Department of Safety & Security

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

The following text includes the introduction, scope and table of contents to the university's Emergency Response Manual. If you have specific concerns or would like further information please contact the department of safety and security at Tel. 401-341-2325

Introduction

The Salve Regina Emergency Response Manual is designed for use by members of the university community, who should become familiar with its contents. The basic emergency procedures outlined in this manual are to enhance the protection of the university community and security of all buildings and property belonging to Salve Regina.

The plan itself has two primary components: first, is the development and function of a Crisis Management Team; second, is the Emergency Response Procedures. This plan does not detail the response procedures to be followed by trained personnel after the initial response to an emergency.

All requests for procedural changes, suggestions or recommendations should be submitted in writing to the director of safety and security for technical review. All changes recommended by the director of safety and security will be submitted in writing to the vice president of administrative services for evaluation and adoption.

Scope

These procedures apply to all personnel, buildings and grounds owned and operated by Salve Regina University.

Type of Emergencies

LEVEL I EMERGENCY: Any incident, potential or actual, which will not seriously affect the overall operation of the university. Report these instances immediately to the Salve Regina department of safety and security (X5555). Some examples of a minor emergency are: brownout, water leak, false fire alarm, maintenance problem.etc. Unless there is an unusual aspect to the incident, it may require only routine notification to affected individual departments. Only modest follow up and evaluation may be indicated.
LEVEL II EMERGENCY: Any incident, potential or actual, which affects an entire building or buildings, or which disrupts the overall operation of the university. Outside emergency services will probably be required, as well as a major response from campus support services. Major policy considerations may be required from the university administration during these conditions. Some examples of a major emergency are: fire, major accident, snow emergency, bomb threat, hazmat spill, serious injury to student, faculty or staff member, major incidents of student unrest.etc. In some of these emergency situations, the vice president of administrative services may deem it necessary for the Crisis Management Team to be formed (see below).
LEVEL III EMERGENCY: Any event or occurrence that seriously impairs or halts the operations of the university. In some cases, mass personnel casualties and heavy property damage may occur. A coordinated effort of all campus-wide resources is required to effectively control the situation. Outside emergency services will be essential. In all cases of a Level III Emergency an Emergency Command Center will be established, and the Crisis Management Team will execute the appropriate support and operational plan. Some examples of a disaster are: hurricane, serious fire, meningitis or other types of serious disease.etc.
In addition, any incident, regardless of the level of the emergency, which has the potential for adverse publicity should be promptly reported to the director of communications. The director of communications will determine:
Assessment of the potential impact on the university's reputation
Recommendation on steps to defuse or eliminate the problem before it goes public; or when that is not possible, steps to lessen the negative impact on the university's reputation.

Assumptions

The Salve Regina Emergency Response Manual is predicated on a realistic approach to the problems likely encountered on a campus during an emergency. Hence, the following are general guidelines:

§ An emergency may occur at any time of the day or night, weekend or holiday, with little or no warning.
§ The succession of events in an emergency is not predictable. Thus, this plan will serve only as a guide and checklist and may require field modification in order to meet the requirements of the emergency.

Emergency Notification List

The Salve Regina department of safety and security (X5500 or X5555) maintains a current telephone, beeper and/or cell phone list of the following department heads and their key personnel. In the event of an emergency, this department would notify the appropriate individuals listed below:

Director of Safety & Security ................ All emergencies
Vice President of Administrative Services ........... All emergencies
Director of Communications.................. All emergencies
Vice President of Student Affairs .............. All students
Vice President of Academics ................All students
Director of Residence Life ................. Resident students
Associate Director of Residence Life ............. Resident students
On-duty Area Coordinator ................. Resident students
Dean of Students .................... All Students
Associate Dean of Students ................. Off campus students
Director of Athletics .................... All students
Director of Library Services .................. Library concerns
Manager of Mail Services .................. All students
Director of Counseling .................. All students
Director of Facilities ................... Buildings / grounds
Director of Information Technology ............. Network services
Director of Human Resources ............... Employee concerns
Director of Health Services ................. Medical concerns

Crisis Management Team

After the initial emergency response, the Crisis Management Team should meet as soon as possible. The Crisis Management Team consists of those individuals within the Salve Regina Community who hold key positions in departments with the resources necessary to effectively deal with the emergency at hand. The team will consist of four major individuals, marked with an asterisk on the list below, and will be augmented by others as needed:

President (or designee)
The university president is responsible for the overall direction of campus emergency operations as outlined in the Emergency Response Manual

Vice President of Administrative Services
The vice president of administrative services is responsible for the overall coordination of the university emergency response. He/she initiates immediate contact with the president and the senior staff, works with the director of safety and security and others in assessing the emergency and preparing the university's specific response, and determines the types and magnitude of the emergency.

Director of Communications
The director of communications establishes liaison with the news media for dissemination of information as required by the president. He/she also establishes liaison with local radio and television services for the public announcement, arranges for the photographic and audio-visual services, and advises the president or designee of all news concerning the extent of the disaster affecting the campus.

Director of Safety and Security
The director of safety and security works with the vice president of administrative services and others in assessing the emergency and preparing the university's specific response. The director establishes an appropriate command post, notifies and utilizes local police and fire departments and serves as the university liaison between these groups. He/she also performs other related duties as may be directed by virtue of the campus emergency.

Other Members of the Crisis Management Team

Vice President Student Life (when students are affected)

Vice President of Academic Affairs (when an academic area is affected)

Vice President of Finance (where property damage, insurance claims or finance and commitment of resources is needed)

Director of Library Services (all matters concerning the library)

Dean of Students (when students are affected)

Director of Residence Life (when students in residence halls are affected)

Director of Facilities (when physical structures are affected)

Director of Health Services (when medical issues are involved)

Director of Human Resources (when employees are involved)

Director of Information Technology (when computing or telecommunications are affected)

Director of Counseling Center (as needed)

Director of Food Services (when students are involved)

The following management process for crisis situations will then be followed:

The vice president of administrative services must be informed immediately when the incident is reported.

The vice president of administrative services will contact members of the Crisis Management Team and set up a meeting. This group must be ready to react quickly.

Team meeting: Review all known information provided by the Salve Regina director of safety and security or any individual with direct information. If the Crisis Management Team cannot meet a telecommunication conference call may be more appropriate.

The Crisis Management Team will follow the general guidelines listed below:

Bring the situation under control as soon as possible
Protect people first and property second
Analyze how serious the situation is and its impact on the reputation/viability to operations of the university
Protect the integrity and reputation of the university by keeping all constituents informed of the facts versus fiction.

The team will decide on a course of action, proper response, public statement and appropriate activities.

Investigation: A single office will be designated to investigate the issue, and all Crisis Management Team members will work through that office. The office designated to investigate the issue will maintain documents that describe the actions taken.

Media contact: All media contact and external inquires will be handled by the director of communications. Refer all inquires to that office. Do not discuss any details concerning a campus emergency with any news media personnel. All questions, communications or request for information by news media for university personnel should be directed to the director of communications, who will coordinate all dissemination of information.

Communication: As events develop or change, the Crisis Management Team will communicate clearly before further action of further statements are issued.

The Crisis Management Team will assemble following each crisis to evaluate how the situation was handled and make recommendations to better handle similar situations in the future. The Crisis Management Team will also assemble at least once per year to evaluate training and emergency notification literature.