In The News

ARLINGTON, TX – 2/4/21 – College Park Center at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, College Park Center has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility.

“Having the GBAC accreditation helps us create a safe environment for our patrons, employees and vendors,” said Nick Patton, director of facility operations and safety for College Park Center. “It shows we’ve established and implemented step-by-step processes to provide that safety, and we're committed to maintaining these best practices in our day-to-day operations.”

As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program has verified that College Park Center has implemented best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics. The accreditation represents a crucial piece of the arena’s plan for a safe reopening for spectator events in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the suspension of event operations at College Park Center last March, our team immediately began focusing on developing plans and operational procedures that would allow for the return of events in a safe manner,” said Jeff Davis, executive director for College Park Center.  “In the fall we took our first steps in reopening for events without spectators, and later added limited attendance for our basketball season in a safe manner.  The achievement of the GBAC STAR accreditation speaks to the ongoing dedication our entire team has for creating safe and enjoyable experiences for our guests.”

To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, College Park Center has demonstrated compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Learn more about GBAC STAR accreditation at www.gbac.org. Learn more about College Park Center and view upcoming events at utacollegepark.com.

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About College Park Center

College Park Center (CPC) is a 7,000-seat multipurpose arena which opened in 2012 on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). It is the home court for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA, the UTA basketball and volleyball programs, and offers professional class training facilities. In addition, CPC is host to concerts, professional wrestling and boxing, world-renowned speaker events, graduation ceremonies, banquets, various local education events and more, in total averaging over 140 events per year. www.utacollegepark.com 

Contact
UTA Special Event Facilities         
Jonathan Carroll              
817-272-9236
jpcarroll@uta.edu

About GBAC, a Division of ISSA 

Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization’s services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.

About ISSA 

With more than 9,300 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.