• Emergency Operations
• Notification in an Emergency
• Emergency Procedures
  • Incident Command
  • Evacuation Procedures
  • Fire/Explosions
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Workplace Violence
  • Bomb Threats/Searches
  • Earthquakes
  • Medical/First Aid Emergencies
  • Emergency Supplies
  • Important Phone Numbers
• Emergency Telephones
• Department Emergency Plan
• Media
• Cell Phones
• Site Map

earthquakes

DUCK, COVER, AND HOLD!

DUCK or drop to the floor. Take COVER under a sturdy desk, table, or other furniture. If that is not possible, seek cover against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid danger spots near windows, hanging objects, mirrors or tall furniture. If you take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, HOLD on and be prepared to move. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS TO EVACUATE THE BUILDING.

Check for Injuries

When the shaking stops, check yourself, your students and co-workers for injuries. Render first aid if possible. You should consider having a first aid kit, flashlight, and good walking shoes available at a moment's notice. You should ensure the injured are helped from the building to assembly points. Remember to enlist students and co-workers in helping others. If you are unable to evacuate the injured, note their location and notify the police as soon as possible.

Evacuate Safely: Note for Faculty

In a classroom setting, faculty are responsible for evacuating all students immediately and safely. Instruct students to leave by the nearest exit or as advised by emergency personnel. If emergency personnel are not present and the circumstances dictate an evacuation, faculty should take charge of their own class and proceed with the appropriate type of evacuation. Familiarize yourself with the exits of the buildings in which you teach and the campus evacuation plan. Know when you use Assembly Point Evacuation or Immediate Danger Evacuation. Know the location of the nearest assembly points.

Recovery Phase Duties

Depending on the situation, your services may or may not be needed by the university after the initial response phase. Contact your dean or vice president before leaving campus (if possible) to notify the campus you are safe and where you may be contacted if you are needed. Do you reenter buildings until the buildings have been declared safe! Do not add to the problem by becoming a secondary shock victim. Nothing in the building is more important than your safety.

Having a plan can help minimize your stress during and directly after an event. Talk to you family or loved ones about how you will contact them in an emergency and what each of you can expect from one another. Arrange for family to report their status to someone outside the immediate area because phone lines in the disaster area will be overused and should be reserved for emergency personnel.