CHSU Emergency Response Plan

California Health Sciences University ("CHSU") is committed to the safety of its students, faculty, staff, administrators, visitors, and neighbors. CHSU understands its responsibility to take steps to preserve the safety and security of members of the campus community and to respond to emergencies in a way that minimizes the impact on life, safety of the campus community, and campus mission.

This policy outlines general safety and security measures for this campus. Additionally, in preparation for emergencies, CHSU has developed the Emergency Response Plan ("Emergency Plan") contained in this policy to enhance its capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies.

The Emergency Plan describes the organizational framework, guidance and authority for responding to and recovering from an emergency. It provides for the coordination of campus services and the use of available resources to minimize the effects of an emergency on life, property and the environment. This plan is not all- inclusive but is intended to provide a systematic approach for responding to emergencies.

CHSU recognizes the need for ongoing safety, security and emergency planning and this policy will be reviewed and revised on an annual basis. As of the effective date noted at the end of this document, this policy supersedes all prior policies governing general safety, security and emergency response. All prior policies are revoked.

Foundational Basis for Emergency Responses Planning

In the event of an emergency, the definitions and information in this section shall form the foundational basis for CHSU’s Emergency Plan.

Emergency Incidents Defined

An emergency incident is defined as an occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, which requires a response to protect life or property. An incident may evolve into an emergency when the event overwhelms or nearly overwhelms day-to-day resources, plans, and personnel in place to manage them, while causing a significant disruption of normal business in all or a portion of the campus. Incidents and emergencies can range from a small utility failure or criminal act that can be handled locally to a major flood, earthquake or chemical/biological release that may exceed internal capabilities and require external response support.

Planning Assumptions

The following assumptions provide the basis for emergency planning at CHSU:

1. Major roads, overpasses, bridges and local streets may be damaged or littered with debris; thus, vehicular traffic may be congested causing a delay in response or resource deployment;
2. Critical infrastructure (e.g., electricity, sewer, gas and public transportation) may be interrupted and/or inoperable, causing a delay in response or resource deployment.
3. Communication lines will be impacted and contact with families and households of the campus community may be interrupted.
4. Buildings and structures, may be damaged, causing injuries and displacement of people.
5. Due to unsafe travel conditions, individuals may be unable to leave the campus.
6. Normal food service operations may be inadequate to meet campus needs during an emergency.
7. Resource availability may become strained or depleted. Regional and local supplies may not be available to deliver materials. As a result, the response operations and duration of the recovery may be affected.
8. Emergency conditions that affect the campus will likely affect the surrounding community, including the cities of Clovis and Fresno.
9. Emergencies may result in the appearance of spontaneous volunteers and/or donations. Depending on the complexity of the incident and areas at risk, the decision may be made to suspend classes and campus activities, as well as evacuate some or all areas of the campus.
10. Many faculty members, staff, administrators may be incapacitated or otherwise unavailable to provide support.

Phases of Emergency Management

The Emergency Plan relies on the following phases of emergency management, each described below:

1. Preparedness is the process of planning how to respond when an emergency occurs and coordinating the physical and human resources to respond effectively. Preparedness includes establishing procedures, protocol, plans, and agreements; training and acquiring and maintaining resources.
2. Response is the actual real-world emergency deployment of personnel and equipment to save lives, protect property and contain and stabilize the incident. Response involves alert and warning, search and rescue, emergency medical care, firefighting, security, providing shelter, removing debris and restoring critical services/functions.
3. Recovery entails the short- and long-term actions necessary to return all systems to normal conditions. This includes repairing/rebuilding infrastructure, applying for disaster reimbursement, and restoring the administrative, instructional and research environment.
4. Mitigation includes activities that eliminate or reduce the occurrence or effects of an emergency (e.g., hazard identification, floodplain mapping, land use planning.

