Safety & Emergency Information

General Response to Emergencies

Crises are unexpected, often unpredictable and take many forms. No campus or community can be fully prepared for everything that may happen, but some simple measures are helpful in any emergency:

• Think of everyone’s safety first;
• Use common sense and follow emergency training procedures;
• Act quickly and calmly; and
• Remain factual and unemotional when communicating with students, the community, and media.

Action steps for the General Public

When trained responders are not immediately available, individuals must take quick, responsible and independent actions in response to an emergent situation. Here are points to remember for individual faculty, staff, and students when an incident occurs.

• Learn emergency escape routes and be aware of your surroundings.Report suspicious or troublesome behavior or events.
• Expect to be surprised.
• Remain calm and matter of fact. Others around you will respond to how you act and react to a situation.
• Quickly assess the situation and choose the appropriate response. Determine whether a crisis exists and if so, the type of crisis, the location, and the magnitude. After basic protective steps are in place, more information can be gathered to adjust later responses.
• Respond within seconds.
• Call 911 (9,911 if using a campus phone). Do not delay. It’s best to have emergency responders on scene even if the incident has been resolved by the time they arrive, than to risk further injury and damage.
• Notify the Emergency Management Team. Notify any member of the team or the Switchboard (0 from campus phones, 834-7500 from cell phones) so the University can take measures to protect the safety of all persons.
• Evacuate the area or Shelter-in-Place as appropriate. This step is crucial and should be one of the first decisions made, regardless of the order in which initial decisions are implemented.
• Assist others. If trained, triage injuries and provide emergency first aid to those who need it. If not trained, assist in keeping others calm.
• Trust leadership and trained responders. Follow directives and whenever possible yield leadership to others in this plan’s designated command structure. Provide additional assistance only as directed – do not compromise your safety or impede official recovery operations.