Emergency Operations Plan

Webster University is a global, Tier 1, independent, nonprofit university based in Webster Groves, Missouri with a large number of domestic and international extended campuses worldwide. The global University community includes around 13,000 students supported by numerous faculty, staff and administrators located at campuses around the world and working together to provide a wide range of distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs in five schools and colleges.

Like any large institution, it is essential for institutions of higher education to prepare for a wide variety of emergency and crisis situations, which could threaten the safety of their community and/or disrupt their daily operations and services. In response to these potential threats, Webster University has developed the following Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) outlining the University’s plans and procedures for emergency prevention/mitigation and response.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this EOP is to establish institutional policies and procedures which will guide Webster University’s response to crisis or emergency situations which may affect the safety and wellbeing of the University’s students, faculty, staff or property. The EOP also documents preventative measures the University has taken to mitigate the threat of possible future emergencies — with an understanding that no amount of preparation can eliminate risk entirely.

Scope

The EOP outlines Webster University’s emergency management approach, teams and procedures and provides the University community members without specific emergency management roles with important general information about various aspects of the University’s emergency response procedures and protocol. The appendix includes general information regarding emergency response principles and approaches. The EOP also contains a number of annexes which provide guidance for responding to specific types of crises or emergencies.

Additional annexes related to particular buildings, departments, classes, study abroad or other campuses may be developed and added to the EOP at a later date.

Objectives

Establishing basic organizational and operational roles and related procedures for University personnel/departments to prepare for or respond to emergencies which threaten the safety or wellbeing of the University’s students, faculty or staff, or property controlled, leased or owned by the University.

Articulating clear command and control mechanisms that can assist the University in securing and/or committing appropriate resources in an effort to minimize the impact of any emergency on the members of the University community, University property and the University’s normal business operations.

Increasing the student, faculty and staff’s awareness of the key emergency response concepts of prevention, intervention, and response because effective preventative measures can reduce the necessity/scope of intervention and response.

Preparing general guidance for use by University personnel/departments in responding to specific types of crises and emergencies with an understanding that this guidance must always be supplemented or modified by additional measures depending on the specific circumstances.

Situation

Every institution of higher education has its own set of unique features and challenges which have implications for crisis and emergency response procedures. This EOP has been developed with an understanding of the following unique features and challenges associated with Webster University.

Webster Groves Campus:

Webster University’s main campus is situated on approximately 47 acres and is located within the suburban municipality of Webster Groves in St. Louis County, Missouri. The campus includes a mixture of historic and modern academic/administrative buildings, a University Center with a pool, and a library. Many of these facilities are open to the public during regular business hours. Two local community arts organizations (the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Reperatory Theatre) also use space on campus and frequently hold events on site after normal business hours. The Webster Groves campus is immediately adjacent to a private high school, Nerinx Hall, and the public Webster Groves High School is also located nearby. On any given day, there are thousands of people studying, working, visiting and/or living on the Webster Groves campus.

Most students commute to campus, though over 800 students reside on campus in one of three residence halls and or an apartment complex consisting of seven separate buildings. One residence hall is in a building adjacent to administrative and academic space. The other two residence halls are more modern buildings, which are located near the on-campus apartment buildings. The University also maintains agreements to sublease additional apartments to students in buildings located less than a mile from campus. Those apartment buildings are managed by the property owners, but the University regularly patrols and responds to requests for service from students residing in these apartments. Additionally, the University maintains an agreement to lease one housing unit, North Hall, located on the property of Eden Seminary.

The State of Missouri is vulnerable to certain potentially significant natural disasters based on its geographic location — such as an earthquake, flood or severe weather.

St. Louis Metropolitan Campuses

Webster University’s main campus is in Webster Groves, Missouri. The University maintains additional campuses in the St. Louis metropolitan area at Westport, Gateway, Southwestern Illinois College and Scott Air Force Base.

Extended Campuses

Webster University also currently operates a variety of extended campuses located across the United States, Europe and Asia. The extended campuses located in the U.S. are exclusively commuter campuses and are located primarily in office/retail space or on military bases. The international extended campuses are typically larger, consist of more than one building, and either offer limited student housing directly on site or offer students the option to sublease housing from the University somewhere nearby in the same metropolitan region. Each of Webster University’s extended campuses is vulnerable to potentially significant natural disasters specific to those geographic locations.

Frequent Changes to Campus Communities

The members of Webster University’s campus community frequently change through the employment of adjunct faculty and the availability of nine-week courses. Students attending class in the metropolitan St. Louis region may also enroll in courses in more than one regional campus throughout their time with the University.

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety and its director are located on the Webster Groves campus. Department personnel and other administrators and employees located on this campus are capable of, and experienced in, handling many types of small-scale crises. While all Public Safety officers receive training in certain emergency response techniques, the department is not a sworn law enforcement agency, and its personnel are unarmed. Like many institutions, the University must rely on local emergency responders for large scale crises and emergencies.

Security and Emergency Management at Extended Campuses

None of Webster University’s extended campuses have separate Public Safety departments, although a handful of campuses contract with third parties for limited on site security services. The Department of Public Safety and its director support the extended campuses with certain day to day security and emergency matters and offer additional resources or assistance as requested by campus directors.

General Assumptions

This EOP has been developed with the following underlying assumptions related to emergencies which may affect Webster University:

• Emergencies can occur at any time of the day or night, on any day of the week or on a holiday.
• Some crises or emergency situations develop slowly — allowing for advance warning and an opportunity to implement certain preparedness measures, while others occur without any warning at all.
• The succession of events in an actual emergency is always unpredictable, and any general guidance provided in an EOP will necessarily need to be supplemented and/or modified in response to the situation at hand.
• Small scale crises always have the potential to develop into a large-scale emergencies or disasters.
• Large-scale emergencies or disasters which affect the broader community surrounding one of the University’s campuses are likely to result in delayed assistance from local or federal emergency responders. Webster University should be prepared to function independently (i.e., without outside support) for at least 72 hours in accordance with local, state and federal recommendations and guidelines.
• Many crises or emergencies will require the installation of a command center. Command centers must include an established chain of command that will direct and coordinate activities and responses to the situation and should be equipped with appropriate communications ability.

Like all institutions, Webster University is vulnerable to many different types of crises or emergencies. A list of possible crises or emergencies appears below. Some of these types of incidents are addressed in the annexes to the EOP, while others should be responded to using general principles contained in this EOP.

Assessment of Potential Crises/Emergencies

• Abduction of a campus community member
• Active shooter
• Aggravated assault
• Bomb threat
• Campus protests/demonstration
• Classroom disruption
• Death of a student, faculty or staff member (which may be the result of an accidental death, homicide or suicide)
• Earthquake
• Explosion
• Fire
• Gymnasium-based or outdoor event accident
• Hazardous materials incident related to materials stored/used/produced on campus (e.g., science lab, cleaning supplies, art class or swimming pool)
• Hazardous materials incident related to materials stored/used/produced campus or transported through or nearby campus via highway or rail
• International political turmoil
• Missing person reports
• Outbreak of an infectious disease
• Terrorist threats/other threats of violence
• Transportation accident
• Severe weather

This EOP been developed in accordance with the following nationally recognized emergency management approaches.

All Hazards Approach

Plans developed with an all-hazards approach identify potential threats, assess an institution’s vulnerabilities and analyze the potential impact of these threats on the institution. This approach recognizes that it is impossible to articulate specific responses tailored to each type of crisis that might affect an institution.

However, it considers that all emergency situations typically require immediate initial steps or responses, and because these situations are unpredictable and may take place when key staff is not immediately available — an EOP developed with an all-hazards approach provides general guidance for initial steps for response to a variety of crisis situations. An all-hazards approach works cooperatively with other institutional plans and procedures often found in department-specific protocols such as the Department of Public Safety’s Standard Operating Procedures.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Missouri and St. Louis County Emergency Management authorities, as well as many other college and universities across the country also utilize an all-hazards approach to emergency management.

