{"id":497279,"date":"2026-01-06T20:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T20:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/497279\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T20:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T20:27:11","slug":"bob-greenlaw-the-calm-before-the-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/497279\/","title":{"rendered":"Bob Greenlaw: the calm before the storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

After nearly nine years of working at the University of North Florida, Director of Emergency Management<\/a> Bob Greenlaw will be retiring Jan 30.<\/p>\n

Greenlaw has been shaping safety and preparedness at UNF since 2017, when he first joined as a consultant before being hired full-time in 2021. But his roots in emergency management stretch back decades, to when he was just 14 years old during the Cuban Missile Crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were worried about nuclear war and talking about building fallout shelters,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cThat\u2019s where it all started\u2014But I\u2019ve done it all over the years \u2014 law enforcement, fire, EMS, and emergency management.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building UNF\u2019s Emergency Backbone<\/b><\/p>\n

Since arriving at UNF, Greenlaw has transformed how the university prepares for and responds to crises. He established the Emergency Operations Center and implemented the ReadyOp<\/a> program, a digital coordination platform that UNF has used successfully for five years. He also helped the university earn certification as a StormReady University\u2014a designation from the National Weather Service recognizing institutions with comprehensive severe weather plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Greenlaw has developed unique annexes within UNF\u2019s emergency framework, including a Point of Distribution plan<\/a> to support the community during disasters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an agreement with the Department of Health to set up a POD at UNF\u2014to help what I call the \u2018UNF Family,\u2019\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cThat was a big program we studied and put into place.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also led efforts to strengthen plans for mass-violence incidents, working closely with counselors, clergy, and campus police to establish a Reunification Center System\u2014a designated space for families and students to reconnect after an emergency.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re constantly updating our business emergency plans,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cAthletics, the Student Union\u2014each department has evacuation and response plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coordinating Across Campus<\/b><\/p>\n

Behind the scenes, Greenlaw manages UNF\u2019s Incident Management Team<\/a>, a group of representatives from departments like UPD, Housing, and Physical Facilities who meet regularly to train and simulate emergency responses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hold exercises three times a year,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cEveryone comes together to work on what the problem is, so when something real happens, we\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

UNF\u2019s preparedness model even accounts for modern challenges like remote coordination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Zoom EOC\u2014an emergency operations center online,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cIf there\u2019s a lockdown or travel restriction, we can activate it from anywhere in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

That adaptability proved crucial during COVID-19, the largest emergency of Greenlaw\u2019s UNF tenure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been very lucky,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cOther than COVID, we haven\u2019t had major emergencies in my eight years\u2014but when it mattered most, we took care of our students. It worked out really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leadership and Legacy<\/b><\/p>\n

After decades of experience responding to crises from the World Trade Center attacks to wildfires in New Jersey, Greenlaw says what matters most is teamwork.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cUNF has a great team. When something happens, we have people who are willing to be called on and do their best,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also takes pride in how far the university\u2019s emergency management program has come. \u201cWe started at a lower level and brought it up higher,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to me that UNF keeps moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he reflects on his career and prepares for retirement, Greenlaw\u2019s message to the UNF community is simple: \u201cI think we\u2019re leaving them in good shape. I care deeply about this place and the people here. It\u2019s an involved program, and everything we do is to keep the university safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After nearly nine years of working at the University of North Florida, Director of Emergency Management Bob Greenlaw…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":497280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,3188,723,7310,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-497279","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-fl","10":"tag-florida","11":"tag-jacksonville","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-united-states-of-america","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","16":"tag-us","17":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115850041615682067","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497279\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}