Home > V. Administrative, Financial, and Facilities Policies > Ch.16 - Emergency Operations Plan

16.2 Purpose

(Amended 9/20/24)
  1. The University of Iowa shall conduct continuous planning to minimize the risk of personal injury and property loss from critical incidents; shall cooperate with public bodies and agencies charged with disaster control; and shall take necessary and prudent steps to assure continuity of operations and restoration of normal activities as quickly as possible following an emergency or a disaster.

    Questions or comments about this plan shall be directed to the Department of Emergency Management, 319-335-5022, or https://safety.uiowa.edu/emergency-management. Questions about business continuity should be directed to Risk Management, Insurance, and Loss Prevention.
  2. The University of Iowa is committed to supporting the welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Preparing a campus emergency operations plan and allocating resources to respond to possible emergencies is one way in which the University offers this support. The plan is fashioned in accordance with appropriate laws, regulations, and policies that govern crisis/emergency preparedness.
  3. The Emergency Operations Plan provides the structure and processes that the university uses to respond to and initially recover from an event. The EOP establishes the overall authority, roles, and functions expected to be performed during incidents. This plan is set in operation whenever a natural or induced crisis affecting the University reaches proportions that cannot be handled by established routine measures. A crisis may be sudden and unforeseen, or there may be varying periods of warning. This plan is intended to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate contingencies of various types, magnitudes, and duration.
  4. The plan provides for aiding the local communities when appropriate, though the prime responsibility of the plan is to the University community for which it is designed. 
  5. Additionally, it is believed that a coordinated response to campus critical incidents will provide the following outcomes:
    1. A more rapid response to critical incidents,
    2. A more systematic and routine approach to critical incidents,
    3. A venue for promptly identifying and supporting University decision makers,
    4. A system for evaluating all critical incidents with the goal of providing improved plans to protect lives and property as well as reduce exposure to vicarious liability, and
    5. Improved management of public information.