Important phone numbers:

A.  INTRODUCTION

The information contained in this emergency preparedness plan was developed to guide Simpson College employees in the event of an emergency. This plan provides guidelines to help Simpson College manage crisis situations that might arise on campus.  It is purposely reactive and focuses on the first few hours of a crisis.  After this time the Crisis Management Team takes over the management of the crisis.  This plan provides a basic framework and then allows trained professionals to do their jobs.  In all situations the safety and security of Simpson College students, faculty, and staff are our first priority.

B.  CRISIS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (CMC)

The Crisis Management Team coordinates appropriate actions on behalf of the College in all campus emergencies. This team includes, but is not limited to, the President, Senior Vice President and Academic Dean, Vice President for Business and Finance, Vice President for Planning and Student Development/Dean of Students and Religious Life, Director of Human Resources, Executive Director of Public Relations, Campus Services Director, and Director of Security. 

A standing Chair of the Crisis Management Team is chosen by the College President to convene the group and provide leadership to the group. The current chair is Jim Thorius, Vice President for Planning and Student Development/Dean of Students and Religious Life. 

During a campus emergency, the Crisis Management Team plans appropriate campus responses and meets daily until the emergency has passed.

A command post will be established in the Simpsonian Lab, classroom 4, lower level of McNeill Hall.  There are emergency phone lines and other supplies in this area.  The crisis committee should report to this location, if weather or situations make the President’s Conference Room inaccessible.

A crisis phone center, accessible through the operator (0) will be established in the Red and Gold Room.  (Extensions 1701-1710, 1712-1715, 1493).  This will be established in the Red and Gold Room of College Hall (third floor).  Alternate location is Pioneer Conference Room in McNeill Hall.

All media questions should be referred to the Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
If students are involved in any of these crisis situations, the following procedures should be followed:

1. embers of the student development staff and security staff should immediately contact the Vice President for Planning and Student Development, who will notify the Executive Director of Public Relations.
2. Security staff should work with law enforcement representatives to secure area.
3. Responsible staff should maintain regular communication with law enforcement officials.
4. With assistance of law enforcement and healthcare officials, determine most effective way to communicate with family members or next of kin.
5. If deemed necessary, establish crisis counseling offices in Physical Plant.

The president may wish to convene the president’s crisis committee or members of the cabinet.  Determine administrative coverage during crisis i.e. should 24-hour coverage on campus be implemented.

C.  KEY PHONE NUMBERS

In case of a campus emergency, use the key office numbers listed below:

D.  BUILDING CONTACTS

Building contacts are instrumental in the implementation of emergency procedures needed within their building, and as such, have been identified as liaisons between their building’s staff and visitors and the emergency preparedness committee.  Building contacts should:

1.  Know where the fire extinguishers are located and how to operate them.
2.  Know primary and secondary routes for evacuation.
3.  Post evacuation plan in building hallway
4.  Know how many employees would normally be in the building.
5.  In the event of a drill, appoint someone to go back through the building to make sure everyone
      has evacuated.
6.  Assign a back-up contact to coordinate crisis management functions in his or her absence.

Building Contact	Title	Bldg. Ext.	Office Ext.
Amy Robertson	Music Professor	1637	1581
Blank Performing Arts	Theatre Professor	1647	1653
Carver Science Hall	Chemistry Professor	1830	1827
College Hall	VP for Enrollment	1312	1624
Cowles	Facilities Director	1492	1239
Dunn Library	College Librarian	1663	1519
Gaumer Building	Communications Professor	1427	1650
Hillman Hall	Procurement Officer	1720	1675
Kent Center	Asst. Dean of Students	1533	1536
Maple House	CVIL Director	1210	1281
Mary Berry	Political Science Professor	1528	1694
McNeill Hall	Management Professor	1652	1216
Pfeiffer Dining Hall	Director	1686	1851
Physical Plant	Campus Services Manager	1622	1626
Security	Director	1533	1711
Smith Chapel	Chaplain	1610	1684
Wallace Hall	Sociology Professor	1616	1646

In the event of a power outage affecting the phone system, a cellular phone is located in Hillman Hall.  Pager 251-5502.  There are also power fail phones located in the central areas of each building.

E.  POWER OUTAGE 

The following is a list of steps to be taken by members of the campus community when the campus suffers a campus-wide power outage.

1.  Stay in the building regardless of the time of year until asked to leave the premises by the president or building contact.