Institutional Priorities

For every emergency incident, campus leaders and response personnel shall collaborate to make decisions and implement operational plans based on the specific needs of the incident. To guide these decisions and to provide the basis for determining the allocation of limited resources, the University has established the following institutional response priorities in the following order of importance:

1. Protection of life safety — reduce the risk of death or injury to members of the CHSU community and emergency responders
2. Incident Stabilization — contain the incident to keep it from expanding or getting worse
3. Property and Environmental Preservation — minimize damage to property and the environment
4. Mission Continuity/Resumption — re-establish instruction, research, student rotations and other mission critical activities with minimal disruption

Campus Procedures for Specific Emergencies

CHSU’s Operations Department will maintain specific procedures regarding the following emergencies:

• Power Outage
• Earthquake
• Fire
• Bomb Threat or Suspicious Object
• Active Shooter
• Hazardous Materials Release
• Medical Emergency

The specific procedures shall be included as Appendix A to this policy and shall be communicated to the campus community by posters throughout campus, on the CHSU website, and annual reminders sent by the Operations Department via campus-wide email. The college-specific Student Affairs offices shall ensure all students are trained in such procedures, and the Office of Human Resources shall ensure all employees receive the same training.

Individuals with Disabilities or Others with Functional or Access Needs

CHSU is committed to insuring access, integration, and inclusion of individuals with functional needs into all phases of the emergency management process — mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Individuals with functional or access needs are defined as campus community members who may have additional needs before, during and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to maintaining independence, communication, transportation, supervision, and medical care. Individuals in need of additional response assistance may include those who are disabled, elderly, minors, from diverse cultures, transportation disadvantaged, non- English speaking, or those with limited English proficiency.

Individuals with functional or access needs who are unable to evacuate during an emergency should be instructed as
follows:

1. Stay calm and take steps to protect yourself.
2. Call 911 and explain where you are.
3. If you must move, then:
   1. Move to an exterior enclosed stairwell
   2. Request persons exiting by way of the stairway to notify the Fire Department of your location
   3. Do not use elevators during an emergency
   4. Once outside, move away from the building to allow others to exit

Do not return to an evacuated building until given clearance by emergency personnel.

Governance and Authority Regarding Emergencies

This section provides an overview of the governance and authority upon which the Emergency Plan is based including various levels of emergencies, disaster response authority, and declaration of a campus emergency.

Levels of Emergency

Given the potential day-to-day hazards that may affect CHSU, a tiered approach has been established to define the appropriate response to any campus emergency. Each of the response levels is relative to the magnitude of the emergency. This approach is flexible enough to be used in any emergency response situation regardless of the size, type, or complexity.

Routine Emergency Incidents

Routine incidents occur on campus with some frequency (i.e., a broken beaker, etc.) and are often handled by appropriate members of the CHSU administration, such as the deans, a department chair or facilities management. These incidents are handled through normal campus response procedures and do not require additional resources outside of the campus. For routine incidents, the scope of the incident is well-defined, and it can be resolved within a short time-period. Specific procedures relating to routine responses are developed and maintained by appropriate members of the CHSU administration, including the deans, department chairs and/or Operations Department.

Limited Emergency

Limited emergencies are those incidents that significantly impact the campus, are complex or require interaction with outside response organizations (e.g., fire, police, ambulance) or require a more prolonged and/or serious response than CHSU can manage alone. These incidents include extended power outages affecting single or multiple buildings, regionalized flooding, and hazardous material releases. Limited emergencies are handled by the President or the President’s designee.

Major Emergency

Major emergencies include incidents where many, if not all, of the campus is impacted, normal campus operations are interrupted, response and recovery activities will continue for an extended period, and routine response procedures and resources are overwhelmed. Procedures for responding to a major emergency are contained within the Emergency Plan, below.

Delegation of Authority & CHSU’s Emergency Response Team

The overall authority for implementing safeguards, security and emergency response for major emergencies rests with the President. Members of the administration designated by the President to assist with the emergency response are part of the CHSU Emergency Response Team (“CHSU ERT”). The CHSU ERT shall be made of the following persons:

1. The President;
2. The Deans of each component college;
3. The heads of all University-level administration departments, including, but not limited to, operations, communications, business, and legal counsel;
4. Other members of the administration designated by the President.

The CHSU ERT is responsible for executive level oversight and internal decision-making during a major emergency.

The President, with consultation with the Governing Board, has the authority to direct and coordinate emergency operations and may delegate this authority to members of CHSU ERT. If the President is not available or is not reachable when an incident occurs, the line of succession for ultimate authority over emergency matters is as follows: (1) Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine; (2) Dean of the College of Pharmacy.

