Business Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 50: Safety and Security

BPPM 50.39

For more information contact:
   Office of Emergency Management
   509-335-7471

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Overview

At any time an emergency can adversely affect the safety of personnel, facilities, and operations of the University. Emergency situations may be local, regional, or statewide in scope.

Planning and preparing for emergencies of any scale is vital to the welfare of personnel as well as to the continuity of University operations. Emergency incidents can result in lost research, damaged facilities, and disruptions in educational processes. Proper management of emergencies can minimize such disruption.

Policy

Before, during, and after emergencies, the University seeks to safeguard the welfare of students, faculty, staff, and visitors and seeks to protect the University’s essential functions. (EP25; RCW 38.52; WAC 296-24-567)

Emergency Defined

An emergency is defined as a situation that poses an immediate risk to life, health, property, research, University research animals, or the environment. Urgent intervention is necessary to prevent worsening of the situation. A campus emergency requires going beyond routine police, fire, and/or medical response activities.

Applicability

This policy applies at all University locations including WSU Pullman, WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, WSU Vancouver, WSU North Puget Sound at Everett, and WSU Downtown Seattle. It also applies at WSU research and extension centers, extension offices, jointly-owned facilities, all other University-owned property, University-leased space, and temporary field operations and field trips under the control of University operations and staff. This policy also applies to other agencies co-located or affiliated with WSU as appropriate.

Compliance Responsibilities

Each vice president, chancellor, and dean is responsible for ensuring that all units under her or his administration comply with the requirements of this section (BPPM 50.39).

Organizational Units

Each chancellor, vice president, vice provost, dean, director, department chair, and supervisor is responsible for the emergency response performance in their respective unit. The emergency response management responsibilities described below apply to all units.

Each University unit is required to have a plan in place using the WSUReady emergency planning system (hereafter referred to as the WSUReady planning tool) that includes the following actions:

• Establishing an effective means of communication with employees, students, clientele, and the general public in the event of an emergency.
• Establishing an external communications procedure to maintain contact with University officials during an emergency.
• Identifying key unit personnel responsible for coordinating with University officials during an emergency affecting their unit.
• Identifying primary and alternate locations to continue unit operations during an emergency.
• Identifying inventory and location of emergency supplies and resources.
• Establishing unit procedures for emergency evacuations, including procedures for assisting those with disabilities.
• Establishing unit response procedures to natural or human-caused hazards the unit may be subject to (e.g., fires, bomb threats, or chemical spills).
• Establishing additional emergency procedures specific to the unit’s needs based on the operations, materials processes, and resources associated with the unit.
• Establishing procedures to ensure the safety and care of research animals during emergencies, if animals are maintained by the unit.
• Identifying mission-critical elements and essential operations, resources, positions, and personnel within the unit.
• Developing continuity operation procedures to maintain mission-critical elements and essential operations during an emergency and through the recovery phase of an emergency.
• Establishing methods of recovery and strategies for resumption of normal operations and services in a timely manner after an emergency.
• Identifying procedures and resources dedicated to the basic needs and safety of personnel in mission-critical or essential positions who are required to work during emergencies.

Office of Emergency Management

The Office of Emergency Management within Finance and Administration at WSU Pullman serves as the coordinating entity that enables WSU to maintain a safe and secure environment. It enhances the University’s capacity to prevent, prepare for, mitigate, manage, and recover from any type of emergency or disaster. WSU regional campuses and facilities statewide are also to coordinate emergency management efforts with the Office of Emergency Management at WSU Pullman.

Contact Information

For coordination of all WSU emergency management efforts or additional information, contact the WSU Office of Emergency Management as follows:

Telephone: 509-335-7471
E-mail: emergencymanagement@wsu.edu
Website: oem.wsu.edu/

Compliance Procedures

Planning

Each University unit (including each regional campus, college, division, department, and office) is to have an Emergency Response/Action Plan and a Continuity of Operations Plan in place using the WSUReady planning tool. When creating plans, units follow the guidelines and use the templates for the Emergency Response Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan development available on the Office of Emergency Management website.

