The protection and welfare of students, faculty and staff is the primary safety consideration in the event of a fire or explosion. Lives of individuals will never willingly be placed in jeopardy and it is imperative that all individuals are knowledgeable of the proper emergency response procedures necessary to evacuate the building in a safe and expeditious manner. University personnel are not trained as fire fighters and as such are asked to concentrate on getting themselves and others to safety.

At the beginning of each year, university faculty and staff will review fire procedures and emergency action plans. Evacuation maps indicating the most direct route to the rally point are posted in each classroom, office, meeting room and work area. The location of fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations and fire panels are marked on each map. The use of fire extinguishers shall be reviewed on an annual basis for all employees and identified employees will be required to attend an annual hands-on fire extinguisher training session. Fire extinguishers are to be used to assist in the evacuation of employees and students only, and are not intended to be used to fight fires or save buildings.

Records shall be kept of each fire drill conducted at the institution and a copy shall be kept in Public Safety. Fire alarms shall be activated at irregular times without warning and such issues as blocked exits, alternate routes and alternative alarm systems shall be considered.

In the event you discover a fire, smoke or explosion; the following actions are to be taken:

1. Pull the nearest fire alarm and evacuate the building immediately; verbally warn others on the way out of the building.
2. Call the Public Safety Dispatcher at 911; describe the location, type and extent of the fire emergency, your name and title and the phone number you are calling from.
3. Report to the rally point, account for all employees, students and visitors within your immediate area of responsibility. If individuals are missing, these names and approximate locations must be given to the Incident Commander of the Fire Department upon their arrival.
4. Keep staff and students calm until the building has been released by the fire department and people are allowed to return to the building.
5. The Emergency Response Coordinator is responsible for documenting actions taken on the Fire and Explosion Emergency Action form.
6. Conduct a limited investigation following the incident to evaluate corrective actions and preventative measures for future potential problems.
7. Provide information to emergency responders that arrive on scene.

Fire and Explosion Emergency Action Form

Name and Title of person in charge of Emergency Response Actions:

Name of Building:

Date of fire

Time of emergency

Location of fire

Type of fire

Person(s) injured

Name(s) of individual reporting fire/smoke

Emergency Response agency(s) responding

Emergency Response Log:

Emergency Response Dispatcher called at a.m./p.m.

Fire department arrived at a.m./p.m.

Individuals accounted for, completed at a.m./p.m.

Fire department advised that all persons accounted for/missing by:

Persons missing, why/where

Emergency Response Coordinator notified at a.m./p.m.

Individuals moved to (location), at a.m./p.m. by

    (name, title).

Individuals returned to work area at a.m./p.m. on (date)

Media contacts made by

Comments and specific requests:

Incident reviewed on (date and time)

Recommended corrective actions include:

In the event of a medical emergency, the following steps shall be taken by the first person aware of a medical emergency or need for emergency assistance of any kind:

1. Stay with the injured person and direct another person to notify the Office of Public Safety at 911 of the problem immediately.
2. Provide first aid, assistance or simple comfort to the person, appropriate to the responder’s training and comfort level. The rendering of first aid is not required of someone who has not been trained, or if it is not required as a part of their job description and function.

Once Public Safety has been notified of a medical emergency, the following actions shall be taken:

1. Send an individual to the location where the ambulance will be arriving, so that they may promptly escort medical personnel to the injured person(s).
2. Move bystanders from the immediate area to a safe location, to allow medical personnel ample room to conduct emergency response activities.
3. Call janitorial services and request blood spill cleanup, area decontamination or other cleanup services as needed, before students and employers are returned to the immediate area.
4. The Emergency Response Coordinator is responsible for documenting actions taken on the medical emergency form.
5. Conduct a limited investigation following the incident to evaluate corrective actions and preventative measures for future potential problems.

Medical Emergency Action Form

Name and Title of person in charge of Emergency Response Actions:

Location (Building/room):

Date of emergency

Time of emergency

Type of injury(s):

Person(s) injured:

Name(s) of individuals responding initially:

Emergency Response agency(s) responding:

Emergency Response Log:

Emergency Response Dispatcher called at

             a.m./p.m.

Ambulance(s) arrived at

               a.m./p.m., 

Injured party taken to

Media contacts made by:

Comments and specific requests:

Incident reviewed on

    (date and time)

Recommended corrective actions include:

In order to maintain the highest level of safety for students and employees, the following procedures have been established in the event a person, or persons, is on or near the university grounds and poses a possible danger to him/herself and others. This could be an armed individual on campus or another student brandishing a gun as a threat. In some instances, local police authorities will notify the university of potential danger, at other times, individuals at the university will be the first to recognize the dangerous situation and be responsible for the safety of students and employees while notifying and requesting outside assistance.

It is not the intent of the university to disarm a potentially violent person or someone who is threatening any individual, nor is it the intent of the university to physically restrain anyone who is suspected of being capable of inflicting bodily harm. The sole purpose of these procedures is to keep students, staff and visitors safe from harm if at all possible.

