Emergency Response Plan St. John Fisher College

Download the Emergency Response Team Organizational Chart [PDF]

SCOPE

This policy applies to all members of the College. It is intended to cover, but is not limited to, the following emergency situations:

Environmental/Natural Disasters - i.e. fires, floods, chemical spills or leaks, power outages and explosions;
Medical Emergencies - i.e. serious injury or fatality, epidemic or poisoning;
Major Violence - i.e. murder, suicide, kidnapping, and hostage taking;
Bomb Threats;
Out-of-Control behaviors - i.e. riots and demonstrations;
Other crises on or off campus.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the College:

Prepares for and responds effectively to an emergency situation through the appropriate use of College and community resources;
Provides a framework for enhancing the safety and security of its operations;
Mitigates the long-term effects of an emergency on its operations and mission.

PREAMBLE

An emergency is an unplanned event or incident, which can cause death or significant injury to employees, students, visitors, or the public or that can shut down operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten the College's public image.

Emergency management is the process of preparing for, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from an emergency. The Emergency Response Plan is the cornerstone of this process and provides for a coordinated response and a clear line of command.

POLICY

Structure and General Responsibilities

The Emergency Response Team

1. The Emergency Response Team ("ERT") is created under the authority of the President and is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Emergency Response Plan and for the effective overall management of an emergency.

2. Members of the ERT* are:

Emergency Director: Dr. Ronald Ambrosetti, Provost & Dean of the College
Emergency Coordinator: Mr. Michael McCarthy, Director of Safety and Security
Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity Initiatives: Dr. Richard DeJesùs-Rueff
Director of College Information: Ms. Anne Geer
Director of Facilities Services: Mr. Larry Jacobson
Director of Human Resources: Ms. Karen Gagie
Office of Information Technology: Mr. Stacy Slocum
Environmental Health and Safety Officer: Mr. Ronald Ange
President of the College: Dr. Donald E. Bain

*2008-09 Members

3. The ERT shall:

Review and evaluate the College's Emergency Response Plan and the faculty and administrative department plans once a year in the Fall;
Initiate and coordinate one annual emergency exercise or simulation and evaluate the response;
Issue directives and protocols as appropriate;
Modify the Emergency Response Plan as required;
Submit an annual report to the Safety Committee;
Manage emergencies as outlined in this policy and in accordance with the Emergency Response Plan.

Emergency Director

The Emergency Director heads the ERT and is responsible for convening the ERT or some portion of its members, to determine the short- and long-term effects of the emergency, to order the shutdown or evacuation of a College facility, to oversee the interface with outside organizations and the media, and to approve all communications that are issued.
Will establish a Command Post assembly area.
Will assign a scribe to maintain a Command Post Journal, which will include time, activity, and action taken.

Emergency Coordinator and Emergency Response Groups

The Emergency Coordinator is responsible for the front-line management of the emergency, for tactical planning and execution, for determining whether assistance is required, and for relaying requests for outside assistance. The Emergency Coordinator will use the Critical Incident Management process.
A Command Post may be established by the Emergency Coordinator from which he or she will coordinate the work of the Emergency Response Group(s) in the execution of line response activities.
The composition of the Emergency Response Group(s) will vary depending upon the type of emergency. This Group(s) shall be responsible for conducting the frontline operations of the response under the direction of the Emergency Coordinator.

Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity Initiatives

Will coordinate the flow of information to the student population;
- Residents
- Commuters
Will coordinate the accountability and location of students;
Will assist with or make arrangements for temporary or alternative accommodations for students;
Will coordinate the flow of information to parents and guardians;
Will establish and coordinate a counseling center that includes Campus Ministry.

College Information Officer

Will coordinate the flow of information to the media;
Will establish a media assembly area;
Will provide clear, continuous, and timely communication to faculty, staff, students and external public as required;
Will handle emergency closing notifications and coordinate special notifications as required.

Director of Facilities Services

Will support the Emergency Response team with:
Floor plans
Air handling control
Equipment
Assist with staffing of outer perimeter
Will provide essential services for the maintenance and restoration of critical functions;
Will provide damage control and carry out emergency repairs;
Will clear roadways, exits, and buildings under the direction of the Emergency Coordinator;
Will provide emergency transportation as required.

