Is Your College Prepared to Handle an Emergency?

By Eric Spacek, JD, ARM, Senior Church Risk Manager at GuideOne Insurance

No matter the size of your college, it is important that you are prepared to protect your students and faculty in the case of an emergency.  Whether it be weather, fire, theft or criminal activity, having a plan and guidelines in place before these events occur will go a long way in protecting all on campus, as well as helping to restore your facilities and continue operations after the event.  Having well-laid plans and constant communication throughout an emergency situation can help keep everyone safe, calm and help give them a sense of direction in an otherwise upsetting situation.  In addition, it will help keep parents, authorities, emergency personnel, and others updated on your current situation.

Inclement Weather

While some of us may think of episodes of violence as being the only emergency situations that warrant preparation, planning for severe weather also is very important in ensuring that those living and working on your campus are protected.  Whether it be harsh winter weather or a severe storm, being organized and having supplies on hand will help make the situation easier to handle once it occurs.

Winter Weather

During the winter months, slick conditions are prevalent in many areas of the country.  To help prevent accidents:

• Monitor weather reports daily in order to have advance notice of an approaching storm.  Not only will this allow you to prepare and treat campus stairs, sidewalks and other walking surfaces appropriately, but it also will allow you send early communication to faculty, staff, campus transportation and students regarding any necessary closures.
• Make sure that appropriate arrangements are in place to clear parking areas and walkways of snow and ice.  Be vigilant about re-freezing situations and make sure that de-icing products are applied to prevent injuries from falls.
• During the winter months, water can accumulate inside buildings due to melting snow and ice tracked inside.  Ensure foot traffic safety by covering surfaces with mats to help avoid slips.  Make sure that the mats are in good condition and replace as needed.
  

Severe Weather

Electrical equipment, such as computers, telephones, copiers and fax machines can suffer severe damage from power surges, making storms a cause for concern.  Severe storms also bring the threat of strong winds, which can cause tree limbs to fall and hit buildings, cars or even people.  It is always best to stay indoors or seek shelter during a severe thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane or any other type of severe weather.  To prepare for this type of event:

• If a warning is issued, have a plan in place to let those on campus know of the weather emergency and be prepared to respond.  All buildings should have an emergency floor plan, showing students and faculty where to go in case of an emergency.  Faculty and staff should be trained on how to handle this situation and keep students calm;
• Make sure that appropriate lightning and surge protection are installed to protect your building and electrical system from harmful electrical surges;
• Routinely trim dead branches;
• Secure outdoor objects that may blow in the wind;
• Keep a battery-powered radio with extra batteries on hand;
• Clear gutters from debris to ensure proper drainage; and
• Have those outdoors, such as groundskeepers or athletic event spectators, come inside immediately.

Fires

According to the U.S. Fire Association (USFA), colleges and universities experience hundreds of fire-related emergencies each year.  On campus, the majority of fires are caused by cooking, other open flames or are intentionally set.  There also is a strong link between alcohol and fire deaths on campus.  The USFA suggests the following actions to help colleges and universities to prepare for these situations:

• Prepare a fire safety and prevention program, in consultation with local fire authorities,  and review it with students and faculty;
• Provide student training on how to use 911 emergency response to notify the fire department in case of an emergency;
• Install smoke alarms in all dorm rooms, housing facilities and other campus buildings;  Routinely test the alarms and replace batteries;
• Perform routine tests of the fire alarm systems;
• Inspect rooms and buildings for fire hazards and ask your local fire departments to assist you;
• Ensure exit doors and windows are properly maintained, cleared of debris and in working order;
• Keep updated, detailed floor plans of each campus building and make them available to emergency personnel, resident advisors and students;
• Conduct fire drills and practice evacuation plans.  Urge students to take each alarm seriously; and
• Do not overload electrical outlets and use extension cords properly.
  

Theft

With so many people coming and going on a school’s property, theft can become a commonplace occurrence.  As a school administrator, it is your job to see that all personal and financial information is kept secure and does not become a victim of theft.  Some ways to help protect your school’s sensitive data include:

• Shred important documents that have private information on them, including bank account numbers, pin numbers or other important information;
• Ask faculty and staff to protect their computers with a secure password and lock them if they are going to be away from their desk for any length of time;
• Create secure passwords and keep them secret.  Develop a password that is easy for you to remember but difficult for thieves to guess and use different passwords for different programs.
• Don’t open a building for a stranger who doesn’t have a badge or key that would allow them access to that building.
  

Criminal Activity

Unfortunately, criminal activities, such as homicides, sexual assaults, or campus shootings, do happen on even the securest of college campuses.  Part of being prepared is acknowledging that a serious event could take place at your organization and having steps in place to deal with it should an event actually occur.  Some of those steps include:

• Create an emergency preparedness plan and keep staff and faculty trained and informed on how to handle these critical situations;
• Ask faculty, staff and students to immediately report any suspicious behavior they witness;
• Have a plan in place to alert faculty, staff and students of an emergency;
• Have security personnel on campus and ensure they are trained to handle such situations; and
• Create a website where students can go in case of an emergency to find answers to any questions they may have, including what numbers they can call to report criminal activity, what is currently happening regarding the event and whether or not it is safe to leave their current location.
  

Planning and Communication are Key

In all of these situations, pre-planning and communication will be fundamental to getting through an event.  This includes implementing safety and security plans and providing communication pipelines, including text message alerts, mass e-mails, updates to the intranet homepage or a phone status line to communicate with students and staff.  Having these measures in place in the event of a closure or emergency situation will help keep people calm and allow them to stay up-to-date on the current status of the campus.  It also may help them avoid a potentially dangerous situation, whether that be hazardous road conditions, a fire on campus, or other serious event.  Visit GuideOne.com today to learn more.


As Senior Risk Manager at GuideOne Insurance, Eric Spacek is responsible for the research, development, recommendation and implementation of GuideOne’s strategic risk management programs.

Contact Spacek by calling 1-877-448-4331, ext. 5118, or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .