Disaster Recovery Plan
Introduction
The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) describes an emergency as “any unplanned event that can cause significant
injuries or death to employees, customers or to the public; or that can shut
down your business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage,
or threaten the facility’s financial standing or public image.” Numerous events can be emergencies; and
will be handled according to the following protocol. Fifteen emergencies are specifically
dealt with in this plan:
The plan has three
phases:
-
Notification of the emergency
-
Initial emergency response from key
departments
-
Assembly of established
crisis management team
The
MSU-Billings Campus Police Department should be notified in the event any of the
above crisis situations arise on this campus. Officers will respond, assess the
situation and begin to coordinate responses with resources throughout the
campus. The Officer on Duty will
notify the Office of University Relations as soon as practical. The following
departments will have a departmental plan for dealing with any of the above
listed major emergencies, which may affect their
area:
-
Housing
and Residence Life
-
Health
Center
-
Information
Technology Services/Telecommunications
-
Campus
Police
-
Facilities
Services
-
Science
Technical Services
The departmental plan will serve as a guide
that persons within the department can follow to deal with a reported
emergency. It will include the
basics of how the department will handle the emergency, individual
responsibilities (if appropriate), and details on who is to be notified. The Building Manager (or designee)
and/or the Campus Police Chief/Safety Mgr. will be responsible for assessing the
impact of the emergency. The
Chancellor’s Office will be notified of all such emergency situations,
regardless of University wide impact, immediately upon occurrence of such an
emergency. If in their
judgment the emergency has significantly wide ranging effects, then they will
notify the Chancellor (or designee) of their findings and possibly recommend
assembling a crisis management team.Crisis
Management Team
The
Crisis Management Team will be assembled should the Chancellor (or designee)
determine the situation has had a wide-ranging or long lasting effect. The recommended team will consist of the
following individuals:
-
Chancellor
-
Provost
-
Administrative
Vice Chancellor
-
Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs>
-
Director
of University Relations
-
Director
of Residence Life and Housing (when residence halls are
effected)
-
Chief
Information Officer (when computing or telecommunications are affected)
-
Director
of Human Resources (when employees are
involved)
-
Director
of Facilities Services (when physical structures are
affected)
-
ASMSU-B
Student Body President
-
Faculty
Representative from either Faculty Association or
Senate
-
Member
of Local Executive Board
-
Director
of Safety and Police Services (as needed)
The following management process for crisis
situations will then be followed:
-
The Chancellor or designee must be informed immediately when the incident
is reported.
The Chancellor will inform the Director of University Relations to
contact members of the crisis management team and set up a meeting. The team must be ready to react
quickly.
Team meeting occurs with a review of all known information provided by
the Campus Police Chief or any individual with direct
information.
The team will decide on a course of action, proper response, public
statement, and appropriate activities.
A single office will be designated to investigate the issue, and all
staff members will work through that office. (Note: The office designated to investigate the
issue will maintain documents that describe the actions
taken.)
University Relations will handle all media contact and external
inquiries.
As events develop or change, the team will communicate clearly before
further action or further statements are
issued.
Emergency
Response Plan Council
The
Disaster Response Plan Council will continue with the following members:
-
Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs
-
Administrative
Vice Chancellor
-
Provost
-
Director of Residence Life and Housing
-
Director
of Human Resources
-
Chief
Information Officer
-
Director
of Facilities Services
-
Director
of University Relations
-
Director
of Police Services/Safety mgr.
The
council will assemble following each crisis to evaluate how the situation was
handled and make recommendations to better handle similar situations in the
future. The Emergency Response Plan
Council will also assemble at least once per year to review the overall campus
plan, individual department plans, and to evaluate training and emergency
notification literature.
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| A. |
Remain calm and do not panic others. |
| B. |
If a written message is received, keep track of the following
information:
-
Who found it?
-
Who else was present?
-
Where was it found or how was it delivered?
-
When was it found or delivered?
Who touched it?
Have any previous threats been received?
|
| C. |
If
the threat is received by telephone, in a calm voice, try to obtain as much
information as possible about the bomb and the caller: (THE FOLLOWING ISSUES ADDRESS VITAL
INFORMATION THAT YOU SHOULD OBTAIN!)
-
Date and exact time of call
-
Time set to explode
-
Which building is it in?
-
Where is it?
-
Type of bomb?
