Emergency Notification

Emergency Notification Procedures

Any member of the Campus community with information believed to constitute a significant emergency or a dangerous situation that poses an imminent or immediate threat shall report the information to University Police Department (UPD) by calling "911." Examples include, but are not limited to, the following types of incidents:

1. 1. 1. Criminal activity with an imminent threat to Campus community (e.g., active shooter, murder, fleeing suspect with a weapon)
      2. Severe weather warning (e.g., flash flooding, tsunami, hurricane, etc.)
      3. Environmental emergency within an on-campus facility (e.g., hazardous chemical spill, fire, earthquake, building collapse)
      4. Public Health Emergency (e.g., measles outbreak, swine flu outbreak, etc.)

Once UPD has received the report, the Chief of Police (or management designee) will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, confer with any appropriate public official (e.g., fire chief, health department) and any Campus officials responsible for managing the on-campus emergency, if available, to confirm both:

 1) a legitimate emergency or dangerous situation exists impacting on-Campus geography; and 2) the emergency or dangerous situation poses an immediate or imminent threat to members of the on-campus community. This confirmation process may include, but is not limited to, visual observation, officer investigation, the assistance of key Campus administrators, local or Campus first responders, and/or official government reporting through agencies such as the National Weather Service.

If both of the above factors are not met, no emergency notification is required. If it is determined that both of the above factors are met, then an emergency notification as described below shall be issued. The Chief of Police and (or management designee) will prepare the content of the notification and determine which members of the Campus community are threatened and need to be notified. The content of the message will be developed based on a careful but swift analysis of the most critical facts.

Once the notification is prepared, the Chief of Police and/or the Clery Director (or their management designees) will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, transmit the emergency notification unless doing so would delay the ability to mitigate and/or contain the emergency, including the ability to provide immediate, life saving measures. If an emergency notification is issued, a timely warning is not required for the same incident.

The emergency notification shall contain the following information:

1. 1. 1. A statement as to what the emergency or dangerous situation is, in specific terms (e.g., chemical spill, active shooter, building fire)
      2. A statement providing direction as to what actions the receiver of the message should take to ensure their own safety
      3. A statement as to where or when additional information may be obtained

The campus will provide updates to the emergency notification with pertinent updates or direction to persons for their safety when new information becomes available. Updates will be provided in regular intervals until the emergency has been mitigated or no longer poses an imminent threat, e.g., fire is out and building has re-opened.

Emergency Notifications will be distributed as quickly as possible in a manner that will likely reach the segment(s) of the on-campus community threatened by the emergency. The Chief will determine if notification to the larger community is appropriate. Distribution methods, depending on the nature of the emergency, may include:

1. 1. 1. A Campus mass notification system, including but not limited to phone, Campus email, or text messaging.
      2. Audio/visual message boards
      3. Audible alarms/sirens
      4. Campus public address systems
      5. In person or door-to-door notifications in a building or residence halls
      6. Local media
      7. Social media
      8. Other means appropriate under the circumstances.

CSU Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (the “Clery Act”) Appendix B:  Emergency Notification Policy & Procedures