Campus Safety and Security

Emergency Preparedness Policy

Section: Campus Safety and Security Policies
Policy Name: Emergency Preparedness Policy
Policy Owner: Executive Vice President
Responsible University Office: Office of Campus and Public Safety
Origination Date: June, 2007
Revisions:
Legacy Policy Number: 7-51
  1. PURPOSEThe University of Delaware can be threatened by emergency and disaster situations both natural, such as, winter storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and man-made situations such as hazardous materials accidents, biological outbreaks, terroristic threats and criminal activity. When such incidents occur, it is the policy of the University to:
    1. Protect human life; prevent/minimize personal injury
    2. Protect the environment
    3. Prevent/minimize damage to existing structures, research data, laboratories, and library collections
    4. Restore normal operations
  2. POLICYEmergency situations are handled according to their severity and potential impact on campus so that the response is commensurate with the actual conditions. Emergency incidents may require the following response:
    1. Canceling Classes:
      1. It is the President’s responsibility, or his or her designee, to determine the need to cancel classes based on notification of an emergent situation. Severe weather, a biological outbreak, a chemical accident, and criminal activity are examples of situations that may occasion such a decision.
      2. The Executive Vice President, the Provost and the Vice President for Administration will notify appropriate offices of the determination to cancel classes and the extent of the cancellation.
      3. The Public Relations Office will make class cancellation known using University and other media outlets, text messaging and student voice mails.
    2. Closing Campus:
      1. It is the President’s responsibility, or his or her designee, to make determinations concerning incidents requiring campus closure. The President may consult with senior staff concerning the level of the response required by an emergent situation.
      2. If the situation warrants, the President, or his or her designee, may authorize the evacuation of a University facility and/or the closing of selected parts of the campus.
      3. Individual colleges and academic departments are not authorized to close buildings and/or cancel classes.
      4. The Executive Vice President, together with the President, and his or her designee, assembles University’s Disaster Planning Group, and manages the response to the emergency. The Chief of Police heads the group.
    3. Types of Incidents Requiring Campus Closure
      1. Minor, localized incident that occurs in a building or affects a small portion of the campus that can be quickly resolved with existing University resources, e.g., localized chemical spill, plumbing failure in a building, etc. Only a quadrant of the campus may need to be closed and the determination for doing so will be made by the Department of Public Safety, in concert with the President, his or her designee, and the Executive Vice President. The Public Relations Office will provide the University community with information about the incident using the emergency notification systems and local media outlets.
      2. Major emergency that disrupts a substantial portion of the University community, e.g., building fire, severe flooding, major chemical spill, terroristic threats, criminal activity, etc. As soon as information becomes available about the severity of the incident the President, or his or her designee, in concert with the Executive Vice President, the Provost, the Chief of Police, and other key members of the University’s Disaster Planning Group will evaluate the scope of the incident, coordinate essential services and provide emergency information through the Public Relations Office. Because such incidents escalate quickly and may have serious consequences for critical University functions and/or life safety, the campus may be closed in whole or in part as appropriate.
      3. Disaster affecting the entire University grounds and surrounding community,e.g., hurricane, tornado, widespread chemical or biological agent contamination, etc. Disasters of this magnitude require the immediate assembling of the Disaster Planning Group who will work in concert with the President, his or her designee, and surrounding agencies to address the crisis and return University operations to normal as soon as possible. As information is received, emergency conditions may intensify or lessen that will affect the closure of campus facilities. At all times, authorization must be secured from the President, or his or her designee, to close the campus in whole or part.
    4. Emergency Response of the Department of Public SafetyWhen the determination is made by the President, or his or her designee, to close the campus because of an emergency or disaster, the Chief of Police will authorize the following actions:
      1. Activate the Emergency Operations Center in the Department of Public Safety.
      2. Close the Trabant, Perkins and CFA parking garages to incoming vehicles depending on the nature of the emergency.
      3. Deploy police and security staff and, if possible, enlist the help of custodial personnel to close and lock academic buildings, if it is safe to do so.
      4. Notify the Vice President for Student Life of the decision to close campus and advise the unit to have students stay in their residence halls until the “all clear” notice is given.
      5. Activate mutual aid agreements with the City of Newark, New Castle County, and Delaware State Police agencies.
      6. Station police officers at key intersections to direct people off campus.
      7. Request that message boards at the intersection of Routes 896 and Route 4 indicate that the University is closed.
      8. Close the streets surrounding the University depending on the nature and severity of the emergency. (see Appendix A)

Appendix A

Closing University Campus and Blocking off Surrounding Streets

If the determination is made by the President to close streets surrounding University property, the Department of Public Safety will utilize sworn officers and mutual aid agreements with other police jurisdictions in closing the following intersections:

 Laird Campus

New London Road and Pencader Way (both places where Pencader Way intersects New London Road)
New London Road and Christiana Drive
Independence Bridge for Foot Traffic
Ray Street

Prospect Avenue and North College Avenue
North Street and North College Avenue
Ray Street and Rose Street

West Campus

Elkton and Apple Roads
Apple and Hillside Roads
West Main Street and Hillside Roads
Sypherd Drive and Hillside Roads
Cheltenham and Hillside Roads
Dallam and Hillside Roads
Pedestrian underpass off Elkton Road
English Language Institute

Old Oak Road and West Main Street
Old Oak Road and Dallam Roads
Dallam and Hillside Roads

Central Campus

West of South College and South of Main Street

South College Avenue and Park Place
Academy Street and Park Place
Courtney and Manual Streets
Lovett Avenue and Haines Street
Delaware Avenue and Academy Street
Delaware and South College Avenues
East Main and Academy Streets
North College Avenue and East Main Street (for pedestrian traffic)

East of South College and South of Main Street

South College Avenue and Park Place
Academy Street and Park Place
Courtney and Manual Streets
Lovett Avenue and Haines Street
Delaware Avenue and Academy Street
Delaware and South College Avenues
East Main and Academy Streets
North College Avenue and East Main Street(for pedestrian traffic)

West of North College Avenue and North of Main Street

Main Street and South College Avenue
North College and Cleveland Avenue
West Main Street and New London Road
Hollingsworth Parking Lot (foot patrol officer for pedestrian traffic)

East of North College and North of Main Street

Academy and East Main Streets
North College and Cleveland Avenues
Delaware and South College Avenues
Academy Street and Delaware Avenue
East side of Frazier Field for pedestrian traffic
Newark Parking Authority Lot#3 for pedestrian traffic

East Campus

East of Academy Street

Park Place and Academy Street
Courtney Road and Manual Street
Park Place and Manual Street
Wyoming Road and South Chapel Street
Chambers and South Chapel Street
Lovett Avenue and South Chapel Street
Continental Avenue and South Chapel Street
Academy Street and Delaware Avenue
Delaware Avenue and Haines Street
Haines Street and Park Place
Park Place and South Chapel Street

Computing Center

South Chapel Street and Ashley Road
South Chapel Street and Chambers
Gilbert Complex and Wyoming Road
Wyoming Road and Library Avenue

Delaware Technology Park

Wyoming Road and Route 72
Wyoming and Marrows Roads

South Campus

Sincock Lane and Christina Parkway
Sincock Lane and Old Chapel Road
Farm Lane and Route 72
South College Avenue and South Campus Loop near the Bob Carpenter Center
South College Avenue and Delaware Stadium Entrance
South College Avenue and Delaware Field House Entrance
South College Avenue and Fred Rust Ice Arena Entrance
South College Avenue and South Campus loop near Townsend Hall

If needed please see the following links: Public Safety Escort Map