Emergency Procedures
SSU's Emergency Procedures are intended to assist members of the SSU community in responding to emergencies with they may confront in the course of
their duties. It should be consulted if one of the
identified emergencies occurs.
Table of Contents
Please become familiar with the contents of the SSU Emergency Procedures. In the event of an emergency, they serve as a quick reference for effective action. A copy is made available to new employees as part of the orientation program.
SSU Police Services is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to respond to any emergency which may develop.
If there are any questions or comments or would like to obtain a copy of these procedures, contact Police Services at 707-664-2143.
Hazardous Materials
Leaks/Spills
If an uncontrolled release occurs from any type of vessel containing potentially hazardous materials, the following steps should be taken:
- Notify
- Call Police Services’ emergency number, 911, giving your name, department( location of emergency), chemical name, and volume of spill (if known).
- Notify others in the area.
- Contact the individual responsible for the material.
- Isolate
- Secure the area; keep people out.
- Close doors, post signs, etc.
- Contain (If trained to do so)
- Pour absorbent dike or barrier
- Open windows and turn on exhaust hoods to vent.
- Tip containers uprights; close valves
- Evacuate
- Move a safe distance away (spill dependent); usually the entire floor will be evacuated. If odors are strong throughout the building the whole building may be evacuated.
Do not return to the area/building until instructed to do so.
Suspected gas leaks or suspicious odors should also be reported to Police Services at 707-664-2143.
Earthquake
Drop, Cover and Hold On
- Remain calm. Stay indoors during the shaking and stay away from windows, bookcases, and other things that may fall. If possible, take cover under a table or desk. DO NOT RUSH FOR THE DOORS.
- After the shock subsides, get out of doors and well clear of buildings and trees as aftershocks are likely. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS. They may become inoperative and a trap. Give assistance to (help carry, if necessary) all disabled persons in using the stairs.
- If in an automobile, stop in the safest place available, preferably an open space away from overpasses, power lines, and trees. Stop as quickly as safety permits, but stay in vehicle for the shelter it provides.
- Identify and assist the injured.
- Follow the procedures in this manual for fire, hazardous materials leaks, and serious injury if necessary.
- In the event of major damage or disruption, Police Services will announce and implement evacuation procedures.
- Notify Police Services at (707) 664-4444 or 911 of any serious hazards or injuries.
Crime in Progress
- Do not attempt to apprehend or interfere with the criminal except in a case of self-protection.
- If safe to do so, stop and take time to get a good description of the criminal. Note height, weight, sex, color, approximate age, clothing, method and direction of travel, and name, if known. All this takes only a few seconds and is of the utmost help to the investigating officers. If the criminal is entering a vehicle, note the license number, make and model, color, and outstanding characteristics. This information can be recorded on the Crimes in Progress Checklist (pdf)
- Call Police Services at 911 or x42143. Give your name, location, and department. Advise them of the situation and remain where you are until contacted by an officer.
- In the event of civil disturbance, continue inasmuch as possible with your normal routine. If the disturbance is outside, stay away from doors and windows.
Do not interfere with those persons creating the disturbance or with law enforcement authorities on the scene.
Bomb Threat
- Bomb threats usually occur by telephone.
- The person receiving a bomb threat call should remain calm and attempt to obtain as much information as possible from the caller. This information can be recorded on the Bomb Threat Checklist (pdf)
- Call Police Services at 911 or x42143, giving your name, location, and telephone number. Inform them of the situation, including any information you may have as to the location of the bomb, time it is set to explode, and the time you received the call.
- Inform your supervisor and/or department head.
- Campus authorities with be responsible for building evacuation.
- If you should spot a suspicious object, package, etc., report it to the authorities, but under no circumstances should you touch it, tamper with it, or move it in any way.
- If instructed to evacuate, move a safe distance way from the building (a minimum of 100 yards). If inclement weather conditions exist, you may move to another building a safe distance away. Do not reenter until instructed that it is safe to do so.
- Do not pull fire alarms or activate radio systems or other electronic equipment.
Serious Injury
- Do not move a seriously injured person unless there is a life threatening situation.
- Call Police Services at 911 or x42143. Give your name, location, and telephone number. Give as much information as possible regarding the nature of the illness or injury, whether or not the victim is conscious, etc. Officers will arrange for an ambulance if required.
- Return to the victim. Administer First Aid and keep the victim as calm and comfortable as possible. You should know the people in your building who are trained in First Aid or CPR should they be needed. List also the location of the nearest First Aid kit, if one is available.
