The University of Miami's Office of Emergency Management (OEM), under the leadership of Matthew Shpiner, works to ensure that the University can preserve its mission of transforming lives through teaching, research, and service when impacted by a major emergency or disaster.

Message from the Director

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -- Ben Franklin

It has been over 90 years since the first major hurricane impacted the University of Miami.  Events like Hurricane Andrew, 9/11, along with the Virginia Tech and Pulse Night Club shootings, are unfortunate reminders that we can never be too prepared for a major emergency.

Created in October 2010, the Office of Emergency Management, is charged with centralizing the coordination of University-wide efforts to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies that may threaten or impact the University. Our vision is to make the University of Miami the most disaster resilient institution in the nation, and as a UM alumnus and a lifelong Hurricane, I am honored to be Director of the Office of Emergency Management. However, to remain successful in our efforts, every member of our University community needs to participate in the process. Whether you review the University Emergency Guide, attend Active Shooter Response training, participate in emergency exercises with students or colleagues, or share the information you learned during any of those experiences with peers or loved ones; each of your actions remain a key part to enhancing our collective preparedness for emergencies.

Please familiarize yourself with the resources on the University’s Emergency Preparedness website and know that the OEM is here to guide and more importantly support your efforts.

Thank you for both the incremental steps and major actions you take to ensure you personally, and your unit at UM, is prepared for emergencies.

Matthew Shpiner