Know What To Do
In A Lockdown Emergency
If You Need To Evacuate
If You Need To Seek Shelter
August 28, 2014
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU is asking the campus community to take an active role
throughout September, National Preparedness Month, to learn how best to respond
to potentially dangerous campus emergencies.
During National Preparedness Month, sponsored by
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the University’s Emergency Management
team will help students, faculty and staff plan for their own safe response in
the event of a campus emergency. Some of the most important resources can be
found online at
smu.edu/emergency,
including
FAQs
and three short videos that instruct how to react if the University issues an
alert to
lockdown,
evacuate
or
seek shelter.
Students, faculty and staff will receive
information in September through email, web and social media messages focused on
recommended emergency responses to a variety of threats. In the event of a real
emergency, the campus would be instructed through these same channels to
lockdown, seek shelter or evacuate. Drills will be conducted in buildings
across the campus and emergency personnel will test communications equipment,
sirens and radios.
SMU will produce an experiential exercise open to
the campus community that allows students, faculty and staff to experience a
simulated incident involving a campus “attack” by an armed assailant. It is
designed to not only instruct participants on what might happen in a campus
attack, but also to allow them to understand how adrenalin, misperceptions and
personal choices can alter the outcome of such situations.
The simulation exercise is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 9, in the Hughes Trigg Theater. It will be open to anyone with
a current SMU ID.
“This simulation can be unsettling, but it’s
designed to be,” said Lisa Morris, SMU emergency management specialist.
“Participants tell us that the sights and sounds and rush of emotions they
experience make them realize just how much they need information on responding
to an emergency. “
SMU will begin its participation in National
Preparedness Month on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and the campus will be encouraged in
subsequent weeks to view three short safety videos posted at
www.smu.edu/emergency. The information
campaign the second week will focus on how to respond to a “lockdown” message,
and will include the armed assailant simulation on Sept. 9. The third week will
focus on responding to instructions to “seek shelter” and the fourth week will
focus on instructions to “evacuate.”
A Twitter contest will award Starbucks gift cards
throughout the month to students who view the emergency videos and are first to
answer related questions Tweeted from @SMU. And every member of the SMU
community will be encouraged to make sure that their cell number is registered
correctly through access/My SMU so they can be reached in an emergency.
“We take emergencies very seriously on this campus,” said Anita Ingram, SMU
associate vice president and Chief Risk Officer. “The potential for tornadoes is
something we deal with every spring in North Texas. And, unfortunately, every
campus in the United States needs to be prepared to respond to an armed assault.
“What we know from experience – our own, and those of other universities that have
dealt with emergency situations – is that information, training and practice can
save lives,” Ingram said.
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