Non-Pullman locations may need to modify the templates to fit their particular organizational structure.

Units with specific and exceptional emergency planning needs in addition to the information specified in the guidelines and templates are to include that essential information in the WSUReady planning tool. For example, emergency procedures, animal care information, or descriptions of other issues specific to the nature of the work being done in the unit are to be uploaded in the WSUReady planning tool.

The unit Emergency Response/Action Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan must be submitted through the WSUReady planning tool to the Office of Emergency Management for review and approval. Approved Emergency Response/Action Plan templates are then uploaded into the appropriate college, division, and department WSUReady Plan. New plans are due October 1 of the first year a regional campus, college, division, department, or unit is established. Existing plans are reviewed by the unit every three years. Units with significant revisions upload the revised plan, as necessary, to the Office of Emergency Management for review. All plans are to be uploaded through the WSUReady planning tool until further notice.

The Office of Emergency Management issues reminders to the WSU system by September 1 of each year through WSU Insider and WSU News regarding the October 1 deadline for completing and submitting new or updated plans.

Communication With Local Response Agencies

Emergency Management recommends that WSU units communicate concerns related to emergency response in advance to local response agencies, i.e., Facility Services, Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management, fire marshall, and other local agencies. Such concerns might include the presence of hazardous materials, materials and research that require special protection, or a lack of critical resources needed to continue operations.

Training and Exercise

Units are to provide training regarding building evacuation and standard emergency procedures to all unit staff members. Such training is to include the location and use of fire alarms, fire extinguishers, automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) (if applicable), emergency supplies, and personal protective materials, etc.

Units with specialized emergency procedures (e.g., laboratory processes, hazardous materials handling, potentially hazardous processes) are to provide specific emergency response training for personnel with exposure to the hazards.

It is recommended that each unit practice emergency evacuation from the facility at least once annually. Units with specialized emergency issues should plan exercises to test the unit’s ability to respond to those emergencies. Such units should practice the response at least once annually.

The Office of Emergency Management is available to all University units for support and coordination in order to assist in meeting the above training and exercise recommendation.

Emergency Response and Reporting

Emergency Calls

For emergencies at all WSU campuses, dial 911 from any phone, whether it is on or off campus.

Normal Response Operation

WSU Pullman

During normal operations, the WSU Police Department coordinates and responds to police emergencies at WSU Pullman. The City of Pullman Fire Department coordinates and responds to fire and medical emergencies at WSU Pullman.

WSU Spokane

WSU Security personnel and City of Spokane police and fire departments provide emergency service to WSU Spokane.

WSU Tri-Cities

City of Richland police and fire departments provide emergency service to WSU Tri-Cities.

WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver police and the local fire department district provide emergency service to WSU Vancouver.

WSU Everett

Everett Community College security personnel and the City of Everett police and fire departments provide emergency service to WSU Everett.

WSU Downtown Seattle

City of Seattle police and fire departments provide emergency service to WSU Downtown Seattle.

All Other WSU Locations

Emergencies at all other WSU facilities and offices statewide are managed by local staff coordinating with local emergency services.

Major Emergencies Response

During a major emergency affecting an entire campus or region, normal operations may be suspended, the normal reporting structure might be unavailable, and emergency response services may not be available.

Using the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Office of Emergency Management provides specialized expertise in all-hazards emergency planning for the entire WSU system. Designated staff at all WSU locations are to be trained in the use of the Incident Command System (ICS) to provide consistent and integrated emergency management functions following NIMS guidelines.

The WSU Emergency Operations Management Team (EOT), operating under the direction of the Executive Emergency Management Team (EEMT), coordinates and integrates a campus-wide response to emergencies at the WSU Pullman campus.

Emergency response operations at WSU Spokane, WSU Vancouver, WSU Tri-Cities, WSU Everett, WSU Downtown Seattle, and at all other WSU sites statewide, other than WSU Pullman, are managed locally in coordination with city, county, or other local resources and agencies.

Reporting Emergencies

Notification of significant emergency situations at any WSU sites is to be sent promptly to the WSU Pullman Office of Finance and Administration and the Office of Emergency Management. The Office of Finance and Administration activates the resources of the WSU Emergency Operations Team, as appropriate, to provide support to local management during an emergency.

