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Natural disasters, such as floods, severe storms and tornadoes, and man-made disasters which can result from chemical accidents, falling aircraft, fires, explosions, etc., are potential hazards for which we must be prepared. We must also prepare for a man-made crisis, which can come in the form of weapons on campus and bomb threats.
To meet this objective, we will instruct and prepare staff, faculty and students in the appropriate and safe procedures to follow in the event of a campus crisis through various channels of communication, including e-mail, Community Safe, phone calls, social media, media, chapel bells and other available sources.
The occurrence of a crisis will require prompt response from all members of the campus community and specifically, personnel with assignments included in this plan. Since no two emergencies will be the same in nature, scope or magnitude, it is necessary for the College's plans to be basic, flexible and subject to modification as the need arises. Modification will be at the discretion of the President, Chief of Campus Police or civil authority. However, in any emergency, the following priorities shall apply:
- Protection of life.
- Prevention of injury.
- Protection of property.
- Preparation of the campus for extended stay or evacuation.
Every student, faculty member, staff member and visitor at the College of Mount St. Joseph should be as prepared as possible for emergency evacuation of campus buildings.
This is particularly important for people with disabilities, for whom the environment becomes even more difficult during and after an emergency than for the non-disabled. If you are a person with a disability (mobility, vision, hearing, speech, or cognitive), you are encouraged to contact the Director of Academic Support (513-244-4524 or susan_brogden@mail.msj.edu, The Learning Center, Room 156 Seton Center). The Director will work with you and the Office of Public Safety to develop a personal safety plan that will help increase the probability of a smooth evacuation in an emergency.
Following every disaster or emergency, a full review of all response procedures will be conducted with members of the Emergency Response Team and other individuals and agencies involved in the response.
Who Declares a Campus Emergency?
Campus emergencies may only be declared by the following persons:
- Incident Commander
- College President:
The President of the College of Mount St. Joseph is primarily responsible for declaring a campus emergency. In questionable cases he/she may consult with other department heads, civil authorities and the Chief of Campus Police to assist in assessing the need to declare an emergency. In the absence of the President, his/her designee will act on behalf of the President. In a situation where neither are available, the Chief of Campus Police shall declare the emergency. Unless an obvious and immediate emergency exists, consultations should be utilized in the decision making process.
- Civil authorities:
Delhi Police, Delhi Fire, or other local, state or federal government agencies may declare an emergency that would involve the campus.
- All faculty, staff and students:
Critical Situations: All faculty, staff and students are responsible to sound the appropriate alarm or notification upon discovering a critical situation. A critical situation includes events such as a fire, violent act, observation of a person on campus with a gun, or hearing/observing gun shots on campus.
Common Terms in an Emergency Response
Building or Room Evacuation
A building or room evacuation may be the result of a fire, chemical leak, power outage, or any other event which requires leaving a building.
Campus Evacuation
A campus evacuation will occur if the campus is deemed unsafe and uninhabitable by civil authorities or by the administration. This will usually be the result of an extensive campus fire, aircraft crash, chemical threat, or local police/fire department action.
Lock Down
A lock down procedure will occur if a threat occurs on campus or in the local neighborhood that requires students, faculty, staff, and visitors to be taken indoors where it is less likely that they will be injured. This will usually be the result of an attack by an armed person on campus or gunshots fired on campus (or in the near neighborhood). Some emergency situations may require a secondary response beyond those listed above, such as initiating shelter in place. Such situations may include an extended stay on campus due to a major winter storm.
SHELTER-IN-PLACE
This is to protect students, faculty, and staff who are already inside the buildings. Everyone should find some place of shelter inside that building and stay there until you are directed to leave. Determine if the room you are in can be locked and if so, lock all windows and doors, and turn off all the lights.
If your room can’t be locked, determine if there is a nearby location that can be reached safely and secured in the manner above. If it is not possible to lock the doors or attempt to safely reach another area, then do the following:
- Place furniture and equipment in front of the doors to barricade them.
- If a door opens out into a corridor, then use whatever means possible to try to restrict entry to the room, including placing furniture and equipment in front of the door, or using a belt or other item to tie the door handle to something stable.
- Stay away from windows, stay alert for instructional messages as described below, and put cell phones on vibrate.
- Remain in place until the police or a campus administrator known to you gives the “all clear.”
- If the threat compromises your shelter then leave that place for another place of safety even to the extent of leaving or fleeing from the building.
Initial Response in an Emergency
Fire in Building
Fires are a major concern for any college setting. We must all be prepared to respond without hesitation to this emergency.
- If a fire or smoke is detected, pull the nearest fire alarm.
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Evacuate building by way of nearest exit.
- If current location is equipped with an evacuation plan, follow as directed.
- Do not use elevators.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Armed Intruder on Campus
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Give the operator your name and location.
- Do not approach the armed subject.
- Give as much detail of the person as possible - race, sex, clothing, type of weapon, location of subject.
- Attempt to observe the subject from a safe location.
