Tips for Departmental Planning
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In the event of an emergency, personnel from university departments and facilities must be able to react properly even before the arrival of emergency responders. In major disaster situations university or governmental authorities may not be able to provide direct assistance to your facility/department immediately. Preparation for emergencies can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses in such situations. An emergency plan is a critical component of preparedness. The following list of elements is recommended for inclusion in an emergency plan for a department or facility on the Rutgers University-New Brunswick campuses: |
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| 1. Where to obtain emergency notifications and information |
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Broadcast media |
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University information sources |
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Monitor information sources during periods of increased risk |
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2. Reporting procedures |
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Posting of emergency numbers/where to report |
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What to report: suspicious activities/persons, potential threats to life or safety, hazardous conditions, security hardware problems |
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| 3. Department telephone notification list |
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Home, office, and cellular telephone numbers of all employees |
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Maintain updated notification lists |
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| 4. Fire emergency procedures |
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Preplanned evacuation routes and rally point |
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Activate alarms if not sounding |
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Notification to Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) |
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Evacuation procedures (see evacuation section below) |
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Do not attempt to fight fire |
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Confine fire by closing doors and windows |
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Prohibition against using elevators |
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Assistance for building occupants who are mobility impaired |
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Accounting for personnel at rally point |
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| 5. Medical emergency procedures |
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Report the emergency to the RUPD and provide updates on condition of victims |
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Give assistance to victim(s) |
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Have staff member meet responders and guide them to victim location |
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Have selected staff members attend emergency medical training programs offered by the university |
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| 6. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) threat procedure (bomb, chemical, biological, radiological) |
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Have a facility floor plan available for responding officers |
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Communicate with RUPD regarding the nature of threat received |
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Use a threat checklist to record information on threatening phone calls |
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Brief responding emergency responders upon their arrival |
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Evacuation instructions to staff (take personal bags/packages, report unusual or suspicious objects observed in building) |
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| 7. Building evacuation procedure |
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Evacuation routes |
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Location of “rally point” |
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Provisions for special needs person(s) |
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Shut down of equipment that might pose a hazard if left unattended |
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Account for all personnel (roll call at rally point) |
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Prohibition against using elevators in the event of a fire evacuation |
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8. Procedures for sheltering-in-place |
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Identify safe areas within facility (interior rooms) |
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Do not use basement area for shelter during HAZMAT situations |
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Close exterior doors and windows and turn off HVAC system during HAZMAT situations |
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Establishment of facility duty desk |
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| 9. Intruder/suspicious person’s procedure |
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Responsibility of employees to maintain awareness |
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Immediately report suspicious persons and activities to RUPD |
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Lockdown procedure/notifications to staff |
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10. Special needs persons in your department or facility |
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Identify persons needing assistance (hearing impaired, blind, mobility impaired, special dietary needs, non-English speaking) |
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Assign persons to assist special needs person in the event of an evacuation notify emergency responders of presence of special needs person(s) |
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| 11. Recovering from disaster |
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Continuation of business plan |
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Relocation of department functions |
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| 12. Mental health and crisis counseling |
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Identify available services |
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Procedure to direct affected persons to assistance |
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| 13. University information sources |
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Listed at http://emergency.rutgers.edu |
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RU Operating Status Page |
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Rutgers Information Referral Center (732) 932-INFO |
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Campus Alert E-mail System |
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RUTV Rutgers Information Channel 3 |
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Local radio and television stations |
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| 14. Emergency supplies and equipment |
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Water (replace every 6 months) |
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Flashlights with batteries |
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AM/FM radio with batteries |
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First aid kit |
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Personal items |
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Non-perishable foods packed in cans, sealed metal or plastic containers (replace every 6 months) and utensils/plates |
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Disinfectant and household chlorine bleach |
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Schedule periodic checks of supplies and equipment |
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| BRIEFING YOUR STAFF |
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| All current members of your department/facility should be briefed regarding the contents of the emergency plan. This briefing should also be part of your new employee orientation. Copies should be readily available for reference during an incident. |
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| CONTINUITY OF EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENTS |
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| Remember that all persons with assigned duties under your plan should have a minimum of two designated backup persons to ensure that these functions are performed in their absence. |
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