Emergency response procedures for a potential dangerous person or situation shall follow the guidelines listed below:

• Notify the Office of Public Safety by calling 911. Give the dispatcher your name, title, location you are calling from, location of the potential dangerous person and as much information as possible. Tell the dispatcher that this is a dangerous situation and that the assistance is needed immediately.
• Remain behind locked doors until Public Safety and the local police department has cleared the area and ensures that danger to students or employees no longer exists.

Unauthorized Person, Possible Dangerous Situation Action Form

Name and Title of person reporting the initial concern or person:

Location (Building/room):

     Date of incident
  	

Time of incident

    Type of incident:

           unauthorized person      _violent individual(s)

Emergency Response agency(s) responding:

Emergency Response Log:

Emergency Response Dispatcher called at

             a.m./p.m. 

Thorough inspection of all classrooms, work areas, lounges, bathrooms, offices, multipurpose room, kitchen, shrubbery, roof and perimeter areas conducted by:

           Fire      Police      Maintenance       Public Safety     Employees

Evacuation from site declared necessary by:

Students/employees returned to classrooms/work area at

          a.m./p.m. on      (date)

Incident reviewed on

    (date and time)
 

Recommended corrective actions include:

Chemical and oil spills have the potential to do serious harm to an unsuspecting participant, if that individual has not been properly trained in Chemical Spill cleanup procedures or does not wear appropriate protective equipment. To safeguard university employees and students, chemical and oil spills will not be cleaned up by individuals unless they have been thoroughly trained and can safely do so. If outside assistance is required then the following procedures shall be followed.

• Immediately evacuate the room or work area, barricading spill areas if possible to avoid further contamination.
• If possible, stop the leak or spill at its source.
• Provide medical assistance to injured individuals. If emergency showers or eyewashes are used, decontamination procedures shall last a minimum of 15 minutes before the injured party can be transported via ambulance to the nearest hospital. Any contaminated clothing shall be removed and placed in a plastic bag. Because there is a risk of hypothermia for individuals exposed to cold emergency showers, it is important to have a warm shower or warm blankets available to the exposed individual(s).
• Using available spill cleanup kits, clean up, neutralize and decontaminate the surrounding area. All spill cleanup materials are to be labeled and managed as hazardous waste. If spill cleanup kits are not available, staff have not been properly trained, or the situation is beyond the means of the available resources, then the spill must be declared an emergency and emergency procedures must be initiated by informing the front office.

To report a chemical or hazardous materials emergency situation:

1. Call local Public Safety Dispatcher at 911. Provide the following information:
   • Your name and title
   • Location of the spill (Building, room)
   • State: “I am calling to report a chemical/oil spill and request a Hazardous Materials Response team. Individuals in the area are being/have been evacuated from the immediate spill area.” If students or employees have been injured, request that an ambulance be sent immediately as well by stating: “One (or appropriate number) individual has been splashed with the chemical. This individual is currently undergoing a 15-minute decontamination in the emergency shower and will need transport to the nearest hospital”.
   • Give the dispatcher the name of the chemical and approximate quantity of chemical that has been spilled, if this is known.
   • Give the phone number you are calling from
2. Provide any known information to the Incident Commander of the Fire Department upon their arrival. The Incident Commander may elect to evacuate the entire building, depending on the chemical spilled and the approximate time needed to conduct a hazardous materials response.
3. Notify the Local and State authorities of the chemical emergency. Give your name, title and current status of the emergency, information regarding the chemical and the methods that have been taken to mitigate the emergency.
4. Since hazardous materials emergency response procedures can take from 1-2.5 hours to complete, it is important to keep staff and students calm until the building has been released by the fire department, and individuals are allowed to return to work areas within the building.
5. Document actions taken on the Hazardous Material (Chemical) Emergency Action form.
6. Conduct a limited investigation following the incident to evaluate corrective actions and preventative measures for future potential problems.

Occasionally, major chemical accidents can occur off site. These usually take place on nearby streets, railroad tracks, on major highways or at a major industrial site in the vicinity. In these instances, the site will probably be contacted directly by local police and fire departments implementing a local emergency response plan. When evacuation of the university is necessary, students and staff will be directed to a specific relocation area by the local response agencies involved (fire, police or hazardous materials teams). The Emergency Response Coordinator will be assisted by local officials to determine whether it is appropriate to shelter in place, or move students and staff with buses to a safer location. In the event of a large-scale evacuation, personal vehicles are to be left behind and all transportation will be accomplished using school buses. All other evacuation rules will apply and staff and students will not be allowed to return to the building until local emergency responders have declared the area safe.

Hazardous Material (Chemical or Oil) Emergency Action Form (on-site)

Name and Title of person in charge of Emergency Response Actions:

Date of chemical spill

Time of emergency

Location (Building/room) of chemical spill

Type of chemical and quantity:

Person(s) injured:

Name(s) of individual reporting chemical spill:

Emergency Response agency(s) responding:

Emergency Response Log:

Emergency Response Dispatcher called at

          a.m./p.m.

Fire department arrived at a.m./p.m. Hazmat team arrived at

          a.m./p.m. 

