CGU Emergency Response Procedures

Immediate Actions

If the shooter is outside your building and you are told to lockdown:

• If you cannot evacuate, turn off all the lights, close the blinds, and close and lock all windows and doors. If you cannot lock the door, try to barricade the door with heavy furniture and use a belt to help keep it closed (see RUN.HIDE.FIGHT video)
• Keep quiet and out of sight; seek the safest spot in the room. Hide behind a concrete wall or a heavy object. Be ready to Counter the shooter as he enters (throw objects, yell, swarm to take down if necessary)
• Do not respond to anyone who knocks on the door; keep it locked unless you are sure it is a police officer or campus administrator known to you.

If the shooter is inside your building:

• If it is possible to escape the area safely and avoid danger, do so by the nearest exit or window.
• As you exit the building, keep your hands above your head and listen for instructions that police officers may give. If an officer points a firearm at you, make no movement that may cause the officer to mistake your actions for a threat. Try to stay calm.
• If you cannot escape the building, move out of the hallway and into an office or classroom and try to lock the door. If the door does not lock, try barricading the door with desks and chairs. Be ready to Counter the shooter as he enters (throw objects, yell, swarm to take down if necessary)

If the shooter enters your office or classroom:

• There is no set procedure in this situation. If possible, call 911 and talk with a police dispatcher. If you cannot speak, leave the phone line open so the police can hear what is happening.
• Counter shooter as he enters (throw objects, yell, swarm to take down if necessary). Attempting to overcome the suspect with force is a last resort that should only be considered in the most extreme circumstances. Only you can decide if this is something you should do. Remember, there may be more than one shooter.
• If the shooter exits your area and you can escape, leave the area immediately. Do not touch anything in the area, and remember to be alert for responding police officers who may mistake you as the shooter.
• While escaping, as soon as you see a police officer, put your hands over your head and immediately comply with the officer’s instructions.
• While others are securing your place of refuge, BSEC, faculty, or other designated person calls 911 or TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 and provide Campus Safety with critical information as follows:
  • Your building and your location in that building
  • The number of assailants involved and description (race, gender, height, weight, clothing)
  • Types of weapons being used (handgun, shotgun, rifle, etc.)
  • Number of people in your location, number injured, and severity of injuries
  • Comfort the injured and, if able, provide first aid.
    

Immediate Actions

If a bomb threat is received by phone:

• Take the caller seriously and remain calm
• Try to keep the caller on the phone by asking questions using the Bomb Threat Checklist
• Listen carefully: don’t interrupt the caller or hang up
• If possible, write a note to a coworker asking him/her to “call 911 to report a bomb threat.”
• Call 911 immediately once the call has ended to report the details

If a bomb threat is received by mail:

• Stop additional handling of the letter or parcel
• Call 911 immediately
• CGU or TCCS Campus Safety officials will determine if evacuation is necessary
• Secure room/area if possible, allowing entry to emergency responders only
• Advise campus personnel not to use 2-way radios in the area

If a bomb threat is received by email:

• Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 911 immediately
• Print a copy for Campus Safety or the Claremont Police Department
• Do not delete the message

Additional Information 

• If instructed to do so, initiate building evacuation by activating any fire alarm box (pull alarm)
• Evacuate the building and report to the Emergency Assembly Area (EAA)
• Wait for emergency response personnel or the Building Safety Emergency Coordinator (BSEC) to authorize that it is safe to reenter the affected area
• Provide the completed Bomb Threat Checklist to a TCCS Campus Safety officer in charge at the scene or the Claremont Police Department
• Notify your supervisor or department head of a bomb threat if they were not in the area when it occurred.
  

Before an earthquake

Check for hazards in the home and office:

• Make sure shelves are secure and designed with latching doors or raised edges to prevent objects from falling
• Top-heavy furniture and equipment must be bolted to walls or floor. (Physical Plant can assist with these measures)
• Store breakables and heavy objects on lower shelves
• Overhead lights, heavy artwork, and mirrors need to be anchored (Facilities Services Request)
• Store flammable liquids in flammable liquids storage cabinets

During an earthquake

If you are indoors:

• Stay indoors!
• DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON! Drop to the ground; take cover by getting under a sturdy table, bench, or desk, and hold on. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch down into a ball next to an interior wall.* Move away from broken windows, furniture, or large objects that could fall over.
• Be aware that the electricity may go out, and fire alarms and sprinkler systems may activate.
• If you are in bed, stay there! Hold on and put a pillow over your head for protection.
• If you are in a theater or stadium, stay in your seat, get under it if possible, and protect your head with your arms. Do not try to leave until the shaking is over.
• Do not rush for exits if you are in a crowded room or public place. Move away from display shelves holding objects that could fall on you and “drop, cover, and hold.”
• Do not use elevators.