Declaration of Campus Emergency

The President, in consultation with members of the CHSU ERT, may declare a campus state of emergency when the following occurs:

1. Emergent conditions exist on or within the vicinity of the campus as a result of a natural or human-caused disaster, a civil disorder which poses the threat of serious injury to persons or damage to property or damage to property, or other seriously disruptive events; and
2. Extraordinary measures are required immediately to avert, alleviate, or repair damage to CHSU property or to maintain the orderly operations of thecampus.

Once a declaration of a state of emergency has been issued, authority for further execution of the Emergency Plan described in section V, below, transfers to the CHSU ERT.

General Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness

California Health Sciences University is located in a suburban area. CHSU has instituted certain security measures for faculty, staff and student safety. All are encouraged to remain alert and cautious when on campus, keep personal items out of sight and to keep their vehicles locked. Below are general descriptions of the safety and security measures CHSU has implemented.

Identification and Building Access Cards

CHSU utilizes a card access system on all building entrances. Access cards are issued by CHSU administration to all employees upon hire and first-year students free of charge during orientation week. Access cards also serve as employee and student identification badges and are always required to be prominently displayed by employees and students above the waist, preferably in the upper torso region, and visible from the front. ID badges/access cards must be presented when requested by any member of CHSU administration, staff, or faculty.

Employees and students are prohibited from transferring access cards to other individuals, allowing others to use their access cards or granting access to individuals who are not members of the CHSU community. Employees/students are expected to keep their ID badges/access cards during their entire employment/educational career at the University but must return it to CHSU administration when their employment/enrollment ends. Employees must report lost, stolen or misplaced badges to the Office of Human Resources and students must be report lost, stolen or misplaced badges to their college-specific Student Affairs office.

Campus Security Guards

CHSU contracts with a third-party security company to provide security guards on campus as needed for special events and overnight.

Emergency Evacuation Maps

CHSU’s Operations Department shall maintain campus evacuation maps which identify the procedures for evacuating all buildings on campus.

Injury Illness Prevention Plan

In accordance with California law, CHSU’s Office of Human Resources maintains an Injury Illness Prevention Plan, available upon request.

First Aid Supplies, Defibrillators, Fire Extinguishers

Non-emergency first aid supplies are in boxes mounted in various locations on campus. Members of the CHSU community have access to these boxes for non-emergency first aid supplies. Additionally, Automated External Defibrillators (AED) are also placed in various locations on campus.

Fire exits and fire extinguishers are located and marked throughout all buildings. Elevators should not be used under any circumstances in the event of a fire.

The CHSU Operations Department is responsible for overseeing the installation and maintenance of fire alarms, fire- prevention tools, first aid supplies and defibrillator. Tampering with any such equipment is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.

Registered Sex Offenders

California’s Megan’s Law provides the public with certain information on the whereabouts of sex offenders at the following website: www.meganslaw.ca.gov. The existing provisions of Megan’s Law address the requirements of section 121 of the federal law known as the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.

Emergency Services; Rave Mobile Safety Alert System

As a small, suburban-based graduate health sciences university, CHSU does not maintain a campus police, fire or other emergency services department. Accordingly, all emergencies on campus should be reported immediately to emergency first responders by dialing 911. There are phones located throughout campus that are available for use to call 911 in the event of an emergency. Additionally, all cases, incidents of emergency or non- emergency injuries are to be reported in compliance with the University’s policies governing student or employee injuries, including but not limited to CHSU’s Injury Illness and Prevention Plan and CHSU’s Student Injury on Campus Policy.

CHSU has partnered with the company Rave Mobile Safety to provide an emergency alert system capable of delivering messages to members of the CHSU community via email and/or cell phone. To ensure the effectiveness of the system, all students must provide their cell phone number to the Office of the Registrar and all employees must provide their cell phone to the Office of Human Resources during initial onboarding. These phone numbers must be kept current for emergency contact. The Office of the Registrar shall be responsible for ensuring all student cell phone numbers are enrolled in the Rave Mobile Safety alert system and the Office of Human Resources shall be responsible for ensuring employees are so enrolled upon hire.

The University’s Timely Warning and Emergency Notification Policy explains the process the University will follow when issuing timely warnings and/or emergency notifications to University students and employees.