- Stay in communication with the Campus Police by phone or whatever means available, advising them of the subject's location and actions.
- Campus Police will attempt to isolate the subject from the rest of the campus community.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels
Sexual Assault
Protect yourself using whatever means are necessary.
- Upon escaping from the attacker contact Campus Police immediately by calling ext. 0 from on campus or (513) 244-4226 from off campus.
- Give as much information about the attacker as possible to the Campus Police.
- A Campus Police officer will provide whatever first aid is necessary.
- Delhi EMS will take over the medical treatment of the victim.
- The health and well-being of the victim is the most important concern at this time.
- Victim should be transported to the hospital.
- Officers will initiate a search for the attacker using all available resources .
- Officers will make all attempts to protect the College community from the attacker.
- Officers will notify the Chief of Campus Police and notification of College officials will begin.
- Wellness/counseling will be notified.
- When enough Campus Police personnel are on the scene one officer will respond to the hospital to assist the victim and collect evidence
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Serious Injury involving Staff, Faculty, Student, or Campus Visitor
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Assist injured persons.
- Campus Police will be the liaison to Delhi Fire and EMS.
- Campus Police will protect the scene, take photos, measurements, etc.
- Notification will begin as time permits (order depends on situation)
- Immediate supervisor
- Department head
- President
- Communications Manager
- Wellness Center (counseling)
- Maintenance
- Vice President for Student Affairs
- Assistant Dean of Students
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Tornado/SEVERE WEATHER
The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency follows the direction of the National Weather Service (NWS). If the NWS issues a warning, Hamilton County will activate ALL the sirens for the county. The NWS gives the definition of a warning as: A weather warning means that a dangerous weather event is imminent. Immediate action must be taken to protect life and property. This weather can take the form of heavy winds, lightning, thunderstorms and tornados.
The Department of Education (ED) mandates that the College police department must issue timely warnings of an emergency. The ED describes an emergency notification as:emergency notificationupon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus.The Hamilton County siren is the emergency confirmation.
In the case of severe weather and/or a tornado, attempts will be made to notify persons on campus through various channels of communications.
- Whenever you are aware of severe weather or tornado warnings, you must go immediately to the lowest floor of the building.
- Stay away from glass windows and glass doors.
- Leave auditoriums, gyms and other free span rooms.
- After the threat is over Campus Police will make notification that all is clear through various communication channels.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Hamilton County uses several different sirens to alert of storms.
Bomb Threats
The person receiving the bomb threat call should engage the caller in a conversation to get as much information as possible:
- Ask what time the bomb is set to go off.
- Ask questions regarding the specific location - building, room, closet, locker, etc.
- Ask about the appearance of the bomb package.
- Listen for background noise, e.g., radio, other people, traffic sounds, etc.
- Was the caller hysterical, calm, excited, etc.
- Was the caller's voice male or female, young or old, with an accent?
- Notify Campus Police immediately by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
In the event that a live bomb is found:
- Leave the building and surrounding area by at least 600 feet.
- Turn off all cell phones, radios and wireless devices, including laptops.
- Notify Campus Police once at least 600 feet from the area.
Chemical/Hazardous Materials Spill or Leak in Building or on-campus
- Pull the nearest fire alarm.
- Evacuate the building.
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0..
- DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING.
- Advise the officer as to the nature and location of the problem, if possible give the officer the room number.
- Campus Police has a list of chemicals stored in the Science Building and maintenance has a list of the MSDS (material safety data sheets).
- The list of chemicals and their location will be provided to Delhi Fire upon their arrival.
- The officer will notify the Chief of Campus Police who will then begin the notification process of other College officials.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Explosion on Property
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Assist any injured persons.
- Treat as a fire and evacuate.
- Remember to care for your own safety.
- Advise if anyone else is still in the building or injured in the rubble.
- Delhi Fire Department and EMS will be notified.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Chemical/Hazardous Spill or Leak Off Campus That Threatens Campus Community
- If on campus, follow shelter-in-place direction.
- Do not open windows.
- Do not leave buildings.
- Keep doors closed.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Aircraft Crash
If an aircraft crash were to occur on the College campus, remember that in the initial stages, it will be total chaos. Attempt to compose yourself:
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Protect yourself - there will be fire, fuel, twisted metal, and biological hazards.
- Once you are safe, assist injured persons. Remember, these injuries will be traumatic and horrific.
- Follow the direction of Campus Police and other police and fire officers.
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
Death of Staff, Faculty, Student
- Notify Campus Police by calling the Switchboard at ext. 0.
- Do not let anyone enter the area except emergency personnel.
- Do not attempt to gain entrance to the area, it is important to preserve the scene.
- Campus Police will control the scene.
- Notifications will be made as soon as time permits (order may vary)
- President
- Vice President of Student Affairs
- Communications Manager
- Wellness Center (counseling)
- Maintenance
- Assistant Dean of Students
- Immediate supervisor
- Additional directions and information will be sent to the Mount community through various communication channels.
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