2.  Report all power outages to campus services, extension 1622.

3.  There is an emergency kit by each power fail phone that contains a flashlight and a first aid kit.

4.  Do not use candles during a power outage. The threat of fire is too great.

5.  Regardless of the time of year or weather conditions, administrative staff should remain in their offices during daytime power outages.

6.  Resident Assistants should report to their office.

During campus-wide power outages during severe weather, attempts should be made to minimize heat loss, such as closing windows and doors, using window treatments, etc.

Campus buildings should maintain general heating for up to 12 hours following a power outage.  For individuals in those buildings not connected to the central boiler room, contact campus services/physical plant (ext 1622) immediately and begin efforts to minimize loss of heat in the building.  Building contacts should maintain communication with building occupants and prepare for an evacuation, if it is needed.

In the event that a building not connected to the central boiler room must be evacuated during a power outage in winter weather, building contacts and hall directors on duty should maintain communication with the president’s crisis committee and campus security to determine sites on campus for evacuees.  The president will make the decision to send students or staff home or to provide alternative housing.

F.  EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM: SAFE

SAFE (Simpson Alert For Emergencies) is our emergency communication system that allows us to send time-sensitive notifications via voice messages, emails, and text messages.  The SAFE service can deliver one prerecorded message to up to six phone numbers, two email addresses, and one text message.  In all, the multi-modal service helps officials reach out to students and staff via:

When the system is activated:

The activation of the SAFE notification system during a declared campus state of emergency will be the responsibility of the following individuals:

• President
• VP for Student Development & Planning
• Sr. VP & Academic Dean
• Associate Dean for Adult Learning
• Director of Security

Emergency notifications may include but are not limited to:

• Bomb threats or other imminent violent threats
• Natural gas leaks and hazardous spills affecting the entire campus
• Building evacuations and lock downs affecting the entire campus
• Biological or pandemic emergency notifications
• Natural disasters (ie.Tornadoes, Floods…)
• Campus closure due to declared civil emergency (Local, State, Federal)

The following are the recipient groups that will receive the emergency notifications:

• Crisis Team (President, Sr. VP & Academic Dean, VP of Business and Finance, VP of Student Development & Planning, Human Resources Director, Executive Director of College Relations Director, Campus Services Director, Security Director)
• Students
• Faculty
• Staff

The following is an example of a SAFE notification message:

“This is the Simpson College emergency notification system.  A campus emergency has been declared.  This is not a test.  The Simpson College President’s Office has authorized the following alert message:

• the nature of the emergency
• the location of the emergency
• specific instructions and actions required of recipients
• how further instructions will be provided

SAFE notification messages need to be limited to 250 characters or less.

SAFE incident updates will be posted on the web at simpson.edu/alert.

A minimum of one (1) test message per semester will be sent as part of the testing of the SAFE notification system.

Training Requirements:

Authorized users of the SAFE notification system will be required to attend training on a recurring basis of at least two times per year.  However, if you are a routine user of the system, re-training may not be required.

G.  TORNADO

In the event of a tornado, tornado warning, or severe storm occupants should:

1.  Go immediately to the suggested safe area.

2.  Building contacts are primarily responsible for the implementation of the crisis procedures.

3.  Cover head with a blanket, coat, arms and hands.

4.  Remain in shelter until all clear is given.

It is suggested that a drill be held each year during Tornado Awareness Week.

Building Suggested Safe Areas:

Amy Robertson Music Ctr.	Lower level hallway/Band Room
Barker Hall	Lower level
Blank Performing Arts Ctr.	Lowest level hallways
Buxton Hall	Lower level west hallway; and/or basement storage, if accessible
Carver Cultural Center	Basement
College Hall	Lower level hallways
Cowles PE Center	Lower level hallways and locker rooms
Detroit Apartments	Lower level hallways
Dunn Library	First floor near interior walls and/or under tables. Stay away from the large glass windows.
Hamilton House	Lower level hallway and/or rooms
Hillman Hall	Lower level hallway, basement exercise room (Keys at switchboard) and/or McNeill basement.
Hopper Gym	Lower level locker room and/or Cowles
Greek Houses	Lower level hallway or basement
Kresge Old	Lower hallway and/or basement of Kresge New
Kresge New	Basement lounge
Maple House	Basement
Mary Berry Hall	Lower level hallway
McNeill Hall	Lower level hallway
Pfeiffer/Great Hall	Serving area, dining room near interior wall, under tables. Stay away from large glass windows
Physical Plant	Lower level hallways of Colonial apts.
Picken Hall	Lower level lounge/laundry
President’s Home	Basement
Smith Chapel	Lower level hallways
Station Square Apts.	Lowere level hallways of Colonial apts.
Theme Houses	Lower level hallways/basement
Wallace Hall	Lower level hallways
Washington Apts.	Lower level hallways
Weinman Apts.	Lower level hallways

H.  FIRE

Persons discovering a fire should implement the following procedures:

1.  Notify the fire department by calling 911.

2.  Close the office door behind you. (Fire doors should be closed)

3.  Pull fire alarm by exit you are using to leave the building.

4.  Leave building immediately.

5.  If smoke is detected, stay close to floor and, if possible, hold something wet over your face.

LOCATIONS TO MEET AFTER FIRE ALARM:

In the event of an earthquake, building occupants should proceed to the same areas listed for fire.

