UCLA Digital & Technology Solutions (DTS) rapidly developed and implemented Bruin EvacAssist, a Salesforce-based emergency evacuation management system. This solution streamlined student tracking, transportation coordination, and resource allocation during a potential campus evacuation, ensuring safety and operational efficiency.
The Challenge
In January 2025, UCLA faced a potential campus evacuation scenario due to the Palisades wildfire, which threatened nearby communities and raised concerns about air quality and safety on campus. The situation required an immediate digital solution to manage the safe relocation of thousands of students. The technical challenges were immense:
- Location tracking for students throughout the evacuation process.
- Coordinating transportation resources under extreme time constraints.
- Providing transparent communication channels for stakeholders.
- Ensuring data security and accessibility across multiple devices.
- Implementing security measures to protect sensitive student information, including encryption, role-based access controls, and compliance with data protection regulations.
The solution needed to be developed within hours, be user-friendly enough for immediate adoption without extensive training, and remain reliable under high-stress conditions with potentially unstable connectivity.
The Solution
To address these challenges, the DTS team was greenlit over the weekend of January 11th, at the height of the LA fires, to develop the EvacAssist application. The team responded with extraordinary speed and precision, delivering version 1.0 within just 12 hours. Key features included:
- Student intake and location tracking.
- Basic reporting capabilities.
- Transportation coordination and self-service check-in.
- Centralized communication tools.
The team leveraged Salesforce's flexibility to quickly adapt to evolving requirements while maintaining system integrity. Just-in-time training sessions for over sixty staff ensured the system was effectively utilized when needed most.
The Impact
While the full evacuation order was never issued, Bruin EvacAssist was fully operational and ready to manage a complex, high-stakes evacuation process. The application provided:
- Location tracking of students from initial check-in to final housing assignments.
- Up-to-date visibility into evacuation status, transportation logistics, and resource allocation.
- A secure, mobile-friendly interface accessible on smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
- Automated communication workflows to keep stakeholders informed.
- QR code-based check-in/check-out system for efficient processing.
- Integration with UCLA's security infrastructure, including single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication.
Looking Ahead
Beyond its immediate emergency response capabilities, the EvacAssist application establishes a reusable framework for future emergency scenarios. Designed to handle UCLA’s entire student population, the system sets a precedent for scalable, secure, and user-centric emergency management solutions that can be adapted across the UC system.