-
Estimated age and gender of the caller
-
Emotional state: agitated, calm, and excited
-
Background noises: traffic, music, and voices
-
Why it was set?
-
Who is the target?
-
Who is the caller?
|
| D. |
If
practical, do not hang up the phone, but phone the campus police, (x2147) from a
different telephone.
|
| E. |
The Administration, with the assistance of Campus Police and other local
authorities, will determine a plan of action. A decision on whether or not to evacuate
will be based on all available information
received.
|
| F. |
If the decision is made to evacuate, instruct occupants to take purses,
book bags, and personal packages and EXIT the building. (If left behind, these items could be
mistaken to contain concealed explosives.)
|
| G. |
If
ordered to evacuate, move at least 300 feet away from the building and stay away
from glass. Do not attempt to
re-enter the building until you have received official instructions to do
so. |
BOMB THREAT:
IDENTIFYING SUSPICIOUS ITEMS
| A. |
Look closely around work area when you arrive for work. This will help you if you are called on
to identify unusual or suspicious items later.
|
| B. |
Report potential safety or security problems to Campus Police
(x2147).
|
| C. |
Be on
the lookout for anything unusual, particularly packages or large items seemingly
left behind or thrown out. Note
time and location of anything odd.
|
| D. |
If
asked to assist in a search for a bomb:
-
Be
thorough
-
DO NOT
USE 2-WAY RADIOS
-
Do not
touch anything you suspect
-
If
necessary move people away from the suspicious
item
-
Look for
anything and everything that might conceal a
bomb
-
Do not
panic persons in the area
|
| E. |
Follow all instructions from the Campus Police
(x2147) |
IDENTIFYING
SUSPICIOUS MAIL PACKAGES
-
No return address
-
Insufficient postage
-
Is addressee familiar with name and address of
sender?
-
Is addressee expecting package/letter? If so, verify
contents.
-
Return address and postmark are not from the same
area.
-
Wrapped in Brown paper with twine
-
Grease stains or discoloration on paper
-
Strange odors
-
Foreign Mail, Air Mail and Special
Delivery
-
Restrictive markings such as Confidential, Personal,
etc.
-
Excessive postage
-
Hand-written or poorly typed addresses
-
Incorrect Titles
-
Misspellings of common words
-
Excessive weight
-
Rigid Envelope
-
Lopsided or Uneven envelope
-
Protruding wires or tinfoil
-
Excessive securing materials such as masking tape, string,
etc.
-
Visual Distractions
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-
Report any explosion on campus to Campus Police
(x2147)
If necessary, or when directed to do so, activate the building alarm,
(the safest and nearest fire alarm pull
station).
When the building evacuation alarm is sounded, an emergency exists. All rooms should be evacuated. Closing doors will help contain a fire,
but
DO NOT LOCK THE DOORS!
Assist persons with disabilities to an enclosed stairwell landing,
preferably the designated rescue assistance area if it is safe to do so, and
notify the Campus Police or Fire Personnel of their
location.
Do
Not Use Elevators!
-
In all cases of Fire, activate the nearest fire alarm to warn other
building occupants. You should know where the nearest alarm is to your work
area.
-
In all cases of Fire, call the Campus Police (x2147). Do not assume that someone else is
making the call, make the call yourself.
-
When the building fire alarm is sounded, an emergency exists. All rooms must be evacuated. Leave the lights on and close, but do
not lock, the doors.
-
Assist persons with disabilities to the nearest Rescue Assistance area,
(generally a stairwell), if it is safe to do so. Have the person(s) wait in that area and be sure to notify rescue personnel of your
actions.
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FUMES
AND VAPORS:
Toxic
fumes can infiltrate a building from various sources—improperly stored
chemicals, faulty refrigeration, equipment fires, gasoline engines operated near
air intakes, etc.
If the
presence of toxic fumes is suspected, the area or areas affected should be
vacated. Use a telephone away from
this area and notify Campus Police (x2147).
Ventilate
the contaminated area(s). It may be possible to clear an affected
area by opening windows and/or activating exhaust fans, provided such action is
undertaken by trained personnel.
Emergency
Treatment:
-
Don’t endanger yourself or others.
-
Remove victims from area only if safely
possible.
-
Call 9-911 for ambulance service and notify Campus Police
(x2147).
-
Assist victims as necessary.
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If flood conditions occur, contact Facilities
Services (x1713) DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS). Call Campus Police (2147) during
non-business hours.