If you are outdoors:

• Stay outdoors!
• Move to an open area away from trees, buildings, utility poles, lines, or signs.
• If you are in a downtown area, on a sidewalk near a tall building, get inside the building’s lobby to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass or other debris.
• The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings at exits and alongside exterior walls.

If you are driving:

• Pull to the side of the road as quickly as possible, but avoid overhead hazards such as trees, buildings, utility poles and lines, signs, and bridges. Stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops.

After an Earthquake

• Check yourself and those around you for injuries.
• Evaluate for yourself, or wait for instructions from your Building Safety Emergency Coordinator (BSEC) to determine if evacuation is necessary.
  • If the building seems largely unscathed, stay where you are.
  • If there are noticeable cracks in the wall or broken windows, or you can smell natural gas (rotten eggs), proceed with evacuation protocols.
• If you need to evacuate, collect all personal belongings to take with you. Look for signs of building damage or for persons who are injured or trapped on your way out. Watch for falling objects as you leave the building.
• Be prepared for aftershocks.
• Go to your department Evacuation Assembly Point, tell your supervisor or department floor warden that you are out of the building and report injured or trapped persons and any signs of building damage you observed.
• Turn on a battery-powered or vehicle radio if available for information.
• If possible, do not use the phone for local calls, except for emergencies, during the first 15-30 minutes after the earthquake. Overloading the phone system with calls may delay the delivery of emergency assistance.

When To Go Home:

• In the event of a significant earthquake, be prepared to stay on campus. You should not try to get home until emergency personnel say it is safe, the streets are cleared for travel, and most emergency conditions have stabilized. The campus is prepared to provide emergency care and shelter in partnership with the American Red Cross.

Additional Information

• Recommended earthquake preparedness and safety actions
• Key Earthquake Safety Tips for People with Disabilities or Access and Functional Needs
  

EVACUATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ACCESS OR FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: 

1. Persons with disabilities, access, or functional needs are urged to self-identify and work with their supervisor, colleagues, classmates, and BSEC/BES members to determine evacuation routes and methods, areas of safe refuge, and other emergency planning needs before an emergency occurs.

2. In many cases, evacuation from the building may not be necessary or advisable. Evacuate when the fire alarms are activated, directed by emergency personnel, or danger is imminent.

3. Proceed to the nearest safe exit. Implement your individual emergency plan. Request assistance from others in the area if the exit is difficult or obstructed.

4. If unable to evacuate the building:

• Take safe refuge in a fire-rated stairwell. Close the door to keep the smoke out.
• Evacuate ‘horizontally’ to a room away from hazards. Close the doors. Signal rescuers by placing a sign in the window. Place wet clothes around and under the door to prevent smoke from entering. Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 9-1-1 and provide your location and situation to the dispatcher. Follow their directions.
• If safe to do so, it is preferred that someone stay with the person with the disability.
• Designate one person to contact on-scene emergency personnel with location, nature of evacuation needs, etc.

ASSISTING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ACCESS OR FUNCTIONAL NEEDS DURING EVACUATION: 

Persons with mobility limitations: 

• Listen to the individual; he/she is the expert regarding his/her own disability. Always ask the individual how you can help before attempting any rescue technique or giving assistance.
• Wheelchairs have many movable or weak parts that were not constructed to withstand the stress of lifting. Ask the individual for the safest method for lifting/carrying them.

Persons with visual disabilities: 

• Tell the person the nature of the emergency and how and where to exit.
• Offer to guide him or her by having them take hold of your elbow.
• As you walk, say where you are and advise of any obstacles. Persons with hearing loss and/or speech impairments:
• Turn the light switch on and off, tap the individual on the shoulder, or make eye contact to get the individual’s attention.
• For those who read lips, clearly state the problem. Use gestures and pointing as visual instructions.
• Write concise notes.  Example: “FIRE!  Go to___________exit now.”
  

Definition

• Exposure. Direct contact between the eye, mouth, mucous membrane, skin cut, or abrasion with blood or any other potentially infectious material

Immediate Actions

• Skin exposure: Thoroughly wash the contact area with soap and water immediately
• Eye exposure: Flush eyes with water for 15 minutes using eyewash
• Needlestick, cut, bite exposure: Thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water
• Call 911 for medical help

Additional Information

• Notify a faculty, staff, or supervisor of exposure to a potentially infectious fluid
• Notify EH&S as soon as possible of potential infection from blood or body fluid due to exposure
  • During business hours, contact Environmental Health & Safety (909) 607-5934 to report exposure (Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm)
  • After hours, contact TCCS Campus Safety Dispatch (909) 607-2000 and request they notify EH&S

