriff's Department, OES, fire, public health, other county agencies, and the Red Cross. "Activities of the Homeland Security Agency are coordinated through this organization," Parsons said. "We are presently working on several federal grants to enhance our local response to acts of terrorism."