Please
provide sufficient information as to building name, floor, room, and degree of
flooding or potential damage due to the
flooding.
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- Any major spill of a hazardous substance must be reported immediately to
the Campus Police (x2147). During
regular business hours, also call Facilities Services (x1713). Science Technical Services may also be
contacted at x2020 if spill is inside the Science
Building.
- Personnel on site should be vacated from the affected area at once. Seal off the contaminated area to
prevent further contamination until the arrival of trained
responders.
- Personnel who may be contaminated by a spill/release are
to:
-
Seek medical attention immediately.
- Avoid contact with others.
-
Alert responders/emergency personnel of
injury/contamination.
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Any emergency related to building or facility
problems, such as equipment failure or erratic operation, must be reported to
Facilities Services as soon as possible.
During normal business hours contact
Facilities Services directly by calling x1713.
If
failure occurs after normal business hours, weekends, or holidays, call the
Campus Police Department (x2147).
NOTE: If there is potential danger to
building(s), and/or its occupants, call 9-911
immediately.
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All utility failures must be reported to
Facilities Services as soon as possible.
During normal business hours call the help line at
x1713.
If
utility failures occur after hours, weekends, or holidays, contact Campus Police
at x2147.
If there
is potential danger to building(s) and/or its occupants, call 9-911
immediately.
If
telephone service is not available, go to the Facilities Services building. During non-business hours Campus Police
should be notified.
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MEDICAL
EMERGENCY & COMMUNITY HEALTH
ISSUES:
-
Report any serious injury or illness by calling 9-911
immediately.
-
Non-emergency injuries or illness should be reported to Campus Police
(x2147).
-
Begin first aid if qualified, or seek someone who can.
-
Response to Community Health issues will be coordinated by the
MSU-Billings Student Health Services and University Relations Department.
-
Personal safety is your first priority. Use personal protective equipment when
in contact with the victim’s blood or any bodily
fluids.
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PUBLIC
RELATIONS EMERGENCIES:
While public scandals are rare in higher
education, virtually every institution must occasionally deal with such
situations. This might involve a
highly visible lawsuit, accusations of wrongdoing on the part of a university
official, an egregious case of student misconduct or a variety of unspecified
events that carry the potential of having a negative impact on the institution’s
reputation. The impact of these
events is exacerbated when they result in potential or actual news
coverage.
When
such events occur, the Director of University Relations, in close consultation
with the Chancellor may consider the following
responsibilities:
-
Assessment
of the potential impact on the university’s
reputation.
-
Legal
implications of the event; laws and policies pertaining to its
disposition.
-
Recommendations
on steps to diffuse 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.
-
Development
of messages and channels of communication to the various constituents (including
the news media) associated with the event.
Assurance that all privacy laws are obeyed and freedom of information is
respected.
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SEVERE
WEATHER/TORNADO:
Severe
Weather/Tornado Watch: A watch
is an indication of where and when the probabilities are highest that severe
weather or a tornado could occur. A
watch is a statement that severe weather/tornado conditions are present
and could occur. The National
Weather Service will issue a watch bulletin to local authorities as well as to
the local radio and television stations.
Severe
Weather/Tornado Warning: If a
severe weather/tornado sighting occurs, the National Weather Service alerts all
weather stations and local authorities.
If severe weather or a tornado is approaching, a continuous sounding of
emergency sirens will signal the warning.
In
case of severe weather: When the emergency warning sirens sound, it
is YOUR responsibility to get to shelter.
Take a battery-operated radio with you to listen for the “all clear”
signal if possible. The Campus
Police may also announce the warning via car loudspeaker. When the emergency sirens are sounded,
all persons should immediately seek shelter in the nearest strong building. Go to the basement or interior walls of
lower floors. Auditoriums,
gymnasiums and similar large rooms with wide roofs should be avoided. Stay away from all windows and exterior
doors.
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Contact
the Campus Police (x2147). The Duty
Officer will notify the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
(x2307) in the event of crisis situations such as the following involving
students of MSU-Billings.
Appropriate referrals will be made.