Closure Due to Inclement Weather

The President may declare CHSU closed or delay opening due to inclement weather. In the event this should occur, a decision will be made no later than 7:00 a.m. Electronic announcements will be sent via the Rave Mobile Safety alert system and through campus-wide email. If an announcement is not made regarding the closing or delayed opening of the University, employees and students must assume that the University is open, and students/faculty should attend class at the regularly scheduled time.

The Emergency Response Plan

Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders

This section outlines the general roles and responsibilities of students, faculty, and staff during an emergency.

Students

Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with CHSU’s specific emergency response plans (e.g., fire response, active shooter response, earthquake response, etc.), which are contained in this policy and posted throughout campus. Students should also be familiar with building evacuation routes, exits and assembly points. Students are enrolled in the Rave Alert system, explained in Section Emergency Services; Rave Mobile Safety Alert System and should also have a personal emergency kit prepared in their homes and/or cars with basic first aid items, bottled water and non-perishable food items available in the event of an emergency.

Students involved in an emergency incident should assess the situation quickly and thoroughly and employ common sense when determining how to respond. If directly involved in an emergency, students should call 911 as soon as possible, direct first responders to where the incident occurred if possible and cooperate fully with first responders.

Faculty and Staff

CHSU faculty and staff are leaders for students and should be prepared to provide leadership during an incident. Faculty and staff should understand this Emergency Plan and building evacuation procedures in areas where they work and teach. Faculty and staff may often be the first people to arrive at an incident scene and are responsible or following standard operating procedures and contacting appropriate individuals. They should familiarize themselves with the basic concepts for personal and departmental incident response as outlined in departmental emergency response procedures.

Faculty and staff involved in an incident should assess a situation quickly and thoroughly and employ common sense when determining how to respond. When responding, faculty and staff should follow departmental emergency procedures. Faculty and staff are to report emergencies by calling 911. Faculty and staff should direct first responders to where the incident occurred if possible and cooperate fully with first responders. If evacuation of a building is necessary, faculty and staff are expected to evacuate immediately and, if safe to do so, to aid students in evacuating the building.

External Emergency First Responders

CHSU does not maintain internal emergency response professionals such as fire, police, or emergency medical personnel. The external first responder(s) include city fire, policy, and emergency medical personnel. The first responder to arrive at the scene of an incident will establish and assume the position of Incident Commander (“IC”). The IC has overall responsibility for on-scene operations for the incident. In most cases, leadership staff from the fire or police department will serve in the role of IC. If the incident is large or requires multiple agencies or departments, a unified command of primary response agencies may take responsibility for the overall field operations.

Depending on the situation, the IC or unified command may conduct operations from an on-scene operations for the incident. In most cases, leadership staff from the first responder agency or agencies will serve in the role of IC. If the incident is large or requires multiple agencies or departments, a unified command of primary response agencies (“Unified Command” or “UC”) may take responsibility for the overall field operations.

Depending on the situation, the IC or UC may conduct operations from an on-scene Incident Command Post (“ICP”). The ICP is a location where field staff convenes meetings, arriving resources check-in, and CHSU Emergency Response Team communicate with the IC or UC about the incident.

Role and Responsibility of CHSU Emergency Response Team

During an emergency, members of the CHSU ERT shall generally be responsible for the duties described below, in addition to other duties assigned by the President: 

CHSU ERT Member	Roles and Responsibilities
President	Oversee implementation of the Emergency Plan and internal decision making of the ERT. Appoint the IC/UC liaison.
IC/UC Liaison	Ensure all appropriate external emergency first responders have been notified. Coordinate with external emergency first respond and other government and non-profit agencies providing emergency assistance. Coordinate law enforcement activities.
Operations	Initiate Rave Mobile Safety alert system to notify campus community regarding the emergency including a description of the nature of the incident, location, and actions to be taken by campus community members. Manage the movement of people, materials and resources. Coordinate transportation resources. Protect, assess, and restore critical campus infrastructure. Coordinate debris management operations. Assess, repair and restore energy and utility infrastructure and coordinate restoration with utility providers. Coordinate activities to support preparedness. Manage volunteer donations. Coordinate campus recovery initiatives. Coordinate construction and/or restoration of campus facilities.
Communications	Provide information to the public regarding status of emergency response. Coordinate media and community relations. Ensure the provision and coordination of voice and data communications in support of response operations. Facilitate the restoration of the communication infrastructure.
Business	Ensure tender of claims are timely reported to insurance carriers. Coordinate with members of the ERT to analyze and mitigate financial risk to the University, as needed. Document expenditures, purchase authorizations, damage to property, equipment usage, and vendor contracting.
Legal Counsel	Coordinate with members of the ERT to analyze and mitigate legal risk to the University, as needed. Advise as to implementation of relevant policies and governance issues.  Oversee CHSU’s investigation efforts related to the emergency, if needed.
Deans of the Component Colleges	Oversee College specific-level student services support to affected members of the student population. Provide access for students to mental health services required to address trauma and other emotional response to the emergency. Coordinate needs regarding off-campus students during the emergency. Advise ERT as to impact of decision-making on the student body. Decision-making regarding mitigation of disruption to education and education continuity.

Assessment and Evaluation of Emergency Plans and Capabilities

The University will at least annually schedule drills, exercises, and appropriate follow-through activities, designed for the assessment and evaluation of emergency plans and capabilities. This will also include routine evacuation drills during CHSU business hours to ensure all members of the campus community are familiar with evacuation procedures.

Recovery

Recovery is the time between the end of life saving operations and the time when the campus has returned to normal operational status.

The President shall be responsible for implementation of CHSU’s business continuity plan following the end of life saving operations.

At the direction of the President, the IC/UC liaison will confirm with emergency first responders when it is deemed it safe for re-entry into campus, or, alternatively, if operations should resume at a different location due to catastrophic loss.

Appendix A to CHSU Safety, Security and Emergency Response Policy

1. Power Outage Procedure
   Incidents sometimes occur where the University suffers a total or partial power failure. In the event of a power outage, follow the following procedure:

   Step 1 - Remain calm and provide assistance to others if necessary
   Step 2 – Move cautiously to a lighted area, follow the exit signs
   Step 3 - Go to chsu.edu/emergency-contacts for information on extended outages

2. Earthquake Procedure
   In the event of an earthquake, follow the following procedure:

   Step 1 - Take cover under desk or table
   Step 2 - Protect head and neck, wait for shaking to stop
   Step 3 – Stay away from windows
   Step 4 – Evacuate building after shaking has stopped, do not use elevators

3. Fire Procedure
   In the event of a fire:

   Step 1 – Activate fire alarm
   Step 2 – Call 9-1-1
   Step 3 – Evacuate the building, move away from fire and smoke
   Step 4 – Use stairs only, do not use elevators
   Step 5 – Provide assistance to others

4. Bomb Threat or Suspicious Object Procedure
   Immediately upon finding a suspicious object or receiving a bomb threat:

   Step 1 – Do not touch or disturb the suspicious object. If you receive a bomb threat via phone call, write down as many details of the call as possible.
   Step 2 – Report suspicious object or threat to local law enforcement by calling 9-1-1
   Step 3 – Alert others to stay away from the area

5. Active Shooter Procedure

   Step 1 – RUN: Run from danger, run to safety. Plan in advance how you would get out. When safe, call 9-11
   Step 2 – HIDE: If you cannot run then hide by find location away from windows, lock and barricade doors. Turn off lights, silence your cell phone. Be quiet.
   Step 3 – FIGHT: Last Resort! If you cannot run or hide, attempt to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter. Be aggressive. Commit to your actions. Throw items to improvise weapons (e.g., chair, fire extinguisher).

6. Hazardous Materials Release Procedure
   Step 1 – Move away from hazard area.
   Step 2 – Move upwind and uphill if possible.
   Step 3 – Alert others to keep clear of the area
   Step 4 – Call 9-1-1.

7. Medical Emergency Procedure

   Step 1 – Call 9-1-1. Be prepared to provide the 911 dispatcher the following information if known: Name of victim; Campus address and telephone number; Exact location of victim; Apparent nature of illness or injury; Age of victim (if known); Your name; Standby at the scene to direct Emergency personnel to the victim.
   Step 2 – Follow directions of 911 dispatcher. Look out for emergency first responders/ambulance. Help direct first responders to victim.
   Step 3 –Contact Human Resources if employee, Student Affairs if student. File incident paperwork as directed.