Policy 11-1-3: Campus Emergency Notification Guidelines

Policy: Policy 11-1-3: Campus Emergency Notification Guidelines Date Adopted:    
Department: Environmental Health & Safety Date(s) Reviewed and/or Revised:

 February 7, 2025; September 2, 2008
Contact: EH&S Coordinator
Statement: The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for employees as to when a campus accident, incident, or emergency situation should be reported to key WNC Departments or Administrators. This policy is for use by all employees, including University Police Department Northern Command (UPDNC) "Police Services", and Night Administrators in the event of  Bomb Threats, Property Crimes, Deaths, Disease Outbreaks, Extensive Outages, Fires, Hazmat Issues, and Injuries

Section 1: Scope

  1. The notification guidelines are appropriate to all WNC campuses.
  2. An incident or situation that occurs at a facility that WNC does not own or control and that does not have a direct effect on our employees, visitors, or our students may not require notification per these guidelines.

Section 2: General Guidelines

The numbers in parenthesis after each issue represents the GROUPS to call (see GROUPS below for identification).

  1. Physical Accident or Threat:
    1. All bomb threats (1,2,3,4)
    2. All fires (1,2,3,4)
    3. All extensive outages (that affect college operations) (1,2,3,4)
    4. All hazmat incidents (outside Hazmat Unit required)(1,2,4 if major add 3)
    5. Other issues (that affect college operations) (1,2,4, if major add 3)
  2. Employee Injury/Death: (work related or on campus)
    1. All deaths (1,2,3,4)
    2. All issues that require transport to a hospital (1,2,3)
    3. All potentially serious communicable disease outbreaks (1,2,3,4)
  3. Non-Employee on Campus or WNC-related Injury or Death:
    1. All death (1,2,3)
    2. All issues that require transport to hospital (1,2,3)
    3. All potentially serious communicable disease outbreaks (1,2,3,4)
  4. Crimes
    1. Property crimes-within 24 hours (1,2,3,4)
    2. Major property crimes over $10,000 (1,2,3,4)
    3. Crimes against person-as soon as possible (1,2,3)
  5. Notes
    1. The numbers in parenthesis after each issue represents the GROUPS to call (see GROUPS below for identification).
    2. Emergency telephone numbers can be obtained from Police Services or from the Night Administrators Manual at the Bristlecone main information desk.
    3. Do not start making notification calls until you have done all that you can to resolve life safety issues including calling 911 (9-911 from any campus phone) if appropriate (see WNC website for emergency procedures).
    4. Call Police Services first (after calling 911) if they are on duty. They can assist with the notifications.
    5. A local phone is available at the Bristlecone main information desk and at the Reynolds administrative area.
  6. Groups to Notify
    1. Police Services, Information and Marketing, Night Administrator (if at night on Carson Campus), Fallon dean (if it affects Fallon), Douglas coordinator (if it affects Douglas), and EH&S
    2. Chief Finanacial Officer
    3. The V.P. and President (telephone tree as required)
    4. Director of Facilities

Section 3: Definition

  1. Major-Over $10,000, causing closure of several offices or classroom for more than 12 hours, effects class schedule.
  2. Reporting fatalities or multiple hospitalization incidents to OSHA (21CFR 1904.39)With-in eight hours after the death of any employee from a work related incident or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees as a result of a work related incident.