-
Alcohol
and other drug use emergencies
-
Classroom
disruptive or violent behavior
-
Death of
a student, friend, or family member
-
Discipline
issues
-
Mental
health/behavioral incidents or concerns
-
Physical
injury
-
Sexual
assault
-
Threats
to public welfare
-
Criminal
behavior
s
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TECHNOLOGY,
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, & INFORMATION SERVICES
EMERGENCIES:
In the event of a circumstance which disrupts
central computing, telephone, and/or campus network equipment, facilities or
services, the University will move as quickly as possible to resume learning and
information technology related operations so that support services may be
sustained.
If an
emergency/disaster situation occurs that disrupts Information Technology
Services or equipment, contact the HELP desk at
x2235.
If these
individuals are not available, contact the Campus Police at
x2147.>
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VIOLENT
OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR:
While
much media attention has been focused on “workplace violence”, we must recognize
that all employees share the responsibility of recognizing the early warning
signals and making appropriate notification to Campus Police of this prior to a
violent act. Establishing an office
procedure of appropriate response should be done in each area of campus with the
guidance of the Building Manager.
The MSU-Billings Safety Committee may assist you in this process. If you observe but are not
directly involved in a potentially violent situation, you must notify Campus
Police (x2147). If you have
concerns that a subject who has left the area may return with the purpose of
harming someone, these concerns also need to be reported to Campus Police. If these elements become part of your
routine, much of the apprehension about workplace violence may be diminished.
Nationally, about 1,000 people are killed
annually while at work. This is an
appalling number but you must acknowledge that this number includes very
high-risk occupations such as police officers, convenience store employees and
cab drivers which are positions of exposure to violence that is not typical of
most work environments.
(Statistically, you have a better chance of being struck by lightening
than of being killed in work-place violence encounter.) With this in mind, please review the
following guidelines:
-
All violent behavior or threats of violent behavior must be reported to
the Campus Police (x2147) immediately.
-
If you observe a situation that seems to be escalating and you are not
directly involved, go to a telephone and notify Campus Police. Be prepared to give complete information
about the subject and the circumstance.
-
If the violent person has left the area prior to your notification, relay
as much information as you can about the subject and direction/means of travel,
if possible.
-
If you recognize that a person appears to be verbally out of
control and you are also being uncharacteristically vocal, step away and allow a
colleague to bring new “calmness” to the situation. Notify Campus Police, x2147, if the
situation remains out of control.
-
If you observe any type of weapon, remove yourself from range and notify
Campus Police immediately, x2147.
CRIMINAL
BEHAVIORS:
-
Immediately report any observed or suspected criminal behavior to Campus
Police at x2147.
-
Report suspicious persons/behaviors/noises immediately to Campus Police x2147.
-
Arrange for a Campus Police Officer to escort you to your vehicle/office
if you have concerns about your safety.
-
Report any safety concerns that may present a potential danger to you or
others, (such as lights out, surface or mechanical malfunctions,
etc.).
-
Remember: You can be your
own best security by remaining aware of your surroundings, practicing crime
prevention behaviors, and making timely/ appropriate
reports.
-
Additional
Crime Prevention information may be obtained from the Campus Police Department
by calling x2147.
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While
Billings is not considered to be a ‘high-risk’ area for earthquake activity, the
possibility of tremors reaching us from active areas is possible. There are several recommendations made
to minimize potential for injury:
-
Stay
away from windows.
-
Stay
clear of items, which may potentially fall on you, (such as items resting on
shelves, etc.)
-
Interior
door frames may provide additional structural support from falling
objects.
-
Interior
corridors, (those without windows), may be used to exit a building if absolutely
necessary. Be aware that if “stuff”
is falling inside the building, then it may be falling outside as
well.
-
Seriously
consider the “duck and cover” response---getting under your desk or another
heavy piece of furniture may offer you protection from falling
objects.
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Issues
for further discussion/inquiry:
-
It
should be made very clear to the campus community that media coverage and media
inquiries be channeled to University Relations. Perhaps this could be best communicated
through a cover letter from the Chancellor when the Emergency Response Plan is
distributed.
-
If it
becomes necessary to use local media to broadcast information, such as in the
event of school being canceled due to extreme weather, etc., then that process
should also come from University Relations.
-
Community
response agencies should be coordinated through the City/County Dispatch Center,
(9-911), which coordinates all emergency contacts. The list of agencies and personnel
changes periodically so the best, and most current information will be through
9-1-1 Dispatch Center.
-
A
determination needs to be made by the Administration on how to distribute this
plan, whether or not to include training about the plan, and who should be given
a copy of the plan.
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