Incident Command System

Plans which include the use of an Incident Command System (ICS) focus on three major incident priorities: life safety (i.e., the safety of the public and emergency responders), incident stability (i.e., how to minimize the effect the incident may have on the surrounding community) and property conservation (i.e., minimizing damage to property while achieving incident objectives). An ICS approach assigns roles and responsibilities to certain University faculty and staff (and in some cases students), but also empowers these individuals to respond in ways beyond the scope of their assigned roles. An ICS approach can be used to effectively manage both emergency and non-emergency incidents such as large-scale celebrations or events, and its flexibility allows it to be used for incidents of varying sizes based on current needs.

Another benefit of utilizing ICS is that it allows both University personnel from outside the main Webster Groves campus, and personnel from outside local or federal agencies to be rapidly incorporated into a common management structure. This supports a seamless transfer of command in the event that University personnel is supplemented by local or federal responders.

Under the EOP, any time local or federal emergency response authorities are involved in a crisis affecting Webster University, the command of the incident will be turned over to those authorities under ICS, and University personnel will concentrate on the safety of the campus community and University property, while offering support to the commanding local or federal responder as requested.

Standard ICS management titles and associated functions adopted by this EOP include:

• Command/Management: Sets objectives and priorities and has overall responsibility at the incident or event.
• Incident Commander: Responsible for all functions of Command/Management. In a limited incident, the Incident Commander and one or two individuals may perform all In a larger emergency situation, each function may be assigned to a separate individual.
• Operations: Primarily responsible for developing the operations portion of the EOC action plan; assigns personnel in accordance with the action plans; supervises operations and determining the need for additional resources.
• Planning: Responsible for collecting, evaluating and disseminating information related to the crisis and for the preparation and documentation of EOC action plans. This team also maintains information on the current and forecasted situation related to the emergency.
• Logistics: Responsible for providing service and support, supplies, equipment, personnel and other resources. This team is responsible for communication, maintenance, facilities, supplies and HR.
• Finance/Administration: Responsible for any accounting, procurement, time recording and cost analysis related to responding to the crisis.

In accordance with an ICS approach, the University’s emergency response will incorporate the following ICS principles:

• Common Terminology: is used for organizational elements, position titles, resources and facilities in order to facilitate communication among personnel from different emergency services, agencies and jurisdictions.
• Emergency Operations Center: Overall management of the event is centralized in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in an effort to bring together all relevant information about the crisis, organize that information and facilitate the coordination of resources needed to respond to the emergency. The EOC should be located far enough away from the affected area so as not to interfere with the Incident Command Post yet close enough to easily obtain information. The EOC should have multiple forms of communication available, be capable of 24-hour operations and be secure from unauthorized access.
• Unified Command Structure: Even though an incident command operation is a temporary organization, every individual with a role in the command operation is assigned a designated supervisor and the defined chain of command ensures an orderly line of authority within the organization.
• Modular Organization: Organization of the emergency response will be based on the type and size of the incident. Responsibility is top down and can expand as needed.
• Manageable Span of Control: This refers to the number of individuals one supervisor can realistically If a supervisor is supervising fewer than three subordinates or more than seven, the existing organization structure should be reviewed.
• Integrated Communications: This includes synchronizing communications systems used throughout the university/college; interfacing disparate communications as effectively as possible; planning for the use of all available systems and frequencies; and requiring the use of clear text in communications.
• Accountability: A resource unit is used to track personnel and equipment, keeping an activity log, ensuring each person has a single supervisor, check in-out procedures and preparing assignment lists.
• Incident Action Plans: These plans are intended to provide supervisory personnel in the command operation a common understanding of the situation and direction for future action. The plans also include a statement of objectives, organization description, assignments and support material such as maps. An Incident Briefing Form may be used on smaller incidents. Written plans are desirable when two or more jurisdictions are involved, when state and/or federal agencies are assisting local response personnel, or there has been significant turnover in the incident staff.

This EOP is intended to assist the University in maintaining an adequate state of readiness — a key principle of effective emergency management. Specifically, the EOP has been developed to support a two-fold state of readiness — meaning that it addresses broad mitigation and preparedness measures, and also includes specific steps that should be taken any time information is received which suggests a certain type of crisis or emergency situation is imminent.

This section outlines specific responsibilities of certain departments and current department leaders related to emergency preparedness measures. If any of the department leaders leaves the University, their responsibilities will be assigned to any interim or replacement personnel.

Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management (Rick Gerger)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Identifying the process and develop procedures for checking critical DPS facilities and equipment; including system tests.
• Developing procedure for mobilizing DPS personnel and pre-positioning resources and equipment.
• Developing a process for managing incidents at the field level using ICS.
• Developing a process for communicating with and directing the dispatch center, including Emergency Contact list.
• Ensuring that any hazardous materials are consistent with the Department of Natural Resources.
• Developing procedures to disseminate warnings, emergency public information and instructions to campus community.
• Developing procedures for responding to and managing specific types of incidents.

Facilities Operations (Gil Morales)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Checking critical facilities and equipment.
• Mobilizing personnel and pre-positioning resources and equipment in the event of an emergency.
• Ensuring adequate fuel supply, emergency power and emergency transportation.
• Responding to fires, explosions, hazmat incidents, structural emergencies, extreme weather or storm conditions.
• Debris removal operations.
• Repairing/restoring any damaged facilities, utility systems and infrastructure.
• Requesting any necessary public works mutual aid including private contractor’s local government.

Administrative Services (Jeanene George)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Procuring emergency resources to sustain operations.
• Documenting the financial cost of crisis response and recovery operations.
• Recovery operations.

Dean of Students Office (John Buck)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Assisting Facilities with checking Student Affairs facilities and equipment.
• Mobilizing student affairs personnel and pre-positioning of resources and equipment.

Housing and Residential Life (Rachael Amick)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Assisting Facilities with checking residential facilities and equipment.
• Mobilizing Residence Life personnel and pre-positioning resources.
• Responding to emergencies that affect student housing in collaboration with Public Safety.
• Coordination of campus housing operations including possible temporary housing.
• Communicating information to displaced residence students, parents.

Information Technology (Greg Malone)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Checking critical IT facilities and equipment.
• Maintaining the operation of voice, intranet, data, video and wireless communication in the event of an emergency and implementing implement backup controls.
• Documenting all hardware and its configuration in connection with developing a plan for any necessary hardware replacement and setup.
• Developing adequate security controls.
• Maintaining a records management plan that duplicates data on a regular basis and secures this information at a remote location.
• Identifying IT resources required to facilitate the emergency operations of all departments.
• Temporary deployment of telephones, computers, and networking facilities.

Student Health Services (John Buck)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Checking adequacy of Health Service supplies and equipment.
• Mobilizing Health Services personnel.
• Assessing the need for mutual aid.
• Assisting in developing procedures for triage sites.
• Responding to disease outbreak, incidents with multiple casualties and utility failure.

Dining Services (Octavio Pino)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Checking dining facilities and equipment.
• Mobilizing dining services personnel and pre-positioning resources.
• Maintaining a supply of food and beverages.
• Temporary meal service for residence students and emergency responders.
• Ensuring dining staff are always available.

Global Marketing and Communication

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Identifying and training staff who can serve as a public information officer or University spokesperson in the event of an emergency.
• Coordinating the dissemination of information to the press and the public.
• Coordinating rumor control.

Counseling and Life Development (Patrick Stack)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Providing emergency psychological crisis intervention services to students, faculty and staff.
• Responding to institutional request for crisis intervention by coordinating and mobilizing volunteer counseling personnel for on-site services.
• Planning for and providing on-site triage, individual and group interventions and making referrals for more specialized follow up care.
• Maintaining a list of University and community resources.
• Meet annually with liaison personnel and engage periodically in training and simulation exercises.

Human Resources (Cheryl Fritz)

Developing and updating departmental policies or procedures related to:

• Maintaining the continuity of payroll processing services in conjunction with the Finance and Administration Department.
• Maintaining the continuity of Employee Benefits.
• Providing services for employees in conjunction with Counseling and Life Development.
• Assessing faculty and staff availability in a post disaster and assist with appropriating necessary personnel.

As outlined in the previous section of the EOP, departments throughout the University are responsible for maintaining their own official or unofficial policies and procedures related to responding to emergency operations. Many of these departments have also developed procedures to deal with frequently encountered incidents (e.g., Public Safety’s procedures for responding to reports of a crime, Counseling and Life Development’s procedures for responding to students in emotional distress, and Housing and Residential Life’s policies and procedures for responding to certain types of events which frequently occur in student housing facilities.) These separate departmental procedures provide their personnel with procedures for immediate responses, and the EOP is intended to incorporate these disparate plans into a larger, coordinated University emergency response.

