Emergencies: What You Should Do

What is an Emergency?

An emergency is any immediate threat to life and/or property that requires immediate response from police, fire, or ambulance personnel. Your judgment often determines whether an incident is an emergency. If you consider a situation to be an emergency, then it is an emergency and the procedures in this booklet should be followed. If in doubt, err on the side of safety!

You Should Call (480) 784-0911 in ALL Emergency Situations.

What To Do If...

General Emergency

Dial (480) 784-0911 (or 4-0-9-1-1 from a campus phone).
When reporting an emergency:
- Stay on line with the dispatcher.
- Provide the address, location and a description of the emergency.
- Provide the complete phone number at your location.
- Provide a thorough description of the incident to ensure the appropriate resources are dispatched.
If evacuation is required, pull fire alarm.
Follow normal evacuation route. Follow alternate route if normal route is too dangerous.
Gather in designated locations. Supervisors (and faculty) take headcount.
Missing personnel and last known location to be immediately relayed to the Public Safety Department/Evacuation team.
Refer public inquiries to information posted on web: www.gatewaycc.edu/alert
Refer media to MEMS PIO: (602) 286-8227

Threat of Animal

Animals are not allowed on premises. The only exception is assistance animals. In the case of rabid or dangerous animals:

Ensure the safety of students, employees and visitors
Dial (480) 784-0911 (or 40911 from a campus phone) if necessary.
If possible, leave the area.
Provide a description of the animal(s) and the location.
If possible, seal off the area if animal(s) still present.

Bomb Threat

Upon receiving a message that a bomb has been planted on the premises:

Use bomb threat checklist.
Ask:
- Where is the bomb is located?
- When will the bomb go off?
- What materials are in the bomb?
- Who is calling?
- Why is the caller doing this?
Listen closely to caller's voice and speech patterns. Listen to noises in background.
After hanging up phone, immediately dial 9*57 to trace call.
Dial (480) 784-0911 (or 4-0-9-1-1 from a campus phone).
When reporting an emergency:
- Stay on line with the dispatcher.
- Provide the address, location and a description of the emergency.
- Provide the complete phone number at your location.
- Provide a thorough description of the incident to ensure the appropriate resources are dispatched.
Notify your department supervisor or instructor and the Public Safety Department: (602) 286-8911 (68911 from a campus phone)

Building/Site/College Attack

Weapons of mass destruction likely to be employed by terrorists fall into four basic categories:

Nuclear
Conventional
Biological
Chemical

Follow these procedures to protect human life:

Nuclear & Conventional

Defense against nuclear weapons depends primarily on distance from the point of detonation. If responding to the threat of an imminent conventional or nuclear blast nearby:

Move people to specifically identified rooms. Interior hallways may be used as an alternate.
Close all doors leading into hallways to minimize flying glass.
All people assume the duck, cover and hold position on the ground.
Shelter in place to protect from fall-out if attack is far enough away.
Account for all employees - keep people inside buildings. Allow individuals (employees or guests) to leave at their own discretion once cleared to do so by police/fire, Public Safety Department, emergency management, or military authorities.

Biological

Defense against biological attacks is difficult. Awareness is usually not possible for days or weeks. The first signs may emerge as personnel notice a higher than usual incidence of various symptoms. Should a biological attack be discovered while work/classes are underway:

Reverse-evacuate all people into site/school buildings.
Shelter-in-place.
Close all doors and windows.
Seal doors, windows, and vents with plastic and duct tape.
Keep students and employees inside buildings. Allow people to leave at their own discretion, or parents to pick up young children, once cleared to do so by police/fire, Public Safety Department, emergency management, or military authorities.

Chemical

Reverse-evacuate all people into school buildings.
Shelter-in-place
Close all doors and windows.
Seal doors, windows, and vents with plastic and duct tape.
Be prepared to treat those who experience a reaction to chemical agent.

The decision to evacuate should be made after consulting with police/fire, Public Safety, emergency management, or military authorities.

If the site/college is the target:

Follow evacuation procedures.
Evacuate to a pre-determined off site location(s).

Riot/Student Unrest

Dial (480) 784-0911 (or 4-0-9-1-1 from a campus phone), if situation is dangerous to people or property. Follow reporting emergency guidelines.
Evacuate the area if advised by emergency personnel or Public Safety Department.
Keep other students/staff calm.
Lock classroom/office doors.
If in lockdown, do not allow students/staff to leave the classroom/office until you receive an all-clear signal from police/fire or Public Safety Department.
Make a list of students/staff that are missing. Relay this information to the Public Safety Department/Emergency personnel as soon as possible.

College Vehicle Incident

Driver/Monitor:

First ensure the safety of students and employees.
Call (480) 784-0911 (or 4-0-9-1-1 from a campus phone), if necessary.
Notify (college Notify the Public Safety Department first)
Prepare Traffic Accident Incident Form.
Exchange insurance information with other involved drivers.

College Personnel:

Notify the Public Safety Department: (602) 286-8911 (68911 from a campus phone).
Identify location(s) to which injured have been taken.

Crime In Progress

Remain calm.
Dial (480) 784-0911 (or 4-0-9-1-1 from a campus phone)
From a safe distance, write down or make a mental note of as much information as possible (i.e., suspect description, clothes worn, vehicle description and license plate number).

Disruptive Person

Whenever you observe or are the subject of unruly or disruptive acts by an individual:

Outside the building/classroom:

Notify the Public Safety Department: (480) 784-0911 (40911 from a campus phone).
Wait for responding officer.
Describe the incident to the responding officer.

Inside the building/classroom:

The employee/instructor should immediately contact the Department of College Safety (480) 784-0911 (40911 from a campus phone).
The employee/instructor should calmly address the situation with the disruptive person to defuse the incident.
Wait for responding officer.
Describe the incident to the responding officer.
Classroom: Prepare and forward a "STUDENT CONDUCT DISRUPTION/DISCIPLINE REPORT"

Fights/Assaults

DO NOT TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS.

Ensure the safety of students, employees and visitors first.
Dial (480) 784-0911 (40911 from a campus phone) if necessary.
Evacuate the area.

Intruder / Hostage

(Intruder: an unauthorized person who enters District/college property)

Notify the Public Safety Department: (480) 784-0911 (40911 from a campus phone).
DO NOT APPROACH.
Provide detailed description of intruder.
Be prepared to evacuate area and assist with evacuation.

If taken hostage:

Follow instructions of hostage taker.
Try not to panic. Calm students if they are present.
Treat the hostage taker as normally as possible.
Be respectful to hostage taker.
Ask permission to speak and do not argue or make suggestions.