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Emergency Management

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  1. POLICY

    The purpose of this policy is to provide the framework for Salt Lake Community College to protect the lives and property of its students, faculty, staff and guests in the event of a major disruption, large scale emergency or disaster. College emergency management efforts follow the fundamentals, best practices and mandates established by the local, state and federal emergency management agencies.

  2. REFERENCES
    1. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121.
    2. Emergency Management, Disaster Response and Recovery Act, U.C.A. §§ 53-2a-201—1305
  3. DEFINITIONS
    1. Action Plan: The plan prepared in the EOC containing the emergency response objectives, overall priorities, and supporting activities for a designated period.
    2. All Hazards Approach: Dealing with all types of emergencies/disasters/situations that may impact the college and communities and the environment using the same set of management arrangements and includes both natural and man-made hazards.
    3. Declaration: The formal action by the President of the United States to make a state eligible for major disaster or emergency assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, PL 3-288, (the Stafford Act).
    4. Delegation of Authority: The president of SLCC delegates authority during their absence from campus, including management of the disaster declaration process. While it may not be necessary to have an actual written authority during a crisis, it is essential that units know who holds the authority to make decisions or sign official documents.
    5. Emergency: Any event that disrupts normal college operations such as, but not limited to: fires, floods, storms, power outages, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents, and acts of violence, terrorist threats and other potential disasters resulting in circumstances and creating demands requiring an extra ordinary response capability at Salt Lake Community College.
    6. Emergency Operations Center (EOC): A location from which centralized emergency management can be performed. EOC facilities are established to be the center of all information, communication and coordination.
    7. Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): The comprehensive set of plans, lists and documents that define succession of authority, group assignments, and response plans.
    8. Incident Command Post (ICP): The locations at which the Incident Command System (ICS) functions are executed.
    9. Incident Command System (ICS): The system by which all professional first responding agencies in the State of Utah respond to an emergency. It establishes a universal language, training, and hierarchy.
    10. Salt Lake Community Colleges policies and procedures: Policies and procedures already in place to support emergency functions.
  4. PROCEDURES
    1. Background
      1. The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is the cornerstone of emergency management at SLCC. The SLCC EOP is a culmination of input from college professionals.
      2. The planning process involves an all-hazard, multidisciplinary approach and includes procedures for mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.
      3. A critical section of the EOP is the Business Continuity Plan (BCP); a plan created by each department that delineates the process and individuals needed to restore the college to operational status following a disruptive event.
      4. Considering that SLCC includes several campus sites that span 21 square miles across the valley and interact with multiple, different public safety jurisdictions, the college must develop a cohesive foundation to manage emergencies that can fulfill the necessities at each location.
      5. These unique characteristics also create the need for flexibility and creativity when considering the different methods for ensuring public safety during extraordinary events. The EOP follows the pattern by which emergency operations are initiated:
    2. Declaration of Disaster
      1. A declaration of disaster is an official designation intended to communicate to the college, as well as to state and local officials, that the college’s normal functions and operations are interrupted and our resources are unable to meet demands resulting from the event.
      2. Only the president or designee is authorized to issue a disaster declaration. It must exist in written form and be communicated publicly.
      3. A disaster declaration officially establishes the ability to request and receive resources from surrounding jurisdictions.
    3. Delegation of Authority
      1. The president delegates authority during their absence from campus, including management of the disaster declaration process.
      2. While it may not be necessary to have an actual written authority during a crisis, it is essential that units know who holds the authority to make decisions or sign official documents, and who their alternate is.
    4. Activation of The Emergency Operations Plan

      The Emergency Operations Plan is activated two ways:

      1. The EOP can be activated automatically. Should any of the campuses experience significant ground shaking due to an earthquake, members of the emergency management team shall respond according to the procedures defined in the EOP.
      2. The executive director of Public Safety or designee shall notify the vice president for Finance and Administration of a given emergency or potential disaster and advise activation of the EOP.
    5. College Closure
      1. The president of the college or designee is the sole individual with the authority to direct the closure of a college campus.
      2. Closure of the college during normal operational hours may be necessary although closure is expected to be infrequent.
      3. It has been SLCC’s long standing policy to remain open whenever possible. Critical service levels and facilities may continue to be operated, maintained or expand as appropriate.
    6. Timely Notifications

      When closure of the college during normal operational hours is directed or an emergency warrants it, the following procedures should be instituted to notify SLCC employees and students:

      1. Advisories and notifications are timely. Notification of any activity on or near any college site where the threat is NOT immediate or life-threatening is at the discretion of the president or designee.
      2. College alerts are only issued if there is an imminent threat to the lives, safety, and property of the general college population.
      3. Although almost all power outages are not life threatening, if the president or designee finds it necessary, a college alert will be sent out if a power outage lasts or is expected to last an inordinate amount of time.

Date of last cabinet review: April 29, 2014

The originator of this policy & procedure is the executive director of Public Safety. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4571.