Understandably, primary responsibility for responding to a crisis or emergency initially rests with an individual from the department with the most appropriate knowledge and skillset, which is why the individual with primary responsibility for an emergency function is normally responsible for developing or maintaining the policies and procedures specific to that function. Personnel from other departments may be assigned or requested as needed to support responsibilities those departmental responses.

While the majority of the University’s faculty and staff do not typically have specific responsibilities related to emergency management or response, the nature of many crises or emergencies is such that they are often first observed by or reported to faculty or staff. As such, any time a faculty or staff member observes or learns of a possible emergency situation, they should immediately contact DPS at the emergency number: 314-968-6911.

Any time staff or faculty with any students or employees under their direction are aware of an emergency or possible emergency situation, those staff or faculty members are responsible for students or employees under their direction until: 1) the situation is resolved, 2) at risk individuals are in a safe location, or 3) other University personnel or local emergency responders with appropriate authority assume responsibility to the students or employees under their direction. It is essential that staff and faculty members receive basic emergency response training, familiarize themselves with the University’s basic emergency response protocol and nearby evacuation routes.

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is different from other University departments as it is primarily responsible for monitoring and responding to critical incidents, emergencies, and disasters that affect or threaten to affect the University. DPS operates on a continuous 24/7/365 basis and is always available to receive emergency communications from both internal and external sources. DPS officers and on call supervisors are trained to follow the department’s standard operating procedures in the event of an emergency, including notifying the director of any possible emergency situations.

Any time the director (or their designee) receives information about a possible emergency, he or she will activate select portions of the department’s standard operating procedures and EOP to the extent necessary to control the situation. If the crisis or emergency escalates such that the director (or their designee) believes full activation of the EOP is necessary, they will notify the president, who will decide whether or not to contact the president and activate the full EOP. Additional details regarding the specific protocol for activating a coordinated institutional emergency response is provided in the Section VII of the EOP.

If the director of Public Safety (or his designee) confirms that there is a critical incident or dangerous situation which poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, faculty or staff occurring on the campus, they will take the necessary steps to immediately notify the president (or their designee) and University leadership. Concurrently, the director of Public Safety (or their designee) will notify the campus community in the form of an emergency notification according to the department’s standard operating procedures.

As explained in the previous sections of the EOP, certain departments and personnel within the University are responsible for certain preparedness measures and handling the initial response to a potential critical incident or emergency. However, larger preparedness measures and institutional responses to emergencies or disasters require a clear and coordinated effort. To provide clear direction and facilitate this type of coordination, the University has established the following three teams of administrators and staff from across the institution and provided each team with certain responsibilities related to preparedness and emergency response.

Crisis Management Team

The Crisis Management Team (CMT) is responsible for approving major policies and expenditures related to emergency management and response. This includes policies and expenditures related to planning and preparation activities prior to an incident, as well as short- and long-term recovery from an incident, including the restoration of normal business operations.

The Crisis Management Team is comprised of the University’s chancellor’s cabinet.¹ In the event of an emergency, the president has the authority to add additional temporary members to the CMT as needed.

Certain members of the CMT have additional specific responsibilities related to emergency preparedness and response which are outlined in section VI of the EOP. The CMT’s shared responsibilities include the following:

• Final approval of the University’s EOP and any related major policy decisions.
• Allocation and direct distribution of resources required to reduce identified vulnerabilities and accomplish the purposes of this EOP.
• Requesting emergency response resources from vendors or local emergency responders that are unavailable internally.
• Identifying critical business functions that must quickly be restored and maintained in the event of an emergency.
• Determining what long-term (i.e., greater than 30 days) effects a large-scale emergency or crisis may have on the University and how these can best be managed.
• In the event of an active crisis or emergency, the CMT will participate in joint briefings with the Incident Commander.
• Monitoring the recovery process after a large-scale emergency or crisis to ensure the recovery is proceeding according to plan and providing associated guidance/assistance as needed.

The CMT is only directly involved in the stabilization of an emergency if major expenditures or policy decisions are involved. If the CMT is needed to assist with incident stabilization, the team members will be notified by University president or their designee as soon as practical and all members will be required to report in person to the president’s conference room, 360 Loretto Hall. In the event that the president’s conference room is not available, an alternate location will be designated.

Crisis Management Planning Team

The Crisis Management Planning Team (CMPT) is responsible for the development of the EOP and certain other emergency preparedness measures and plans. The CMPT is led by the director of Public Safety and the remaining members are appointed by the University president. Like the CMT, certain members of the CMPT also have specific responsibilities related to emergency preparedness and response which are outlined in Section VI of the EOP.

The CMPT’s shared responsibilities include:

• Developing incident action plans to address certain types of critical incidents or emergencies.
• Assisting with the development of department or building specific emergency plans.
• Planning and implementing emergency preparedness/risk mitigation measures.
• Coordinating and conducting emergency response training, drills and exercises.
• Being on call to assist as needed in the management of an active crisis or emergency.

Crisis Management Response Team

The Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT) is responsible for the execution of the EOP in the event of an actual crisis or emergency. The CMRT is led by the director of Public Safety and its remaining primary members are appointed by the University president.

The University president typically appoints CMRT members from the following departments or functional areas:

• Director of Facilities
• Director of Student Health Services
• Chief of Human Resources
• Director of Public Safety
• Dean of Students
• Associate dean of students and director of Housing and Residential Life
• Representative from Global Marketing and Communications
• Director of Counseling and Life Development
• Vice president for Information Technology
• Representative from Finance and Administration
• 1-2 full-time faculty members
• Director of the Loretto Hilton Center
• Dean of the Library
• General manager, Dining Services

Like the CMT and CMPT, certain members of the CMRT also have specific responsibilities related to emergency preparedness and response which are outlined in Section VI of the EOP. However, in the event of an actual emergency, it may not be necessary for all members of the CRMT to participate in the incident stabilization and recovery effort.

Each appointed member of the CMRT is responsible for identifying an alternate who can serve on the CMRT if the appointed member is unable to do so. Appointed members should submit their designated alternate to the Director of Public Safety. Each appointed member of the CMRT is also responsible for ensuring that their area or department has a crisis response plan as well as the necessary resources to execute those plans. Section IV of the EOP provides more detailed information regarding what types of emergency operations policies and procedures must be developed by certain key departments. All appointed and alternate members are also responsible for maintaining up to date knowledge of their area or department’s current emergency operations policies and procedures, as well as the University’s EOP.

1 The Chancellor’s Cabinet includes the following members of the University’s senior leadership team: president, vice president of Academic Affairs, vice president of Enrollment Management, chief financial officer, chief information officer, chief communications officer and the assistant chancellor/University secretary/senior privacy director.

This section of the EOP outlines the specific responsibilities of key University administrators and staff who serve on one or more of the University’s official emergency management/response teams.

University Chancellor

The University Chancellor is a member of the Crisis Management Team and has the following responsibilities whenever the president decides to activate the EOC,

• Shall serve as the liaison between the CMT and the Board of Trustees.
• Responsible for leading necessary high level community outreach and partnerships.

University President

The president serves as the chair of the Crisis Management Team. They (or their designee) is responsible for deciding whether or not to activate the EOC.

Any time the President (or their designee) decides to activate the EOC,

1. They will consider whether to implement the following measures:
   • Designate and direct the Incident Commander to assemble the appropriate personnel.
   • Assist the Incident Commander and Crisis Management Response Team with specific incident action plans.
   • Direct any necessary communications with faculty regarding an imminent or active emergency.
   • Oversee and direct any necessary short-term relocations of staff, faculty and/or students, and monitor the academic impacts of any imminent or active emergency.
2. Lead the CMT’s discussions related to the following areas:
   • Resources needed from outside the University.
   • Short- and long-term student housing and food services.
   • Financial and legal issues.
   • Policy interpretation.
   • Media interaction.
   • Political and social concern.
   • Prioritization of salvage operations.
   • Establishing a target date(s) for resumption of a limited academic schedule.
   • Requesting personnel to assist with the emotional support of staff, students and families affected by the incident.
   • Declare an end to the state of emergency and make a public announcement.
3. Order post-incident.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The CFO serves on the Crisis Management Team and is responsible for directing University personnel in the following areas of emergency response any time the EOC is activated:

• Financial management and emergency purchasing.
• Assigning clerical and administrative staff to assist in the EOC.
• Documenting the event in progress.
• Monitoring the situation for potential loss or other risk management duties and coordinate any necessary insurance requirements.
• Maintaining an accounting of actions, communications and directives taken or given throughout the response.