I.  VOLATILE SITUATION

1.  Contact law enforcement as quickly as possible and appropriate health agencies by calling 911.

2.  Use extreme personal discretion when confronting any individuals involved in volatile situations.

3.  Contact president or ranking cabinet member.

4.  Direct all media inquiries to the director of public relations.

J.  STAY IN PLACE GUIDLINES

These Stay-in-place Guidelines serve as a general protocol of ways to respond to selected campus emergency situations. Each situation is different and may require a different response.

A stay-in-place message will be broadcast to members of the campus community through the SAFE* system when an imminent threat is believed to be on campus and it has been determined that the best course of action is to keep members of the community inside their respective locations. This action is an attempt to minimize the risk of violence and increase the safety of college students, employees, and guests by restricting access and visibility by a threatening person or event internal or external to the institution.

When a Stay-in-place message is broadcast to the community follow the procedures appropriate for your location as outlined below.

Procedures – In Campus Housing Location

• Do not sound the fire alarm. A fire alarm would signal the occupants to evacuate the building and thus place them in potential harm as they attempt to exit.
• Lock yourself in your room/apartment or any area that can be secured. This is referred to as the SHELTER IN PLACE.
• Lock the windows and close the blinds or curtains.
• Turn off lights, AC and/or audio equipment that may lead to detection.
• Put your cell-phone on vibrate and do not use it unless you are in contact with emergency personnel.
• Barricade doors with thick objects that might help stop projectiles.
• Move to corners of the room away from doors and windows. Get out of the line of sight and fire, lie flat, face down, on floor.
• Remain calm and wait until the “All-Clear” is given by the emergency personnel. Do not approach them – let them come to you.

Procedures – In Non-Residence Hall Location

• f you are outside or in an exposed area, go inside the nearest building only if you think you can safely make it out of the area. If you cannot safely get inside a building, use bushes, trees, walls, cars and benches for cover. If you decide to run, do not run in a straight line. Try to keep objects between you and the threat.
• Once inside a building, do not sound the fire alarm. A fire alarm would signal the occupants to evacuate the building and thus place them in potential harm as they attempt to exit.
• If possible, lock yourself in any area that can be secured. This is referred to as the SHELTER IN PLACE. If the room cannot be locked, then barricade doors with thick objects that might help stop bullets.
• Lock the windows and close the blinds or curtains. Barricading windows may also be helpful.
• Turn off lights, AC and/or audio equipment that may lead to detection.
• Put your cell-phone on vibrate and do not use it unless you are in contact with emergency personnel.
• Move to corners of the room away from doors and windows. Get out of the line of sight and fire, lie flat, face down, on floor.
• Remain calm, quiet and out of sight. Assist others in your immediate vicinity as needed. Wait until the “All-Clear” is given by the emergency personnel. Do not approach them – let them come to you.

When the “All-Clear” signal is given by the emergency personnel:

• Check yourself and others for injuries.
• If police are present, obey all commands. This may involve your being handcuffed or made to put your hands in the air. This is done for safety reasons, and once circumstances are evaluated, they will give you further directions to follow.
• Preserve any physical evidence (don’t touch if possible).

* SAFE (Simpson Alert For Emergencies) is the emergency communication system that allows the College to send time-sensitive notifications via voice messages, emails, and text messages. The SAFE service can deliver one pre-recorded message to up to six phone numbers, two email addresses, and one text message. In all, the multi-modal service helps officials reach out to students and staff via:

• Voice messages to home, work, and cell phones
• Text messages to cell phones, PDAs and other text based devices
• Written messages to email accounts
• Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired

1.  Remain calm, since your reaction may influence the subsequent behavior of the caller.

2.  Try to obtain information about the alleged bomb and its location, time it is to be detonated, possible reasons for the threat, etc.  Ask for this information, if it is not given.