Office of Finance and Administration
Business Hours:   509-335-5524 or 509-335-2252
E-mail:  baf@wsu.edu

Office of Emergency Management
24-Hour Duty Phone:   509-335-7471
E-mail:  911@wsu.edu

Official Notifications

WSU Pullman Campus

The University provides notification of emergencies to WSU Pullman personnel and students as follows:

• The Emergency Notification System (ENS) (referred to as WSUAlert on the Pullman campus) sends emergency warnings and notifications to WSU students, faculty, and staff who register through the MyWSU portal to receive WSUAlert notifications. The system sends messages as follows:
  • Voice and text messages to cellular telephones,
  • Voice messages to landline telephones, and
  • E-mail messages to WSU and personal e-mail addresses.

   
  For more information go the the WSUAlert website.

• Supervisors and others in charge of units, residence hall counselors, and/or other appropriate people provide verbal information and instructions to personnel and students.
• The WSUAlert listserv sends direct e-mails to all faculty, staff, and student e-mail addresses that appear in the WSU online telephone directory.
   
  The Office of Emergency Management also provides notice on the WSUAlert website.
   
  The Office of Emergency Management provides emergency messages on the WSUAlert telephone hotline at 509-335-2345.
• WSU Insider provides notice to all subscribers of the WSU Insider listserv.
• The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication provides notice through Murrow Public Media.
• WSU News provides emergency messages and news updates through various online social media channels, as well as to local and regional media, including radio and television stations, as appropriate. The media outlets may broadcast the emergency notices.

Non-Pullman WSU Locations

The University provides notification of suspended operations to personnel and students at non-Pullman locations as follows:

• The WSU Emergency Notification System (ENS) sends emergency warnings and notifications to WSU students, faculty, and staff who register through the MyWSU portal to receive notifications. The system sends messages as follows:
  • Voice and text messages to cellular telephones,
  • Voice messages to landline telephones, and
  • E-mail messages to WSU and personal e-mail addresses.
• The ENS listserv sends direct e-mails to all faculty, staff, and student e-mail addresses that appear in the WSU online telephone directory.
• WSU Insider provides notice to all subscribers of the WSU Insider listserv.
• Local television and radio stations may broadcast emergency notices.

WSU Spokane

WSU Spokane also provides notice to Spokane personnel and students on the Spokane Campus Alert website.

Local television and radio stations may broadcast emergency notices.

WSU Tri-Cities

WSU Tri-Cities provides notice to Tri-Cities personnel and students on the Tri-Cities Campus Alert website.

WSU Tri-Cities provides emergency messages on the Campus Alert telephone hotline at 509-372-7200.

Local television and radio stations may broadcast emergency notices.

WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver Public Safety provides notice to Vancouver personnel and students on the VanCoug Alerts website.

Local television and radio stations may broadcast emergency notices.

WSU Everett

Emergency warnings and notifications are sent to WSU Everett personnel and students who register through the Everett Community College Rave alert system.

The system sends messages via texts, emails, and campus-wide loud speakers.

Local television and radio stations may broadcast emergency notices.

WSU Extension

The WSU Extension Directors’ office sends an e-mail message to all non-Pullman Extension faculty and staff.

Research and Extension Centers

Each research and extension center (REC) promptly shares information and updates with personnel.

The REC director notifies the CAHNRS Dean’s office and, if possible, the CAHNRS Office of Research and the CAHNRS Office of Extension of the situation at the following phone numbers:

CAHNRS Dean’s Office: 509-335-4561
CAHNRS Office of Research: 509-335-4563
CAHNRS Office of Extension: 509-335-2933

The director ensures that all areas of the REC are secured (e.g., laboratories, chemical storage sheds) before all personnel go home.

During an emergency situation, each REC main office is the information center for any updates or instructions, rather than the REC’s safety committee.

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Revisions:  July 2015 (Rev. 452); Jan. 2011 (Rev. 372); Sept. 2006 – new policy (Rev. 287).