Chief Human Resources Officer

The chief human resources officer serves on the CMT and the CMRT. The chief human resources officer (or their designee) is also responsible for the following if the EOC is activated:

• Serving as the University’s liaison with local law enforcement in the event that any information regarding University employees is requested.
• Ensuring appropriate personnel contact family members of employees, if needed, to communicate information regarding injuries or death.

Chief Communications Officer

The chief communications officer serves on the CMT and the CMRT. The chief communications officer (or their designee) is also responsible for the following if the EOC is activated:

• Leading the CMT in drafting a public relations plan.
• Designating a staff member to serve as public information officer and respond to media inquiries.
• Overseeing the preparation of any necessary statements to the public or campus community.
• Directing the establishment of any needed phone banks, assign staff to the phone bank and provide any necessary training and information to the phone bank staff.
• Arrange briefings for the Crisis Management Response Team at the scene.
• Planning any needed news conferences.
• Establishing electronic or alternative communication methods as needed.
• Directing personnel to photograph the scene if safe to do so.

Chief Information Officer

The chief information officer (or their designee) serves on the CMT and is responsible for the development of plans to backup current information technology systems in the event of an emergency. Whenever the EOC is activated, the chief information officer is also responsible for:

• Ensuring that communication lines, computer access and other services are available for use at the EOC and marshalling any additional technology resources requested by the CMRT or Incident Commander.
• Developing a coordinated plan of response for matters related to Information Technology department and networking and technological services.

Vice President for Academic Affairs

The vice president for Academic Affairs serves on the CMT and has the primary responsibility of directing Student Affairs and Housing staff involved in any emergency response.

Whenever the EOC is activated, the vice president for Academic Affairs is also responsible for overseeing or monitoring:

• Medical attention and counseling.
• Any needed relocation of housing and communication for residential students.
• Dining services.
• Communications with affected students.
• Emergency travel needs and other personal finance issues for affected students.
• Any necessary salvage and/or storage of student-owned property.
• The overall effect of the incident on the student body.

The vice president for Academic Affairs (or their designee) is also responsible for the following in the event that the EOC is activated:

• Serving as the University’s liaison with local law enforcement in the event that any information regarding students is requested.
• Ensuring appropriate personnel contact family members of students, if needed, to communicate information regarding injuries or death.

Facilities Manager

The facilities manager serves on the CMPT. If the EOC is activated, the facilities manager (or their designee) is also responsible for the following:

• Serving as the University’s liaison to outside agencies related to facilities management (e.g., local providers of gas, electricity, water, etc.).
• Assisting with portions of any necessary incident action plans related to facilities management.
• Providing the Incident Commander with information on any potential hazards within affected buildings and any related exposure, remedy and cleanup.
• Assisting with any needed surveys of affected facilities.
• Assisting with monitoring potentially hazardous or unsafe situations.

Director of Public Safety

The director of Public Safety serves on the CMPT and the CMRT. As noted previously, the director of Public Safety (or their designee) is responsible for immediately notifying the University president of any imminent or active emergency situations affecting campus. The director of Public Safety (or their designee) will be designated as the Incident Commander by the president if an EOC is activated.

When serving as incident commander, the director of Public Safety (or their designee) is responsible for assembling and directing the members of the CMRT and support staff who will serve as incident command staff.

The director of Public Safety is also responsible for:

• Ensuring the necessary local or federal emergency responders have been contacted.
• Initiating appropriate response protocols for University personnel as needed under the EOP.
• Relinquishing incident command to appropriate responders and serving as the primary University liaison with any local or federal emergency responders.
• Reviewing/implementing safety measures for University emergency responders.
• Directing/supporting any necessary evacuations.
• Directing/assisting with the maintenance the security of any affected areas.
• Assisting with the preservation of anything of evidentiary value.
• Overseeing any necessary University investigations necessary after the incident has been stabilized.
• Coordinating any necessary disposal of hazardous materials.

Any time the Department of Public Safety is aware of an actual or potential crisis or emergency, the following individuals, departments, community members and outside agencies will be notified, using the following protocol, however these notifications may not necessarily be made in the order outlined below:

University President (Julian Schuster)

• After the director of Public Safety or their designee notifies the president about an active or potential crisis or emergency, the president will decide whether to activate the EOC and notify the Crisis Management Team (CMT).
• If the president determines it is necessary to convene a meeting of the CMT, they will notify the CMT and a liaison from the Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT) to meet at a pre-designated meeting location.

Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT)

• The director of Public Safety or their designee will notify some or all of the members of the CMRT regarding an active or potential crisis or emergency. The message will include:
  • Type of incident
  • Location to meet — EOC, Luhr Building room 101
• Members of the Crisis Response Team will be directed to respond to the designated EOC.

Building and Floor Captains

• The director of Public Safety or their designee will notify Building and Floor Captains in affected buildings via emergency text message about the actual or potential crisis or emergency. The message will include:
  • Type of incident.
  • Action to be taken (Evacuate, Seek Storm Shelter; Shelter in Place).
  • Additionally, “GO TO” and “AVOID“ may be used in the event normal response procedures would place personnel at risk.
  • Where to obtain further information and/or updates.

Webster Groves Police/Fire

• The Department of Public Safety will notify the Webster Groves Police/Fire Department and request assistance.
• DPS will also respond to the scene and initiate initial response procedures.

Campus Community

• When the director of Public Safety or their designee determines that an emergency notification should be issued, it will always be disseminated via text messages to phone numbers registered with the Webster Alerts system.
• The emergency notification may also be disseminated via additional, secondary methods of communication such as:
  • blast email to all students, faculty and staff affiliated with the Webster Groves campus who have “webster.edu” email address;
  • blast email to all addressed registered with the Webster Alerts system;
  • Twitter or Facebook; or
  • Broadcasting an audio message through all IP telephones on the Webster Groves.
• The emergency notification typically includes the following information (if known):
  • The nature of the emergency;
  • The action to be taken (e.g., Evacuate; Seek Storm Shelter; Shelter in Place);
  • Additionally, “GO TO” and “AVOID” may be used in the event normal response procedures would place personnel at risk; and
  • Where to obtain further information and/or updates on the emergency.

If the president determines a crisis or emergency will require an institutional response lasting longer than 24 hours, they will direct the director of Public Safety to activate the following institutional emergency response mechanisms and activities. This section of the EOP provides a high-level overview of those mechanisms and activities.

Incident Command Team

The director of Public Safety or their designee will act as Incident Commander and will identify the necessary members of the Incident Command Team. In addition to personnel from the University’s Department of Public Safety, the Incident Command Team may include members of the CMRT, emergency responders from local, state or federal agencies such as police, fire, EMS, hazmat teams and/or public health agencies. The Incident Command Team may also include members of the CMRT and other University personnel; however, depending on the type and severity of the crisis or emergency.

Emergency Operations Center

The Incident Command Team will operate out of an Emergency Operations Center which is typically be in the Luhr Building, room 101; however, alternate locations may be used at the discretion of the Incident Commander. Emergency response activities and work assignments will be planned, coordinated and delegated from the EOC.

Short-Term Response

Any emergency responders (e.g., DPS, Police, Fire or EMS) involved in responding to a serious crisis or emergency will operate according to Incident Command System (ICS) principles which depending on the nature of the emergency may include:

• Scene containment;
• Establishment of a "hot zone";
• Establishment of an inner perimeter;
• Establishment of an outer perimeter;
• Establishment of a command post;
• Establishment of a staging area;
• Dissemination of warnings, emergency public information and instructions to the University;
• Conducting evacuations and/or rescue operations;
• Caring for displaced persons and treating the injured;
• Conducting initial damage assessments and surveys;
• Assessing need for mutual aid assistance;
• Restricting movement of traffic/people and unnecessary access to affected areas;
• Establishing Unified Commands;
• Coordinating with state and federal agencies working in the field.