3.  The decision to evacuate will usually be made by responsible staff, such as the president, ranking cabinet officer, building contact, hall director or supervisor on duty.

4.  Evacuate buildings in an orderly fashion.  Follow fire drill routes for guidance.  Defer to law enforcement for evacuation area assignments.

5.  Mailroom personnel should be trained to recognize suspicious packages in the mail.

L.  SUICIDE THREAT

Call 911 and Campus Security at 1711.

M.  HAZARDOUS MATERIAL THREAT

Report any of the following spills immediately

1.  Gas releases

2.  Leaking containers

3.  Radioactive materials

Call 911 and Campus Services at 1622 to report the incident. Evacuate the building as quickly as possible. Report severity of the spill.

Identify:

1.  The chemical spilled

2.  Approximate quantity

3.  Location of the spill

Do not switch on lights or any other electrical equipment, as any spark could cause an explosion. Only trained personnel should attempt to clean up spills.

Des Moines HazMat 283-4768. (Des Moines Fire Department)

N.  HOSPITALS & EMERGENCY TELEPHONES:

1. Hospitals

Iowa Methodist Medical Center, 241-6212
Emergency, 241-6423
1200 Pleasant, Des Moines, IA 50309

Mercy Hospital Medical Center, 247-3211
Emergency, 247-3121
400 University, Des Moines, IA 50314

Iowa Lutheran Hospital, 263-5120
700 E University, Des Moines, IA 50316

Des Moines General Hospital, 263-4410
603 E 12th St., Des Moines, IA 50309

Veterans Medical Center, 699-5999
30th and E Euclid, Des Moines, IA 50310

Broadlawns Medical Center, 282-2200
1801 Hickman, Des Moines, IA 50314

2.  Service Company Telephone Numbers:

City of Indianola 961-9410
Disaster Services 281-3231
HazMat 283-4768
Indianola Municipal Utility Company 961-9442
Indianola Police 961-9400 or 911
Iowa Road Conditions 800-288-1047
Mid-American Energy 242-3805
U.S. West Telephone 286-5010
Warren County Sheriff 961-1122 or 911
Weather Conditions 288-1047

O.  DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1.  Director of Maintenance

a.  Recall all necessary Physical Plant personnel.

b.  Coordinate inspection of crisis area with emergency staff, such as fire chief or chief of police, and report damage to the command center.

c.  Coordinate shutdown of any service (electric, phone, water).

d.  Arrange for and coordinate transportation as needed.

e.  Coordinate emergency recovery operation that pertains to the physical plant.

f.  Coordinate with service company all activities involved to reconnect service after College President’s approval.

2.  Director of Security

a.  Provide protection of life and property, coordinate communication with emergency resources and provide traffic control in and around crisis area.

b.  Report to Emergency Crisis Center.

c.  Secure disaster area.

d.  Secure and distribute all temporary communication equipment.

e.  Coordinate initial crowd control.

2.  Vice President of Student Development

a.  Gather all medially trained persons on campus (nurse, RAs) and assign them to initial life saving care of persons injured.

b.  Locate and provide temporary shelter or housing for victims and workers, i.e., schools, churches, motels, hotels, etc.

c.  Obtain a list of persons potentially involved and cross-reference with clearinghouse to isolate those missing.

d.  Coordinate student information to be released to concerned family members.

e.  Contact county Civil Defense Manager to acquire any additional needed resources (cots, water, food, etc.)

3.  Director of Human Resources

a.  Coordinate assignments of staff volunteers at pooling area.

b.  Account for all Simpson employees potentially in crisis area (location and status).  Check with clearing house or department heads.

c.  Notify all insurance companies that may be involved.

d.  Notify public relations staff at crisis information center (Red and Gold Room) to coordinate dissemination of information regarding Simpson employees.

4.  Area Coordinators/Security

a.  The designated hall director on duty will immediately report to the security office in BSC and pick up a two-way radio.

b.  The hall director on duty will carry the cellular phone and two-way radio, making continuous rounds through the residence halls.

c.  The security staff will be able to maintain direct contact with the hall director via cellular phone.

d.  In the event the power outage places phones out of order, the hall director will contact each designated on-duty resident assistant at least once per hour.  On-duty resident assistants should remain in the vicinity of their rooms, unless needed elsewhere in the building.

e.  Student Development staff will be available via the campus security phone or the area coordinator’s cell phone or pager.

5.  Vice President for Information Services/Chief Information Officer

a.  Call appropriate Information Services staff.

b.  Arrange for additional communication tools as needed during crisis.

c.  Arrange for shutdown and relocation of telephone and computer system.