Emergency Shelters

MASS CARE AND SHELTER
This will explain processes and procedures needed for mass care of students and emergency personnel, if there is a need for them to stay on campus for an extended period of time. This will address shelter-in-place procedures and emergency personnel care and placement during an emergency.

Primary Responsibilities
The primary direction and control for congregate care operations will be through Housing and Residence Life at the University. The primary agencies involved are:

• Motor Pool/Transportation- Emergency Busing/ Evacuation

• Housing and Residence Life- Emergency Housing

• University Dining Services- Emergency Food

• Office for Student Affairs – Coordination of Directives to Students

• Public Relations – Communication and information

• University Police – Safety and Security/Evacuation

• Human Resources/Executive Staff – Coordination of Directives to Employees

Support Responsibilities
The agencies that will provide support at the University for Congregate Care are:

• Student Health Service- Non-Emergency Health Care/ Clinic

• Counseling Services - Crisis Counseling

• Academic Affairs - Animal Care

• Environmental Health and Safety – Animal Care, safety of shelter area

• Athletics/Campus Recreation - Emergency Housing

• University Center - Emergency Housing

During a disaster the following agencies can and will provide support to the University and will work closely with the primary University departments to provide care.

• Red Cross - Congregate Care Operations

• Salvation Army - Congregate Care Support

• Local health departments – Mass Health Directives

Congregate Care Facilities
Facilities in the University that could be used as reception and registration centers for incoming evacuees/disaster victims have been pre-identified. For certain types of disasters, evacuees/victims may need to be decontaminated prior to their entry into a shelter. (See Hazardous Materials Incidents)

Emergency Transportation
The University’s Motor Pool would be the foundation for the movement of people. In the event of an evacuation, Motor Pool can provide emergency busing.

• Motor Pool maintains contracts with providers of mass transit and will coordinate transportation needs

• The coordination of the evacuation routes and locations will be coordinated by Physical Plant and University Police in the Emergency Operations Center.

• Motor Pool would be the foundation for the movement of people. Should the movement of people require needs beyond the capabilities of the bus service; cars, vans, or trucks could be made available from the University’s fleet with the needed operating procedures.

Emergency Housing
Office for Student Affairs maintains an Operational Continuity Plan that addresses the possibility of the need to relocate residence hall residents. The Vice President for Student Affairs will determine the availability of space within residence halls. He/she will consult with Physical Plant, Environmental Health and Safety, and Facilities Services regarding the selection of facilities. In the event that residence halls are not used as shelter sites, the expertise of the director will still be utilized to ensure the best possible site selection.

In the event of a need to provide Mass Care for residents of University owned housing, the vice president for Student Affairs, in conjunction with the executive staff and the director of University Dining Services, will coordinate and work with other agencies (for instance Athletics/Campus Recreation, University Center) at the University to identify sites for reception, mass feeding, and/or shelter on our campus. The primary sites will be Maggs Physical Activities Center, Guerrieri University Center and the Commons, if possible.

The vice president for Student Affairs, chief of University Police and executive staff will be consulted in the event that shelters are established on campus either by internal determination of need or due to request for shelter space by outside agencies (e.g. Red Cross). In addition, they will be kept informed of the locations and status of off-campus shelters established for the benefit of campus residents.

Requests for Assistance
The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are experts in the establishment and operation of shelter and reception facilities. Requests to or from these agencies will be transmitted through Housing and Residence Life.

Emergency Food
University Dining Services (UDS) will be the primary agency providing direction for emergency food resources on campus. UDS will work closely with the Red Cross and/or Salvation Army for food delivery operations and resources.

Counseling and Support:
University Counseling Services is available to provide immediate crisis intervention therapy for surviving victims, family members and disaster personnel following a disaster.

Counseling Services and Student Health Services are prepared to provide brief crisis intervention to individuals as soon as practical after an emergency. The goals of this service are to provide victims the opportunity to talk over their concerns with trained mental health personnel to provide symptom relief, to aid in the restoration of the individual’s adaptive techniques to the pre-crisis level, and to help individuals arrive at immediate, adaptive ways of dealing with life situations brought on by the crisis. Providing crisis intervention services to individuals after traumatic experiences serves to relieve their symptoms of distress, enabling them to cope more effectively with the problems, and preventing the occurrence of more disabling psychological problems.

Special Needs Populations
The Student Affairs Office and Director of the Office of Disability Services should be consulted regarding special needs persons. The coordination of the evacuation and shelter needs will be identified in cooperation with the local Red Cross Chapter. Motor Pool can supply handicap accessible buses for transportation. Health and medical care will be coordinated through Student Health Services and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Congregate Care for Research and Domestic Animals:
The Office of Academic Affairs for the University is the primary coordinator of care-giving for the protection of and relocation for any research animal at the University. The Provost or designee will work with academic departments and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety to provide for this need.

SHELTER IN-PLACE: ALL AREAS
When faced with severe weather conditions such as tornados or hurricanes, designated areas within campus buildings or residence halls provide protection from the effects of high winds and flying debris. Moving personnel to these protected interior areas is referred to “shelter in-place.” Generally, these areas are: away from windows, away from glass doors, are interior rooms (or closets) without windows, and are at the lowest possible level within a structure. When notified by Residence Life staff or other authority to shelter in-place, seek shelter immediately within the nearest building and await further instruction regarding the pending danger. Do not venture out to determine if the tornado or hurricane conditions have subsided—designated staff will alert you that conditions have improved or are all clear.