Immediate Actions

• Alert others nearby of the condition
• Activate the building fire alarm
• Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 911 to report any fire or smoke condition if it is safe and possible to do so
• Quickly leave the building when the fire alarm sounds, or evacuation is initiated by emergency personnel
• If working with high heat, open flame, or a hazardous experiment or procedure, complete safety shutdown procedures if it is safe to do so, and then evacuate the building
• Quickly take personal items or other essential materials with you if it is safe to do so. You may not be returning for some time
• Close doors as you leave
• Stay to the right of hallways and stairs; do not use elevators
• Assist people with disabilities if needed
• Avoid any smoke-filled area if possible; if you are in a smoke-filled area, stay low to the floor and crawl under the smoke to an exit
• If your clothing catches fire, Stop, Drop, and Roll to extinguish flames
• Follow evacuation routes directly to the building’s Emergency Assembly Area (EAA)
• Notify Building Safety Emergency Coordinators at the Emergency Assembly Area that you have evacuated safely

Additional Information

• Remain in the Emergency Assembly Area until directed otherwise
• Never try to re-enter a building until cleared to do so by CGU officials, TCCS Campus Safety, or the Claremont Police Department
  

Immediate Actions

For exposures

Skin contact: External exposure or splash:

• Call TCCS Campus Safety (909) 607-2000 or 911 and ask for assistance from co-workers if available
• Start shower/eyewash
• Remove contaminated clothing, if appropriate
• Wash for at least 15 minutes
• Seek additional assistance as necessary

Inhalation:

• Leave the area and go to an area with fresh air
• If you have shortness of breath or trouble breathing, call TCCS Campus Safety (909) 607-2000 or  911 for help

Ingestion:

• Call 911 for help or call the National Capital Poison Center (800) 222-1222 for poison emergencies.

For Spills

If Hazardous Material Spill or Release:

• If you have been trained and have the proper materials, contain or clean up the spill and call CGU EH&S at (909) 607-5934
• If you have not been trained or cannot contain the spill, call 911 for help

Additional Information

• Report all incidents to your supervisor
• Decontaminate all useable equipment
• Properly dispose of hazardous waste through CGU EH&S at (909) 607-5934
  

Immediate Actions

National Emergency occurs:

• Listen to your radio or TV to a local Emergency Alert System (EAS) station and follow the instructions
• Follow directions of emergency response personnel, your Building Supervisor for Emergency Conditions (BSEC), or Building Emergency Staff (BES)

Additional Information

• Information concerning emergencies at the Claremont Colleges and related topics is available to the campus
  community through the following resources:
  • CGU Website at www.CGU.edu
  • Claremont Colleges Campus Radio KSPC: 88.7 FM or www.KSPC.org
  • Claremont Area News and Information Radio
    • KFRG 95.1 FM or KGGI 99.1 FM
    • KFI 640 AM or KNX 1070 AM
      

Immediate Actions

General steps in medical emergencies:

• Check the scene to see that it is safe and that you and the victim are not in danger
• Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 911 (or ask someone to call 911) to request medical assistance; state the type of medical emergency it appears to be (cut, head injury, heart attack, etc.)
• Get an office First Aid Kit and use needed supplies as directed or to the level of your first aid training
• Retrieve and use any other appropriate and available emergency medical equipment (e.g., automatic external defibrillator – AED)
• Remain calm and reassure the victim while waiting for emergency personnel

Additional Information

• Report any injury to your immediate supervisor
• Replace any materials used from the First Aid Kit
• Do not move the victim if unsure about head/neck injury
  

CGU closely monitors national and worldwide events related to influenza outbreaks. Pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery plans and resources develop critical life-safety and health protection measures. These are intended to minimize exposure, maintain critical University services, sustain essential research activities, protect assets, and return to normal operations as quickly as possible.

What you can do to stay healthy

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way

Try to avoid close contact with sick people:

• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people
• If you get sick, the  CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them

Additional Information

California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO)

Definitions

• Suspicious Parcel or Object. Anything that is out of place and cannot be accounted for or any item suspected of being an explosive device

Immediate Actions

If you receive or discover a suspicious letter or package:

• Do not touch, tamper with, or move it
• Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 911 and report what you suspect immediately
• Campus police will determine if evacuation or other action is necessary
• Notify your supervisor of what you suspect

Additional Information

Indicators that make a letter or package suspicious:

• Powdery substance, oily stains, significant discoloration, or crystallization on the outside
• An unexpected letter from someone unfamiliar has no return address or is postmarked from a foreign country that may or may not match the return address
• Excessive postage, a handwritten or poorly typed address, no name, or misspelled common words
• The unusual weight is given size, excessively bulky or lopsided or oddly shaped, or has an unusual amount of tape
• Has a strange odor
• Addressed to someone no longer with your organization, uses a wrong title, or reflects outdated personal information concerning addressee
• Has restrictive endorsements such as “Personal” or “To Be Opened By Addressee Only.”
  

