ACTIVE SHOOTER
- Determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life and call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so.
- RUN. Evacuate if you can (this may be your best chance for survival.) Have an escape route in mind. Leave valuables behind and keep hands visible.
- HIDE in an area outside of the shooter’s view. Block entry to your hiding place and lock doors. Barricade if possible. Turn off lights and silence electronic devices.
- FIGHT as a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger. Attempt to incapacitate the shooter. Act with physical aggression.
BOMB THREAT/EXPLOSION
- Call 911
- Do not use cellular phones or two-way radios.
- Do NOT activate the fire alarm system to evacuate.
- Shelter in place or evacuate the building as directed.
- Do not re-enter the building until cleared by authorized personnel.
- Untrained persons should not try to rescue people who are inside a collapsed building. Wait for emergency personnel.
- Take note of details such as odors, number of explosions, etc.
EARTHQUAKE
If Indoors:
- Drop to the ground; take cover by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and hold on until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
- Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.
- Stay in bed if that’s where you are when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
- Do not use a doorway except if you know it is a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway that is close to you. Many outside doorways are lightly constructed and do not offer protection.
- Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Do not exit a building during the shaking. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
- Do not use elevators.
- Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.
If Outdoors:
- Stay there.
- Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
- Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls.
If in a Moving Vehicle:
- Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires.
- Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.
EVACUATIONS
Before an Emergency Requiring Evacuation
In advance, locate the nearest exit from your work location and determine the route you will follow to reach that exit in an emergency. Establish an alternate route to be used in the event your route is blocked or unsafe.
During an Evacuation
Only if time and conditions permit, log out and lock your computer, secure your workplace, and take your important personal items that are easily accessible – such as car keys, purse, medication, and glasses.
Read and understand the following steps:
- Follow instructions from emergency personnel.
- Check doors for heat before opening and if the door is hot, DO NOT open it.
- Walk, DO NOT run, push, or crowd. Use handrails in stairwells and stay to the right.
- Keep noise to a minimum so you can hear emergency instructions.
- Assist people with disabilities.
- Unless otherwise instructed, move quickly away from the building towards an assembly point.
- Watch for falling glass and other debris.
- Keep roadways and walkways clear for emergency vehicles.
- If you have relocated away from the building, DO NOT return until notified that it is safe.
FIRE
- Activate the nearest fire alarm if not already activated and call 911 if possible. If there are no fire alarms, knock on doors and yell “fire” as you exit the building.
- Evacuate the building. Do not use elevators!
- Feel closed doors with the back of your hand. Do not open if doors are hot.
- Move well away from the building when evacuating and assemble at designated assembly areas.
- Do not re-enter the building until cleared by authorized personnel.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
- If an emergency develops or if anyone is in danger, call 911 immediately, and notify campus security after.
- Move away from the site of the hazard to a safe location (upwind if possible).
- Follow the instructions of emergency personnel.
- Alert others to stay clear of the area.
- Notify emergency personnel if you have been exposed to the hazard or have information about its release.
HIGH WIND/TORNADO
- If a high wind/tornado warning is received, seek shelter immediately in an area that is in an interior hallway or room; at the lowest level in the building; and/or an area free of windows or glass.
- Protect your body from flying debris with furniture and/or sturdy equipment.
- Use your arms to protect your head and neck.
- Follow instructions given by university staff, emergency personnel, and the Mass Notification System messages.
LIGHTNING
- Lightning is a significant threat to safety in Florida; use prudence and common sense to ensure safety. Immediately go indoors when lightning is seen, and avoid high risk areas such as open fields.
- If you or someone you know is struck by lightning, call 911 for immediate emergency response. Cell phones are safe to use.
- Move the victim to a safer location if still in a high risk area.
- Lightning may cause heart attacks, so check for pulse and breathing
- If trained to do so, begin resuscitation procedures until medical help arrives.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
- Call 911.
- Render first aid or CPR only if you are trained to do so.
- Do not leave the injured person.
- Comfort the victim.
- Assign someone, or be prepared to flag down responding emergency service providers.
POWER FAILURE
- Remain calm. Provide assistance to others if necessary.
- Move cautiously to a lighted area. Exits may be indicated by lighted signs if the emergency power is operating.
- If asked to evacuate the building by emergency personnel, exit as calmly and carefully as possible.
- Do not re-enter the building until instructed by authorities.
SHELTER-IN-PLACE
- Remain calm.
- Immediately seek shelter inside the closest sturdy building. Do not wait until you physically see a tornado or severe weather event to react.
- Resist the temptation to go outside and check the weather conditions yourself.
- Once inside, stay away from windows, glass, and unsecured objects that may fall.
- Seek shelter in interior rooms and corridors.
- Avoid large free-standing expanses such as auditoriums and gymnasiums.
- DO NOT use elevators. Await further instruction from emergency personnel.
- DO NOT leave until an “All Clear” is received.
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE
- Do not touch or disturb the object.
- Do not use cellular phones or two-way radios.
- Inquire to others about who it belongs to, how long at location, etc.
- Call Campus Security and advise of circumstances leading to suspicion.
- Notify your supervisor or instructor.
- Be prepared to evacuate and take personal belongings with you.
SUSPICIOUS PERSON
- Do not physically confront the person.
- Do not let any suspicious person into a locked building/office.
- Do not block the person’s access to an exit.
- Call Campus Security to report. Call 911 if viewed as an emergency. Provide as much information as possible about the person and his/her direction of travel.
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
- Southwest Florida is home to an abundant population of native wildlife species that include alligators, wild boar, black bear, panthers, bobcats, and venomous snakes.
- If you encounter dangerous wildlife, do not panic; keep a safe distance away and allow it to retreat.
- Avoid contact; do not attempt to catch, touch, feed, or disturb the wildlife in any way.
- Feeding or harassing alligators in Florida is a crime enforceable by law.
- If you do encounter dangerous wildlife on campus, report your findings to AMU Campus Security immediately.
- If you are bitten, injured, or in immediate danger, call 911 for emergency response and notify Campus Security when safe to do so.