Long-Term Response

Extended emergency operations involve the coordination and management of personnel and resources to mitigate an emergency and facilitate the transition to recovery operations. Field response personnel will continue to use ICS to manage field operations. EOC staff will support field response personnel in mitigating the effects of the disaster.

When the EOC is activated, communications and coordination will be established between the Incident Commander(s) at the scene and the EOC. Multi-agency or inter-agency coordination will be used by EOC staff to facilitate decisions for overall local government level emergency response activities.

Incident Command Staff will be organized around the Emergency Management functions of Command/Management, Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics and Finance/Administration. These components and principles will be used by the EOC staff to manage disaster operations. EOC staff will establish measurable and attainable objectives to be achieved for a given operational period. An EOC action plan will be developed for each operational period.

Recovery

Recovery Operations may include rebuilding of the University will begin through various recovery activities such as restoring services to the campus community and rebuilding the affected area(s). Recovery activities may be both short-term and long-term, ranging from restoration of essential utilities such as water and power, to mitigation measures designed to prevent future occurrences of a given threat facing the University.

In order for any emergency plan to be effective, the institution must maintain a constant state of readiness to ensure the effective and orderly transition from routine activities to those associated with crisis/emergency situations. A planned program of training, drills and exercises for members of the response teams and employees and students of the campus is essential to maintaining an effective state of readiness and should be conducted through a variety of methods. Basic educational materials on emergency response are also included in the Appendix to this EOP.

General Training

Training and education programs should effectively train all members of the University on the EOP.

Training sessions should be conducted periodically throughout the year and may include classroom instructions, web instruction, as well as hands on practical training. Hands on practical training may consist of tabletop exercises, drills, functional and/or large-scale activities that will help prepare members of the University community to be better prepared to respond to a crisis or emergency.

In addition, training videos on personal protection, workplace violence, traveling safe abroad and active shooter response are available to all students and staff by downloading them to their connections page.

Drills and Exercises

Drills are relatively small-scale activities that are designed to focus on specific areas or specific sections of this plan. Drills are normally developed and evaluated by internal personnel. Drills allow for disruption so that a “do-over” can be initiated if the understanding of the participants is not at the desired level. The purpose of drills is to help acquire knowledge/skills.

Exercises are generally larger in scale and are formal events and are designed to be as close to ‘real-life’ as possible. They are typically not stopped or interrupted to make corrections except for safety concerns or real incidents that could impact the participants. The exercises have a debriefing and a critique at the conclusion. The purpose of exercises is to test the knowledge/skills of the participants.

General Training Objectives

• To assess and establish benchmarks for capabilities necessary to protect employees, students and visitors from the effects of a crisis or emergency situation;
• To enhance the ability to respond effectively to an actual occurrence of a crisis or emergency situation;
• To prepare the university community to help provide recovery in the aftermath of a crisis or situation; and
• To assess, improve and validate plans and assure preparedness.

Any time emergency responders order an evacuation of a building or give an instruction to shelter in place, the specific procedures may be affected by several factors such as the type of threat and the occupancy of the other buildings and areas of the campus at the time of the incident, etc.

This section of the EOP is intended to give general guidance on evacuation and sheltering in place (i.e., evacuating to safe place within a building). It also contains information regarding faculty/staff responsibilities in connection with evacuations, and evacuation procedures specifically designed for individuals with disabilities.

In some emergency situations (e.g., tornadoes, severe weather or chemical attacks) evacuation outside a building may not advisable, and individuals inside a building may be instructed to shelter in place. Many buildings on campus have signs indicating routes and locations to pre-designated safe areas. Students, staff and visitors that frequent areas on campus should take a couple of minutes to review these maps in the event of an emergency. If you are instructed to shelter in place in a building that does not have a posted sign with safe areas, you should move to a safe area within the building such as a bathroom or stairwells, or a lower-level area away from windows and doors.

In other emergency situations (e.g., fire, gas leak), individuals may be instructed to evacuate to a specific location outside and away from the building. Many buildings on campus have posted site specific maps, for the purpose of evacuation and relocation of people that are affected by the incident. These maps will identify evacuation routes and assembly areas outside the building.

Students, staff and visitors that frequent areas on campus should take a couple of minutes to review these maps in the event of an emergency. Faculty and staff should take a few moments at the beginning of the first class each semester to point out the map locations and to advise the class of where the safe area is, how to evacuate the building and where to assemble. If you need to evacuate a building without a posted emergency map, exit via any posted exit signs. If unable to leave the building, call Public Safety and give location and type of assistance needed.

Faculty should make an announcement at the beginning of class each semester regarding the procedures to take in an emergency situation. Students and employees with disabilities which may affect their ability to evacuate are strongly encouraged to discuss the type of additional assistance they may need with their instructors and/or supervisors, Human Resources or the Academic Resource Center. This type of advance planning will increase the likelihood that individuals will be able to exit the building safely in the event of an emergency. Certain general guidelines for assisting individuals with certain types of limited mobility is provided below.

Individuals Who Use Wheelchairs

The needs and preferences of individuals who use wheelchairs varies. Most individuals will be able to exit safely without assistance on the ground floor. Always consult the person as to their preference with regard to:

1. Ways of being removed from a wheelchair.
2. The number of people necessary for assistance.
3. Whether moving extremities is painful.
4. Whether a seat cushion should be brought along if removed from the chair.
5. Whether they should be carried forward or backward on a flight of stairs.

When an individual who uses a wheelchair need to evacuate a building from the first floor, they should proceed out of the building via the nearest exit or pre-designated evacuation route with the assistance of a pre-designated co-worker faculty member or student.

When an individual who uses a wheelchair needs to evacuate a building from a higher floor, and the elevator cannot be used, they should proceed to the stairwell with the assistance of a pre-designated co-worker, faculty member or student. Once the stairwell clears and the individual who uses a wheelchair can be navigated safely down the stairs, with or without assistance, they may proceed. If this is not feasible, a member of the staff, faculty or student in the class will be instructed by the staff or faculty member to notify emergency personnel outside the building. Faculty should not leave a student alone under any circumstances.

Individuals Using Crutches, Canes or Walkers

If the person is having difficulty exiting quickly, treat them as if injured for evacuation purposes. Carrying options include two-person, lock arm position or having the person sit in a chair with arms.

Individuals with Visual Impairments

Tell the person with the visual impairment the nature of the emergency and offer to guide them. As you walk, tell the person where you are and advise of any obstacles. Offer your arm as guidance. Do not grasp their arm.

Individuals with Hearing Impairments

Write a note telling what the emergency is and the nearest evacuation route/safe area. Tap the person on the shoulder or turn the light switch on and off to gain attention. Then indicate through gestures or in writing what is happening and what to do. Escort the person.

This annex includes high-level Incident Action Plans for the following types of crises or emergencies:

• Tornadoes
• Earthquake
• Fire
• Civil protests/demonstrations
• Bomb threat
• Explosion
• Hazardous materials incident
• Active shooter

Tornadoes usually occur during the spring and summer months, but may occur anytime, provided the conditions are right. Tornadoes can sweep through an area, causing severe damage and destruction, serious physical injury and death. They can change direction and strike again. Other potential hazards that can occur in the wake of a tornado may include, fire, electrical damage, structure damage and gas leaks.

There are two types of Tornado Alerts — watches and warnings:

Tornado Watch

A tornado watch is issued by the national weather service when weather conditions are considered favorable for creating a tornado. The issuance of a tornado watch indicates that individuals should remain alert to weather conditions.

Tornado Warning

A tornado warning is issued by the national weather service when a tornado funnel has been sighted or identified by radar. Whenever a tornado warning is issued, St. Louis County will activate a Tornado Warning System that utilizes exterior sirens. If the announcement is made that a tornado warning has been issued, a tornado has touched down, or we are in the path of a tornado, notifications will be made, and all personnel will move to the nearest designated safe area/shelter for that area.

Whenever a tornado warning is issued, individuals should take shelter immediately as tornadoes can and will move quickly. Because tornadoes can spring up at a moment’s notice, there may not be time for ample warning which is why it is recommended that if severe thunderstorms occur, individuals should be alert to the possibility of a tornado.