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided to the Hazmat team by

Fire department advised that all persons accounted for/missing by

Persons missing, why/where:

President notified at

          a.m./p.m.

State emergency responders notified at

          a.m./p.m.

Students/employees moved to

          (location), at      a.m./p.m. by      (name, title)  

Buses requested from Transportation to move

         (number) students and staff 

Students/staff returned to classrooms/work area at

          a.m./p.m. on     (date)

Media contacts made by:

Comments and specific requests

Incident reviewed on:

    (date and time)
 

Recommended corrective actions include:

Natural disasters usually present a real danger to students, employees and facilities and can usually be forecast with a high degree of accuracy. Advance warning of 2-3 hours to 48 hours is not an unreasonable expectation. In the event of a potential natural disaster, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the local and state level will be activated to the meet response needs that arise in an anticipated event. Local emergency management authorities have included in their community emergency planning, specific action to be taken in the event of a natural disaster. It is imperative that open communication between local emergency responders, the Office of Public Safety and the Emergency Response Coordinator be maintained and that plans be communicated to all levels of the university organization as thoroughly and as quickly as possible.

When an emergency caused by a natural disaster dictates that the university be closed, students, staff and the general public will be officially notified via local television and radio. Both electronic and printed news media, as well as local law enforcement agencies, should be enlisted to disseminate university-related information in the event of a prolonged emergency.

Power failures are common occurrences in Connecticut and may or may not occur with advance warning. Since these power failures affect a number of operating systems within the buildings, it is important to have a procedure for dealing with a variety of scenarios. Operating systems that may, or may not, be affected include: powered bells and communication systems, telephones, fire alarms and signal devices for the hearing impaired, refrigeration systems, security alarms, cooling or heating systems and local traffic signals. In addition, the inability to carry on learning activities may be significantly impaired if they require the use of computers, overheads, electronic equipment and standard office equipment.

Since students and employees may need to be evacuated through unlighted corridors, each classroom and work place should be provided with flashlights and extra batteries. Each building is provided with emergency lighting that is automatically activated during a power failure. These battery packs will last from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours and provide illumination necessary during evacuations. They are not intended for use as backup lighting for continuation of activities during a power failure.

Each response for a power failure must be evaluated individually based on a number of criteria: whether or not advance warning is given, the time at which the blackout occurs, the anticipated length of the blackout, the student population and composition, physical characteristics of each building and the time of the year. Given these criteria, it is the University President’s decision on whether to close university or change the hours of the academic day. This decision shall be communicated to local radio and television media, the police and fire department and all university staff.

When a power failure occurs, it is vital that the main electrical panel is shut down. This will avoid the potential for a hazardous situation when the panel is restored to full power. Each employee should be familiar with the location and method of shutting down the panel in the event of a power failure.

If a power failure occurs with advance warning, the following procedures shall be taken:

• If the University President determines that the university shall be closed, or the regular hours of the academic day changed, then transportation, the local police department and fire department, local area radio and television and each Vice President and Dean shall be notified.
• Key personnel and maintenance staff will be asked to turn off all electrical equipment (computers, power supplies, etc.).
• Shut down the main electrical panel.
• Once power is restored, evaluate critical equipment for the effects of the failure (refrigeration units, timers, bell systems, communications equipment)

If a power failure occurs without advance warning, the following procedures shall be taken:

• Tune to a local radio station with a battery powered radio.
• If the university is in session, contact the Office of Public Safety at 685-2345. State your name, title and that “A power outage has occurred at Wesleyan University. Electrical systems will be shut down and fire alarms are non-operational.”
• Keep students and employees in classrooms until a determination has been made to evacuate by the Emergency Response Coordinator.
• Call the President and state your name and tile and that “A power outage has occurred at the <Building>. Students and employees are being sheltered in place for the time being and the electrical systems will be shut down. Fire alarms are non-operational. The university awaits your decision to evacuate, dismiss or shelter in place.”
• If the President determines that the university shall be closed, or the regular hours of the academic day changed, then transportation, the local police department and fire department, local area radio and television and each Vice President and Dean shall be notified.
• Key personnel and maintenance staff will be asked to turn off all electrical equipment (computers, power supplies, etc.).
• Shut down the main electrical panel.
• Once power is restored, evaluate critical equipment for the effects of the failure (refrigeration units, timers, bell systems, communications equipment)

Power Outage Action Form

Name and Title of person in charge of Emergency Response Actions:

Date of power outage

Time of outage

Type of outage:

           prior notification      no prior notification

Equipment damage noted:

Emergency Response agency(s) responding:

Emergency Response Log:

Emergency Response Dispatcher called at

    a.m./p.m.

President notified at

    
    a.m./p.m.

Evacuation from site declared necessary by:

Students moved to

    
   (location), at      a.m./p.m. by      (name, title)

Buses requested from Transportation to move

    
    (number) students and staff .Students/staff returned to classrooms/work area at      a.m./p.m. on      (date)

Incident reviewed on

    
    (date and time)

Recommended corrective actions include: