Again, violence has struck a few university campuses around the nation, with the most dramatic being the recent tragic shootings at Northern Illinois University. While we mourn for the students and their families it is also a time to review our own emergency plans and preparations for not only potential shootings, but also other emergencies that might occur with little or no warning.

SPU has an Emergency and Crisis Management Plan that is annually reviewed and updated in order to keep our community as safe and ready as possible. This communication is intended to outline some new preparations that the University has undertaken as part of this annual update and to remind you to again review SPU’s emergency plan. The complete Emergency and Crisis Management Plan can be found on the SPU web page at http://www.spu.edu/info/emergency/index.asp. A link to the plan is also located on the “Current & New Students” tab on the SPU main page.

“SPU-Alert” A New Emergency Notification System
It has become essential that university campuses have a rapid notification system to a decentralized and distributed campus population in times of an emergency. After a thorough evaluation SPU has purchased and recently vetted a new system that we are calling “SPU Alert”. This system, which is based off-campus, will provide multiple rapid communication options to send warnings and instructions directly to students and staff. The system has the capability of sending near simultaneous messages via cell phone text messaging, normal telephone calls (voice recordings sent to home, residence hall, or office phones), and email messages.

To be fully effective this system needs the cooperation of all students to provide appropriate personal contact information for emergency notification. The personal contact data stored in the SPU-Alert System is updated and maintained via the Banner Information System. To submit or update your information, go to the Banner System on the web, https://www.spu.edu/banweb/ and select the Personal Menu then choose the SPU-Alert System. Please contact the CIS Help Desk if you have questions concerning entering your personal contact information into the Banner system.

On-campus student resident telephone numbers and email addresses are already populated in the notification system. You are encouraged to provide up to two cell phone numbers (for text messaging), up to two alternate land-line phone numbers (for instance a home number or off-campus apartment), plus up to two alternate email addresses that could be used in the event that SPU-provided email systems are disrupted.

A separate communication will be sent out soon to announce a campus-wide test of the new “SPU Alert” system.

Emergency Contact Information
It is important that the University know who to contact in an emergency if something should happen to you. To review and update your emergency contact information, log into the Banner Information System, select the Personal Information Menu and then choose “Emergency Contact Information.”

Additional Emergency/Medical Information
Individuals may wish to make personal health information available for use by emergency responders in the event of a personal emergency. Supplying personal health information is voluntary for each student. However, any student, both residential and commuter, who has specific health issues or information they would like emergency responders to know are urged take advantage of this opportunity to provide that information. To do so, select the “Additional Emergency/Medical Information” link on the bottom of the Emergency Contact Information page. Access to this data will be strictly limited to Safety and Security staff to assist in responding to an emergency and will not be forwarded to any other person or department.

“Stop. Think. Act.” Books
Several years ago a booklet organized in a flip-chart format and titled, “Stop. Think. Act. Seattle Pacific University Emergency Procedures” was distributed to all offices, classrooms and other locations around campus. The booklet contains a list of evacuation sites for each building as well as steps to be taken in response to specific types of emergencies. This would be a good time to review this book. A flipbook has been attached to the podium or located in another conspicuous place in each classroom. In addition, booklets are secured in most gathering spaces on campus such as lounges, residence hall lobbies and campus dining facilities. RLCs and PAs in each residence hall have copies of the flipbook as well. Please locate these books in your various places of activity. If you cannot find this book in locations that you frequent please contact Melanie Whitehead at 206-281-2537 or via email at melaniej@spu.edu.

Classroom Lockdown and Evacuation Information
In the event of a violent incident on campus there would likely be a campus wide lockdown. Most classrooms have locks to enable the door to be locked by pushing a button or other mechanical device on the door lock should an emergency situation arise which would warrant such action.

Most classrooms contain a wall plaque or poster on or next to the classroom door showing the evacuation route and the assembly site for the building. You should locate the plaque and review the information on it in all of your classrooms at the beginning of each quarter. In addition, all campus buildings have evacuation signs posted near each building entrance. The knowledge of how to evacuate quickly and appropriately may be critical to your safety. The emergency flip chart booklet described above contains telephone numbers and appropriate responses to specific emergencies in addition to the evacuation information that is posted in classrooms. A full listing of emergency assembly areas is contained in Appendix C of the Emergency and Crisis Management Plan.

Emergency Drills
During the year emergency drills will be conducted to help evaluate the effectiveness of the University’s emergency plan and to train people on the appropriate emergency response procedures. The buildings affected and the times of the drills will vary from drill to drill so that the occupants of all campus buildings will have the opportunity to practice for an actual campus emergency. We are considering a drill involving an armed intruder and campus lockdown procedures. The University is working closely with the Seattle Police Department as we review our emergency response plans.

Building Emergency Coordinator (BEC)
A BEC has been appointed for each building. In larger buildings, multiple BECs have been appointed. In the residence halls, the RLCs serve as BECs. These individuals are vital in the efforts to respond successfully to an emergency situation and to determine whether everyone in a given building is accounted for. During an evacuation, BECs will be easily recognizable by their bright orange vests. In the event of an emergency, please give the BEC your full cooperation whenever they issue directions or information. These people will be the first line of contact during an actual emergency and cooperation with them should be immediate and complete when it is requested.

Other Precautions
In the event an act of violence occurs on campus it can be assumed that, unless specific notice is given otherwise, all remaining classes and events for the day have been cancelled. The purpose of this default policy is to avoid confusion due to lack of information so that any person who is off campus when violence occurs and hears a notice of such an event can assume that they should not come to campus. A communication will go out via a number of avenues (email, snow closure hot-line, web page, Seattle media, etc.) to the community if classes or events will resume as originally scheduled.

It is important that all of our community be vigilant and report to Safety and Security (206-281-2911) any suspicious activity or person that does not fit the “normal” pattern of daily campus life at SPU. This is hard to define and what is abnormal may be different for each person, perhaps, but the encouragement here is to err on the side of being cautious.

Thank you for taking the time to review SPU’s emergency procedures.