Tornado Procedures

• Remain calm.
• Go to an area of safety designated for the area you are in, if possible. If not, go to rooms and corridors in the innermost part of the Stay clear of windows, corridors with windows or large free-standing expanses. Do not use the elevators.
• Close all doors.
• Crouch near the floor.
• Stay alert for hazards in the aftermath of the tornado.

An earthquake safety plan is more than just developing a response plan, it is an ongoing plan that includes identifying hazards, conducting drills and developing plans to provide care and shelter to students, faculty and visitors until help arrives.

It is important to understand that most major earthquakes occur without warning. Possible consequences of an earthquake include: widespread damage, serious injury and/or death, fire, explosions and/or a release of toxic chemicals. It is possible that transportation, communications and other services will be interrupted. Given the possible consequences to the community resulting from an earthquake, outside medical, fire and police personnel will be extremely busy and probably will not be able to assist our campus for several hours or even days. The accepted rule is that we would have to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.

What to expect during an earthquake

There will be a gentle shaking or a violent jolt. Or you may hear a low rumbling sound. Shortly, you will really feel the shaking and it will be difficult to move around.

Earthquake Procedures

If indoors

• Stay indoors, remain where you are.
• Move away from the windows, shelves, and heavy objects.
• Take cover under a desk, table, or strong doorway.
• If unable to get to a designated safe area, move to an interior wall.
• Turn away from any windows, kneel alongside the wall, cover your head with elbows and clasp your hands behind your neck.
• Stay alert.

If outdoors

• Move to an open space.
• Stay away from telephone poles and power lines.
• Move away from buildings.
• Lie down or crouch low to the ground.
• Stay alert.

After the earthquake

• Do not light fires or smoke.
• Do not touch wires, and do not enter buildings until they have been checked.
• Evacuate the area via the evacuation routes posted for that area.
• Assemble at any designated assembly area and await further instructions from emergency personnel.
• Faculty and staff should make sure that everyone is accounted for.

Post-Earthquake Inspection Checklist Template

Purpose: This Earthquake Emergency Response Plan (EQERP) Template should be used to supplement or audit your existing emergency procedures, to ensure you have a documented plan in place for handling earthquakes with regards to minimizing property damage and resuming operations in the facility as soon as safely possible following the earthquake.

One would go through this checklist AFTER an earthquake, but the property manager and person who would be performing the functions of the checklist should become familiar with it BEFORE an earthquake, and review it annually.

Note:

1. Perform the inspections ONLY if it is safe to do so.
2. Any structural damage, unsecure electrical equipment, smell of gas, etc., require immediate evacuation until reentry of the facility has been authorized.
3. Response leader and team should familiarize themselves with this checklist prior to an earthquake, and perform the checks after an earthquake.

Sprinkler System

• Check for leaks at:
  • Risers
  • Cross mains
  • Branch lines
  • Sprinkles heads
• Immediately repair damaged sprinkler systems.
  • Maintain as much fire protection in service as possible.
  • Shut the minimum number of valves necessary.
  • Utilize the FM Global Red Tag Permit System to monitor all fire protection impairments.
• Prohibit Hot Work until fire protection is restored.

Natural Gas (add other ignitable gases used at the facility as applicable)

• Check for leaks at:
  • Connections to gas-fired equipment
  • Piping runs throughout the building
• Immediately turn off gas at the source if leaks are present.

Ignitable Liquid

• Check for leaks and spills for piped systems at:
  • Connections to equipment or pumps
  • Piping runs throughout the building
• Check for leaks and spills for non-piped systems at:
  • Tanks or reservoirs
  • Flammable liquid storage cabinets
• Immediately turn off gas at the utility feed if leaks are present.

Electrical

• Verify electrical switchgear and main panels have not toppled.
• Shut off power if there are signs of damage.
• Remove combustibles that have come into contact with panels.
• Check emergency power systems.
• If there is a power outage, determine course of action to protect:
  • Manufacturing equipment.
  • Product/materials in refrigerators and freezers.
  • Server rooms that require cooling.

Building Exterior

• Check building exterior for broken glass, obvious structural damage, loose debris, downed wires, flooding, etc.
• Check exterior process equipment for any obvious damage.
• Check rooftop for damage; loose membrane, punctures, tears, etc.
• Check HVAC equipment for any obvious damage.

Building Interior

• Check for domestic water leaks.
• Check production equipment for proper operation.
• Check the warehouse racks for any structural and/or product damage.
• Check the fire alarm and building security panels for indication that the systems are normal.

Operations Restoration

• Conduct salvage operations as appropriate.
• Safely reset seismic shutoff valves.
• Safely start-up of equipment and processes.
• Natural gas system back in service?
• Electrical panels back in service?
• Compressed air system back in service?
• HVAC equipment is back in service?
• Other process equipment back in service?

Contact information for contractors that can make repairs: (Add categories as needed)

• Fire alarm: Tech Electronics
• Sprinkler system: Greenland Fire Protection
• HVAC: Facilities
• Electrical: Facilities
• Plumbing: Facilities
• Natural gas: Spire
• Security: Public Safety
• Fire: Webster Groves Fire Department
• Police: Webster Groves Police Department

Annual Review

Review the plan annually to confirm validity of its contents and the familiarity of personnel relied upon for its execution. Plan content may also be updated as facility changes occur.

1. List of personnel involved with training and review of plan.
2. Date of annual review session.

Fires can occur for a variety of reasons and spread very quickly.

Procedures for Responding to a Fire in a Building

• Anyone seeing a fire, observing or smelling smoke should immediately go to the nearest fire alarm pull station and activate the fire alarm. Extinguish the fire only if you can do so safely and quickly.
• They should then notify Public Safety at Ext. 6911.
• Faculty members and department heads shall assume responsibility for those people in their charge and evacuate their classrooms and offices in an orderly manner to the nearest designated evacuation route and assembly point.
• Faculty and department heads are responsible for keeping all students in the assembly area until recalled to the building or advised by emergency personnel of where to go.
• If students want to leave, or are dismissed, it is the responsibility of the instructor to obtain their name and log it down.
• Department heads are also responsible for keeping a headcount of their employees.

Fire Safety Tips

If your clothing catches fire:

• Stop, drop, and roll to extinguish the flames.

If trapped in a room:

• Place cloth material around the bottom of the door to prevent smoke from entering.
• Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
• Do not break glass unless necessary. Outside smoke may enter.
• Signal from a window if possible.

If caught in smoke:

• Drop to your hands and knees, and crawl.
• Hold your breath if possible.
• Breathe shallowly through your nose and use clothing as a filter.

If forced to advance through flames:

• Hold your breath.
• Move quickly.
• Cover your head and hair.
• Lower your head and close your eyes often.

Civil protests/demonstrations usually take the form of an organized public demonstration of disapproval with a particular action, idea or incident. The civil protest/demonstrations do not necessarily have to be from any action taken by Webster University. It could be from any action or event worldwide.

Most of the time, protests are of peaceful means and of non-destructive or non-obstructive nature. However, protests and civil disturbances can crop up at a moment’s notice.

It is the policy of Webster University to uphold the rights of all individuals, which includes the right to free speech and the right to peaceably assemble on public property.

These rights will not be interfered with, provided that the expressive activity does not disrupt the educational mission or involve substantial disorder and/or invasion of the rights of others.

However, immediate action must be taken by the University anytime one or more of the following occurs:

• Disruption of normal operations.
• Obstruction of access to offices, buildings or other facilities.
• Willful demonstrations within the interior of any building or structure, except as authorized, to protect the rights and safety of other persons and to prevent damage to property.
• Unauthorized entry into, or occupation of, a classroom, building, or area of the campus, including such entry or occupation at any unauthorized time and/or any unauthorized or improper use of school property, equipment or facilities. Anytime this type of unauthorized entry or occupation is reported to Public Safety, the director of Public Safety or their designee will the CFO and dean of students. Depending upon the nature of the protest, the appropriate procedures should be followed.

Peaceful, Non-Obstructive Protest

Peaceful protests should not be interrupted unless violations of conditions above occur. If protesters are asked, at the president’s or designee’s request, to leave, but refuse to leave by regular facility closing time:

1. Arrangements will be made by the dean of students to monitor the situation during business hours, or
2. Determination will be made to treat the violation of regular closing hours as a disruptive protest.