Environmental Health and Safety Officer

Will give technical advice as appropriate to incident;
Will request appropriate equipment;
Will assess hazardous and unsafe conditions and develop measures for assuring personnel safety;
Will exercise emergency authority to immediately stop or prevent unsafe acts or conditions when appropriate;
Will monitor stress levels of involved personnel;
Will contact appropriate internal resources (i.e. Chemistry Department chair);
Will contact appropriate outside agencies as required (ECO, Fire Department);
Will record the event and the actions taken.

College President

Give visible presence to relay information to faculty, staff, students and general public.
Inform Board of Trustees on details of the incident.

The Director's Advisory Group

The Director or designee may assemble the Director's Advisory Group to facilitate the flow of information during an emergency. In such cases, all members of the Emergency Response Team shall form part of the Director's Advisory Group.

All Faculty and Administrative Departments

All faculty and administrative departments shall identify the critical operations and critical facility requirements of their units, which must be protected in the case of an emergency.
Faculty and administrative departments shall have both a communications plan and an emergency response plan, including shutdown procedures.
Will establish a Floor/Building Captain system for notification, evacuations, and training.
This information shall be in writing and the Emergency Director, Director of Safety and Security, and Facilities Director shall hold a copy. These plans shall be reviewed at least annually.

Emergency Situations

General

In the event of an emergency, the Emergency Director shall initiate selected or College-wide response plans and any related communications plans as required, including initiating the floor captain system.
The ERT shall work with members of Director's Advisory Group, as the case may be, to lead the College through the emergency, determine the options available, initiate the course of action to be taken, and coordinate communication issues to the internal College community as well as to the public.
The ERT or certain members of the ERT shall be called upon as deemed necessary by the Emergency Director. If required, a meeting may take place in a Command Post Center, a designated location that will, to the extent possible, be equipped with the technology and information required. At present, the Command Post Centers are designated as Wilson Formal Lounge or the Facilities Conference Room. An off-campus Emergency Command Post will be established at the President's House at 4100 East Ave. In all other cases, the Emergency Director shall be responsible for instituting an effective system of communication that permits the required exchange of information.
The Student Life Center (SLC) shall be used as an emergency shelter if the Residence Halls are uninhabitable or if others on campus require emergency shelter. The alternative location for an emergency shelter shall be Cleary Family Auditorium in Kearney Hall.
Where police or fire officials are involved, they have the responsibility to take jurisdiction over all activities. The Emergency Coordinator shall coordinate the deployment of College resources.
The College Information Officer shall coordinate the College Emergency Communications Plan including relations with the media. Any required College notifications or cancellations shall be reviewed with the College Information Officer and must be approved by the Emergency Director.

Advance Warning

In the event that there is advance warning of an emergency:
The Emergency Director shall be contacted and shall initiate whatever response plan he or she deems necessary;
Key college personnel shall be informed;
The Emergency Coordinator shall contact emergency response services if necessary;
The Emergency Communications Plan shall be activated if necessary;

Post Emergency

During the post-emergency phase, the ERT shall:
Debrief and continue communications, as required, to the College community, the general public, and the media;
Coordinate on-going support activities as required;
Consider the need for post-emergency commemorative events and implement them as required;
Record events and prepare permanent records;
Assess any required changes to the Emergency Response Plan.

Functional Responsibilities of Certain College Departments

The Security Department shall, depending upon the circumstances:

Receive notification of incidents;
Initiate the Emergency Response Plan and coordinate all frontline activities with College and civil authorities (i.e. contact emergency services, HazMat Emergency Team, emergency responders); initiate the seven critical tasks:
Establish communications and control
Identify the danger zone
Establish an inner perimeter
Establish an outer perimeter
Establish a command post
Establish a staging area
Request necessary resources
Maintain public order;
Control traffic;
Coordinate rescue activities;
Keep a log to record events and actions taken.

The Registrar shall, depending upon the circumstances:

Make arrangements for alternative academic accommodation;
Reorganize the academic schedule;
Communicate with academic Deans as necessary;

The Director of Human Resources shall, depending upon the circumstances:

Ensure, in collaboration with the relevant unit heads, that essential service personnel are identified and are appropriately recognized and compensated;
Communicate essential information regarding general emergency procedures to all College personnel as determined by the ERT;
Ensure that the payroll is processed;
Coordinate with the Wellness Center and Environmental Health and Safety Officer to ensure that medical treatment and counseling for victims and affected individuals is provided as required.

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