- Remain with the victim until Police Officers arrive.
Evacuation of Disabled
In the event of an emergency, occupants of wheelchairs and other disabled persons should observe the following evacuation procedures:
- All persons shall move toward the nearest marked exit. As a first choice, the wheelchair occupant or person with mobility impairment may use the building elevators, but never in the case of fire or earthquake.
- As a second choice, when a wheelchair occupant or other person with mobility impairment reaches an obstruction, such as a staircase, he/she should request assistance from others in the area.
NOTE: It is suggested that the wheelchair occupant of person with mobility impairment prepare for an emergency ahead of time by instructing a classmate or professor on how to assist him/her in case of an emergency. Visually and hearing impaired persons should carry a note or tag identifying their disability. The hearing impaired should carry a pen and/or pencil and note pad.
- If assistance is not immediately available, the wheelchair occupant or person with mobility impairment should stay in the exit corridor, on the stairway or landing. He/she should continue to call for help until rescued. Persons who cannot speak loudly should carry a whistle or have another means of attracting the attention of others.
- The visually impaired should request a nearby person to take them by the elbow and guide them through the building maintaining dialogue about obstacles in their path.
Rescue personnel, fire, and police, will first check all exit corridors and exit stairwell for trapped persons.
Emergency Supplies
Medical and Other Useful Supplies
- Antibiotic ointment
- Scissors
- Aspirin or Tylenol
- Needles and thread
- Syrup of ipecac
- Safety pins
- Benadryl
- Thermometer
- Prescription drugs such as Insulin or heart medication
- Water purification tablets
- Nose Drops
- Petroleum Jelly
- Eye drops
- Soap
- Adhesive tape
- 2 inch Splints
- Bandages in assorted sizes
- Cold packs
- Cotton swabs
- Solar Blanket
- Sterile bandages
- Sanitary napkins
- Ace bandage
- Baking soda
- Butterfly bandages
- First Aid book
- Gauze pads
- Toilet paper
Car Mini-Survival Kit
- Solar Blanket (one for each family member)
- Water
- First Aid supplies
- Car fire extinguisher
- Comfortable shoes
- Flares
- Leather-palmed gloves
- Pre-moistened towelettes
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Zip-lock type plastic bags
- Critical medication
- Change for pay phones
- Non-perishable food such as nuts, dried fruits
- Beef jerky, crackers, cookies, high protein bars, etc.
At-Work Survival Kit
- Small First Aid kit Purse or pocket flashlight
- Critical medication Battery-powered radio
- Comfortable shoes Solar blanket
- Small packs of nuts, dried fruit, etc.
These are partial listings. Your kit can be personalize to meet your particular needs. For more information on emergency supply kits contact Police and Parking Services
It’s advantageous to take a course in First Aid and CPR
Fire
- Upon discovering a fire, close the door to the room where the fire is located and immediately sound the building fire alarm. Note the location of the fire alarm closest to your work station.
- Next, call Police Services at 911 or x42143. Give your name, department, and the location of the fire. Do not hang up until the police dispatcher tell you to do so.
- If the fire is small, you may wish to fight it with a fire extinguisher. If you can’t extinguish the fire within 30 seconds, close off the area and evacuate. Perform steps 1 and 2 and then be sure you are using the proper extinguisher for the type of fire you are fighting. If you are not sure, read the instructions on the extinguisher.
- If the fire is large, very smoky, or rapid-spreading, evacuate the building immediately. Close doors as you go. Do not open any door which is hot to the touch. Do not enter any space that there is not a clear, breathable path (unless you have no choice). This path may be low on the floor. Inform others in the building who may not have responded to the alarm to evacuate immediately. The alarm may not sound continuously. If the alarm stops, continue to evacuate. Warn others who may enter the building after the alarm stops.
- If time permits, take purses and lock files and close office doors before leaving. Walk, do not run, to the nearest stairway exit. If you have mobility impairment, request assistance, proceed to the nearest stairway landing, shout for help, and wait there until help arrives. Consultation about these procedures is available from the Disability Resource Center.
- When fire alarms sound, do not use elevators. An elevator may become inoperative and a trap. Give assistance to (help carry, if necessary) all disabled persons in using the stairs. See section on Evacuation of Disabled.
- Evacuate to a distance of at least 500 feet from the building and stay out of the way of emergency personnel. Do not return to the building until instructed that it is safe to do so.
- Notify either police personnel or firefighters on the scene if you suspect someone may be trapped inside the building.
- Note the location of the nearest fire extinguisher.