Non-Violent, Disruptive Protest

In the event that a protest blocks access to facilities or interferes with the operations of the campus:

1. The dean of students or their designee will go to the area and ask the protesters to leave or to discontinue the disruptive activities.
2. If the protesters persist in disruptive activity, a statement will be read by a selected University administrator as circumstances permit, advising the protesters that they are in violation of University policy and those individuals may be subject to disciplinary action, up to expulsion from the University. Individuals may also be subject to arrest.

Violent, Disruptive Protest

In the event that a violent protest in which injury to persons or property occurs or appears imminent, the following will occur:

1. Public Safety will be notified immediately and take immediate steps to secure the situation.
2. The CFO will be notified.
3. The University President, in consultation with the director of Public Safety, CFO, dean of students and other administrative staff, will determine further action.

Bomb threats may the University’s attention in a variety of ways, however, they are most often made by telephone.

The following steps should be taken any time an individual receives a bomb threat by telephone:

• Remain calm and immediately refer to the bomb threat Pay attention to your telephone display (if applicable) and record the information shown in the display window.
• Keep the caller on the line as long as possible to attempt to gather as much information as possible. Try not to anger the caller at any time. Pay attention to background noises and distinctive sounds, such as machinery, traffic, other voices, music, television, etc.
• Note any characteristics of the caller’s voice (gender, age, education, accent, etc).
• Attempt to obtain a location of advice (building, floor, room, etc).
• Attempt to obtain information on the time and type of detonator.
• Contact Public Safety at the emergency line (314-968-6911) immediately after the call ends.
• Information should be kept confidential and only shared with Public Safety. Do not disseminate information though social media or other channels that would alert the public.

If you receive a bomb threat in writing, by email or on a voicemail:

• Save the document or message.
• Contact Public Safety at the emergency line (314-968-6911) immediately and be prepared to provide them with the document or message.
• Information should be kept confidential and only shared with Public Safety. Do not disseminate information though social media or other channels that would alert the public.

Public Safety Response to a Bomb Threat

Once Public Safety is notified of a bomb threat, the director or their designee will notify the VP/CFO and/or the senior administrator on duty and advise them of the situation.

If the location of the bomb is known, Public Safety, along with members of physical plant and staff most familiar with the location’s normal appearance, will conduct a search of the area quietly and without fanfare. Teams will be assigned to search designated areas. If suspicious packages or items are found, they will not be moved or touched. St .Louis County Bomb and Arson will be notified to investigate.

Decision to Evacuate

The decision to evacuate a building and/or the campus shall be made by the director of Public Safety or local law enforcement authorities after a thorough evaluation of the information that is available. That information may include, but is not limited to:

• The nature of the threat.
• The specific location and time of detonation.
• Circumstances related to the threat.
• The discovery of a device or unusual package, luggage, etc.

The possibility of receiving a bomb or explosive device by mail is remote; however, it is possible that an explosive device received by mail can result in injury and/or death. Mail bombs can be enclosed in a letter, package or envelope and may appear to be safe. The following characteristics may assist in identifying bombs:

• Mail bombs may bear restricted endorsement, such as “Personal” or “Private.”
• Addressee’s name or title may be inaccurate.
• Return address may be fictitious or not available.
• The package may be addressed with distorted handwriting or cut and-paste lettering.
• Protruding wires, aluminum foil, oil stains, or a peculiar odor may be present.
• Cancellation or postmark may show a different location than the return address.
• Mail bombs may have excessive postage.
• Mail may feel rigid, uneven, or lopsided.

If you are suspicious:

• Do not open mail.
• Isolate mail and evacuate the immediate area.
• Do not put in water or in a confined space.
• Open windows in the immediate area.
• Contact Public Safety.

An explosion is caused by a rapid expansion of gas from chemical reactions or incendiary devices. Signs of an explosion may include a very loud noise or series of noises and vibrations, fire, heat or smoke, falling glass, debris or building damage.

Immediate Action

• Get out of the building as quickly and as calmly as possible.
• Call Public Safety at 314-968-6911.
• If items are falling off bookshelves or from the ceiling, get under a sturdy table or desk.
• If there is fire, stay low and exit the building.
• If you are trapped in debris, tap on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can locate you.
• Assist others in exiting the building and move to designated evacuation areas.

Millions of tons of hazardous materials are transported by rail and/or motor vehicle that come in close contact with Webster University. There are even small amounts of hazardous materials on the Webster University grounds.

Hazardous materials incidents may result from a spill or a release of chemicals, radioactive materials or biological materials inside a building or to the environment. Most of the time, a small spill can be managed by the user. Major spills or emergencies require assistance from outside agencies known as haz-mat teams. These teams are trained and capable of handling the spill.

Whenever an incident involving a hazardous material occurs which does not pose an immediate danger to any nearby individuals or University property:

• Isolate the spill.
• Evacuate the scene.
• Limit access.
• Notify the area supervisor and Public Safety.

Whenever an incident involving a hazardous material occurs which does pose an immediate danger to nearby individuals or University property:

• Call Public Safety at the emergency line (314-968-6911) immediately.
• Perform emergency first aid if possible.
• Keep all persons as far away from the accident scene as possible.
• Avoid contamination.
• Keep all persons affected by the hazardous material isolated until they can be examined.

An active shooter or hostile intruder incident can occur under a variety of circumstances, so no guidelines can cover specific actions to take in every situation. Even so, being familiar with these guidelines can help you to plan your own survival strategy for a variety of incidents.

Webster University Department of Public Safety has adopted the Department of Homeland Security's recommended response to an active shooter, "Run, Hide, Fight."

RUN: if there is an acceptable escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises.

HIDE: if evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the shooter is less likely to find you. Lock office doors and barricade entrances if possible.

FIGHT: As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the shooter. Locate potential defensive weapons in your workspace, scissors, fire extinguishers, staplers, etc.

General Procedures

An active shooter is a person who is using a firearm with the intent to injure or kill others in a populated area. The Department of Public Safety will respond to the area to assist with any immediate medical needs; assist in evacuation procedures; assist in containment and be the eyes and ears for responding law enforcement personnel. Public Safety may implement a lockdown or lockout of the campus. A campus lockdown is a form of "sheltering in place" wherein personnel on campus should proceed to an area that can be locked or the door of an office space can be barricaded. Lights should be turned off and window blinds drawn and cell phones should be silenced. A campus lockout is when exterior doors of buildings are locked and persons are prohibited from entering or exiting, if doing so will expose them to danger. In either case, Public Safety will give an "all-clear" by way of an IP phone broadcast only after it is determined that the campus is safe.

Be familiar with the 4 "A"s of an active shooter response:

• Accept that the emergency is occurring.
• Assess what you can do.
• Act by Run, Hide, Fight.
• Alert law enforcement.

Law Enforcement personnel will deploy to the area of and engage the shooter. Members of the University community (students, faculty and staff) who encounter an active shooter or hostile intruder should adhere to the following guidelines:

What to do if an active shooter is outside of your building:

• Assess your ability to run, hide or fight.
• Do not confront or try to apprehend the intruder.
• If shelter in place is determined to be the best course of action, faculty should immediately lock/barricade the students and themselves in their classroom. If possible, cover any windows or openings that have a direct line of sight into the hallway. Barricade the doors with desk, tables, etc.
• If not in a room at the time, proceed to a room that can be locked. On your way to the room, tell as many people as possible to do the same.
• Lock all doors and windows; close all blinds or curtains and turn off the lights. Stay away from the windows. Do not try to “see what’s happening.”
• Do not sound the fire alarm. A fire alarm would signal the occupants to evacuate the building and thus place them in potential harm as they attempt to exit.
• Call Public Safety from a cell phone and be prepared to advise the dispatcher with the following information:
  • Your location
  • Your name
  • Number of people in the room with you
  • Information you have on the shooter
• Keep everyone together.
• Remain in the room until advised by law enforcement personnel to exit the building. Do not respond to voice commands or fire alarms.