Immediate Actions

Power Failure:

• Evacuate darkened areas with caution
• If working with high heat, open flame, or a hazardous experiment or procedure, complete safety shutdown procedures if it is safe to do so, and then evacuate the building
• Call Facility Services at (909) 607-7765 (8:30 am – 5:00 pm) or TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000
• Report the location and hazards of machinery or operations that were interrupted
• Report emergencies to TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or call 911
  • City pf Claremont Public Utilities outage map

How to Prepare for a Power Outage in a Laboratory:

• Be sure the contact information on your lab door placard is up-to-date. Ideally, contacts should know all of the lab’s sensitive operations.
• Put essential equipment on emergency power circuits, if available.
• Hazardous, unattended processes should be programmed to shut down safely during a power failure and not restart automatically when power returns.
• Identify an emergency source of dry ice for items that must be kept cold. Do not use dry ice in small, enclosed, and occupied areas because hazardous concentrations of CO2 can accumulate. Unopened refrigerators/ freezers will maintain temperature for several hours.

During Power Outage in a Laboratory:

• Shut down experiments that involve hazardous materials or equipment that automatically restart when power is available.
• Make sure that experiments are stable. Cap all chemical containers that are safe to cap, and then close fume hood sashes.
• Check equipment on emergency power. In some cases, it may take 20 to 30 seconds for the emergency power to activate after a power failure.
• Disconnect unattended equipment and turn off unnecessary equipment.
• When power returns, reset/restart/check equipment. Check the airflow of your fume hood. Often, hoods will not automatically restart.

Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS):

• When severe weather and fire conditions threaten a portion of the electric infrastructure or community, Southern California Edison may turn off electricity supply to City of Claremont Public Utilities in the interest of public safety.
• Public Safety Power shutoffs may occur with as little as a day’s notice and can remain active for days. It is best to be prepared for a power outage at all times.
• In the event of a PSPS, recharging stations will be set up by the University, prioritizing students with medical needs or other vital functions.

Elevator Failure:

• Report elevator failures to Facility Services at (909) 607-7765 (8:30 am – 5:00 pm). After 5:00 pm on weekends/holidays, then call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000
• If outside the elevator, try to communicate to trapped elevator occupants that help is on the way
• If trapped inside the elevator, use the elevator phone to request help or activate the emergency alarm within the elevator (The elevator phone has no dial tone, so do not hang up after picking up the receiver)

Flooding:

• Do not touch any electrical appliances
• Call Facility Services at (909) 607-7765 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm). After 5:00 pm on weekends/holidays, then call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000
• If it is safe to do so, lift valuable or critical items above the reach of the water

Gas Leak:

• Evacuate the building using evacuation routes
• Do not turn “on/off” switches on lights or electrical equipment
• If working with high heat, open flame, or a hazardous experiment or procedure, complete safety shutdown procedures if it is safe to do so, and then evacuate the building
• Stay to the right of hallways and stairs; do not use elevators
• Assist people with disabilities if needed
• Once outside, call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-5934 or dial 911
• Go to the building’s Emergency Assembly Area (EAA) and notify emergency staff that you have evacuated safelyVentilation Problem:
  
• Call Facility Services at (909) 607-7765 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm). After 5:00 pm on weekends/holidays, then call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000

Immediate Actions

If you are a victim of or witness any crime or act of violence on campus:

• Call TCCS Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or  911 (by phone, cell phone), an Emergency Call Box, a campus emergency phone, or an elevator emergency phone/intercom; in a dire emergency, use a fire alarm pull station
• Be prepared to give the police dispatcher as much information as possible, including:
  • Nature of incident
  • Location of incident
  • Description of person(s) involved
  • Location or direction of travel of person(s) and/or vehicles involved
  • Any apparent injuries to the victim or object
  • Type of weapon (knife, pistol, rifle, shotgun, club, chain), if used
  • Your name, location, department, and extension number

Additional Information

• Do not take unnecessary chances or put yourself at risk
• Never argue with or attack a person committing a crime
• Try to get a good description of the criminal if you can do so without putting yourself at risk, and write it down
• Height, weight, sex, physical appearance, approximate age, clothing, method and direction of travel, perpetrator’s name, if known to you or others at the scene
• Note anything that was touched or held by the criminal
• If the criminal leaves the area in a vehicle, note the type: make and model, license number (if possible), color, decals or stickers, or any outstanding characteristics
• If safe to do so, remain where you are until a TCCS Campus Safety Officer arrives
• Do not interfere with:
  • People who are committing a crime or creating a disturbance
  • Individuals behaving in an irrational or bizarre manner
  • Law enforcement or medical responders at the scene