Policy Manual

1. "Emergency incident": Any situation to which the emergency services organization responds to deliver emergency services, including rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical care, special operations, law enforcement, and other forms of hazard control and mitigation.
2. "Emergency responders": A group of individuals who are properly trained and equipped to handle the emergency for which they are called. Emergency responders provide, on a 24-hour basis, immediate response to bring the emergency situation under control. Emergency responders are identified as, but not limited to, all public safety agencies that serve areas where university property exists.
3. "Resource unit": A unit which provides assistance to emergency units in the form of information, expertise, and/or procurement of materials and services. The unit may or may not respond immediately to an emergency site. Examples of resource units are:
   1. Business Services, 
   2. Facilities Management, 
   3. Environmental Health and Safety,
   4. Information Technology Services, and 
   5. Office of Strategic Communication. 
4. A "campus state of emergency": A situation that produces a substantial disruption of university operations. This situation may have long-term impacts, requiring the institution to modify/alter normal functions and established procedures and/or policies, without submitting to a formal process, to ensure continuity of normal operations and the well-being of the university community. During a campus state of emergency, certain policies and procedures may be authorized to occur differently.
5. "Emergency Operations Center (EOC)": The location where the coordination of information and resources to support incident management (on-scene operations) activities normally takes place. An EOC may be a physical or virtual location. Campus Safety's space, 880 University Capitol Centre, will serve as the university's designated EOC unless circumstances determine a more appropriate or practical location. 
6. "Incident commander": The individual in overall command of an emergency incident. Different individuals may take on the role of incident commander depending on the type of crisis and level of severity.
7. "Incident Command System (ICS)": A standardized on-scene emergency management construct specifically designed to provide an integrated organizational structure that reflects the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. The Incident Command System is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents. ICS is used for all kinds of emergencies and is applicable to small as well as large and complex incident. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and functional agencies/departments, both public and private, to organize field-level incident management operations.
8. "National Incident Management System (NIMS)": A set of principles that provides a systematic, proactive approach guiding agencies/departments at all levels, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life or property and harm to the environment. The EOP incorporates NIMS components, principles, and policies, including: planning, training, response, exercises, equipment, evaluation, and corrective actions into the plan where applicable. Designated individuals are expected to complete NIMS training.
9. "Unified command (UC)": In incidents involving multiple jurisdictions, a single jurisdiction with multiagency/multidepartmental involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement, unified command allows agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional  authorities and responsibilities to work together effectively without affecting individual agency/departmental authority, responsibility, or accountability.

In the event of an emergency or a disaster, Campus Safety shall cooperate and coordinate with official emergency response authorities and university administration, in accordance with established policies and procedures.

1. Campus Safety facilities may serve as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the university during the critical incident. All outside information flows into this area and out to incident. The Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety or designee will contact designated university administrators as to the extent of damage or seriousness of the incident. The Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety may authorize the activation of the EOC.
2. Decisions to close and evacuate a building or to isolate an area immediately after an incident may be made by the appropriate jurisdictional authority, who may consult with university Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities Management, and/or others as needed.
3. When approved by the agencies identified in paragraph (2), the university President will make the decision about when a building will be reoccupied. The primary consideration for reoccupying, after consulting with additional resources, will be the safety and well-being of the occupants.

1. Emergency notifications. The safety of students, employees, and visitors is the university's number-one priority. Campus Safety keeps campus informed about imminent safety threats using various methods. Hawk Alerts are one layer of our campus emergency-notification system. These alerts can be delivered via text message, phone call, and email (based on settings selected by the user) when there is confirmation of an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community. Other methods may include but are not limited to:
   1. Outdoor emergency notification systems, such as outdoor sirens and a public address system that may be used for campus-wide critical incidents, including, but not limited to, tornado warnings. Sirens are tested at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, weather permitting. 
   2. Building notification systems may be used to inform building occupants of an emergency. Examples include building alarm/speaker systems, NOAA weather radios, digital signage, and/or other building-specific equipment. 
   3. Other digital communication systems, such as  university websites, desktop and computer pop-up alterts, social media, and traditional media outlets.
      
      Emergency notifications are sent either  to the entire campus or to more  targeted audiences (i.e., users of  specific buildings or areas of campus) when impact is more  limited. Emergency notifications are activated by Campus Safety in accordance with Campus Safety policies and in compliance with the Clery Act.
2. Public information. The Office of Strategic Communication serves as the authorized spokesperson for the university and maintains the university's Crisis Communication Plan. During a critical incident, all non-emergency, all public information must be coordinated and disseminated by their staff with assistance from other University departments and/or personnel as designated.
   
   During critical incidents, the Office of Strategic Communication will work with each organizational unit to gather accurate and substantial information regarding the situation and details regarding the University response. The Office of Strategic Communication, working with other Emergency Operations Center staff and applicable university officials, will provide notification to students, faculty, staff, and the general public on progress toward recovery. Any questions or comments regarding the Crisis Communication Plan should be directed to the Office of Strategic Communication.

The university seeks to provide a work environment that supports people and the business of the university.

1. In those situations that, due to equipment malfunction, weather, or other crisis situations, work space is uninhabitable because of heat, cold, water, smoke, or other conditions that make the work site unsafe or uninhabitable, supervisors will make a decision relative to continuation of services at that location. If the supervisor, based on consultation with appropriate university officials, their knowledge of the term and severity of the condition, and based on a reasonable-person standard, decides to vacate the work site, they shall use the following guidance.
   1. If possible, services to students, faculty, staff, and the public should be continued at an alternate work location within the college, vice presidential area, or hospital unit/clinic. Supervisors should identify these alternate work locations in advance and advise those impacted (i.e., employees and the public, when applicable) of the new location and the situations which would require relocation to the alternate work site (i.e., lack of heat, fumes, threats to safety/security).
   2. If space is not available in locations noted above for all or a portion of the affected staff, they should meet at a designated facility on campus. To the extent possible, normal work flow should be maintained. If computers, phones, and other necessary equipment are not available, staff should engage in planning, evaluation, or training activities which require staff presence but not operational equipment.
   3. If the options listed above are not feasible, the supervisor can authorize employees to work at home (if appropriate), or they may approve an alternate work schedule to make up the time in accordance with University Human Resources policies.
   4. If none of the above options is feasible, staff may be required to utilize paid leave (vacation) or unpaid leave during periods of disruption. It is the university's intent to avoid this option if possible.
   Supervisors are responsible for monitoring the availability of the original work space and for notifying staff and faculty when it is appropriate to return to the regular work area, unless impact is campus-wide impact, in which case  communication occurs at the campus-wide level.
2. Determinations as regards classes will be made by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost in coordination with academic units.