What to do if an active shooter is inside your building:

• Assess your ability to run, hide or fight.
• Determine if the room you are in or near can be locked. If so, follow the procedures outlined above for when an active shooter is outside your building.
• If the room cannot be locked, locate the nearest exit and determine whether or not you can exit the building in safety.
  1. If you cannot exit the building safely, try to locate a room that is capable of being locked from the inside or barricade the doors of the room you are in with desk, tables, etc. If communication is available, immediately call the Department of Public Safety at 314-968-6911. Never assume that someone else has called Public Safety.
  2. If you can safely leave the building, do so by following the instructions listed below under “Exiting a building safely.”

What to do if an active shooter enters your office or classroom:

• Assess your ability to run hide or fight. Fight as a last resort.
• Try to remain calm and call Public Safety at 314-968-6911, if possible.
• If you are unable to speak, leave the phone line open so that dispatchers can hear what is taking place.
• If you cannot run or hide, you must decide what to do next. As a last resort, one must consider to physically engage the shooter with anything available, fire extinguishers, scissors, etc.

What to do if an active shooter catches you in the open:

If you are caught in an open area such as a hallway or lounge, etc., you must decide what you are going to do. This is a very crucial time and it can possibly mean life or death.

Three possible options are outlined below:

1. You can try to hide, but make sure it is a well-hidden space or you may be found as the intruder moves through the building or area looking for victims. Take into consideration the area in which you are hiding. Will I be found here? Is this really a good spot to remain hidden?
2. If you think you can safely make it out of the building or area by running, and then do so. If you decide to run, do not run in a straight line. Attempt to keep objects such as desks, cabinets, fixtures, etc., between you and the hostile person/s. Once outside, do not run in a straight line. Use trees, vehicles and other objects to block you from the intruder’s view. When away from the immediate area of danger, summon help any way you can and warn others.
3. Your last option if you are caught in an open area in a building may be to fight back. This is dangerous, but depending on your situation, this could be your last option.

How to exit a building safely:

• Have a route planned before attempting to leave.
• Do not attempt to carry anything with you while fleeing.
• Move quickly and keep your hands visible as you exit the building.
• Do not attempt to treat or remove injured people but note their locations so that you may provide that information to emergency responders.
• Proceed to a safe location, but do not leave Keep in mind that the entire area is still a crime scene and officers will need to obtain information from you before you leave.
• Remain at whatever assembly area is designated until you are released.
• At all times, comply with commands from law enforcement officers.

What you may expect from responding officers:

• Police officers responding to an active shooter may be wearing regular uniforms or may have special tactical gear but will be clearly identified as law enforcement officers.
• Responding officers are trained to proceed immediately to the area where shooting is taking If you are injured, those officers will not stop to assist you. Additional officers and/or tactical medics will follow to provide medical assistance.
• Remain calm and comply with all commands from law enforcement officers.

The Webster University campus power outage annex is intended to facilitate a coordinated response to any power outage that impacts the Webster University community. This annex provides an overview of Webster University’s potential role and considerations for leadership in response to a power outage on any of the St. Louis metropolitan campuses.

1. Hazard/ Risk
   The impacts of a power outage are affected by the interaction of several key variables. These include:
   • Extent: Does the outage affect a single building, a group of buildings (typically connected to the same feeder) an entire campus, and/or surrounding off-campus area(s)?
   • Duration: How long is the outage anticipated to last? The consequences of a 1-3 hour outage are substantially different from a 1-3 day outage.
   • Timing: When does the outage occur and are additional outages likely? The impact of a nighttime outage can be far greater than a daytime Likewise, an outage that occurs during a semester break affects a much smaller resident population than one that occurs while school is in session.
   • Origin: What caused the outage? An outage may be the result of unintended systemic failure (including engineering failures or natural disaster/storm damage) or intentional acts such as terrorism. This information is important in assessing the likelihood of additional outages and/or considering the potential for additional threats.
2. Vulnerability
   In general, the nation’s power grid is increasingly vulnerable to failure because of an aging and complex distribution system, increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and growing likelihood of deliberate attacks on critical infrastructure.
   
   Electricity from the public grid is supplied to most of the Webster Groves campus by two feeder lines that feed the electrical substation located on campus. In theory, if one feeder line is compromised, the second feeder line would provide power to the substation. If both feeder lines are compromised, the substation would not be available to power the campus.
   
   The Webster Village Apartments and the Luhr Building do not receive power from the campus substation. Rather, both locations are powered directly from the public utility, located on a separate power grid.
   
   Generators are in place to support the Interdisciplinary Science Building and the information technology server room.

1. Community Impacts
   A power outage of any duration can have several profound impacts for the University community. Depending on extent, duration, and timing, a power outage may affect critical functions such as:
   
   • Interior lighting, emergency egress lighting, exterior security/safety lighting
   • Fire detection, security monitoring, and access control systems
   • Life safety equipment such as fume hoods and fire pumps
   • IP phone system
   • Elevators
   • Equipment for individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs (elevators, chair lifts, etc.)
   • Availability of water for drinking and sanitary purposes as well as fire suppression systems
   • Ability of dining hall kitchens to prepare food
   • Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
   • Communication systems (radio, telephone and email systems — including both cellular and landline)
   • Experiments and/or research projects
   Buildings without electricity are generally uninhabitable for any length of time unless they have generator power. Battery pack emergency lighting typically lasts less than 90 minutes and is intended to for emergency egress, not occupancy.
2. Webster University’s Responsibilities
   The University’s responsibilities during a major power outage may include (depending on the situation):
   • Maintain order on campus and ensure safety of all individuals
   • Provide emergency shelter for those residents whose dormitories are deemed uninhabitable or unsafe (i.e., due to lack of heat, emergency lighting, etc.)
   • Ensure that dining services can provide meals to residents
   • Locate and assist with evacuation and/or sheltering-in-place of individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs
   • Provide supplemental interior and/or exterior lighting
   • Secure campus buildings and control access
   • Post fire watches for occupied buildings with impaired fire alarms or sprinkler systems
   • Ensure that any running experiments/etc. are shut down and will not be adversely affected when power is restored
   • Continue essential administrative functions, including payroll
   • Ensure that critical communications equipment remains functional
   • Carry out repairs to on-campus power delivery infrastructure

1. Immediate Notifications
   Typically, the Department of Public Safety will initially be apprised of a campus-wide loss of power. It is the responsibility of Public Safety to notify key campus personnel of the event.
   
   Facilities management shall be responsible for maintaining an open dialogue with AmerenUE to continually assess the situation and determine the duration of the outage.
   
   Notification shall include the following personnel (others may be included, depending upon the situation: Webster Public Safety Dispatch (314-968-7430; Power Outage Line 314-220-8487)
   
   Director of Public Safety Rick Gerger or designee to contact:
   • Julian Schuster, University president
   • John Buck, interim AVP Student Affairs and dean of students
   • Patrick Giblin, director of Public Relations
   • Gil Morales, Facilities
   • Rachael Amick, director of Housing and Residential Life
   The director of Public Safety or designee will create a group text comprised of the parties. The group text will serve as the main channel of communications to keep all parties apprised of the situation.
2. Convene Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT)
   Convene key CMRT representatives (as needed, depending on the incident) to serve as an initial assessment team. These may include:
   • Director of Public Safety
   • Dean of students
   • General manager, Dining Services
   • Director of Housing and Residential Life
   • Director of Facilities
   • Representative from Global Marketing and Communications
   • Representative from Information Technology
3. Address Public Messaging Considerations
   Formulate messages and response strategies to disseminate to the Webster community and other critical partners during a major power outage. Communication topics may include:
   • Situation updates regarding status of the power outage and timeline for restoration, if
   • Safety messaging related to the use of candles, space heaters and other
   • Information regarding the availability of emergency shelters, dining facilities,
   • Directions on how to request assistance or report
   Consideration should be given to the type of information to be conveyed to parents and/or family members of students. Additionally, consideration should be given to the most effective means of message distribution:
   • Webster Alerts
   • Social Media
   • Webster web site
   • Implementation of a call center
4. Address Major Issues/Policy Questions
   • Campus Closure: The University President should determine the need to cancel classes/activities and close campus.
   • Direction provided to staff and faculty if they should vacate the campus and given the option to telework if they are unable to work from their office.
   • Consider how departments communicate with each other absent a campus telephone
5. Direct Initial Response Objectives
   Goals for the University’s initial response to any hazard should reflect the following safety and security support functions:
   • Maintain environmental health and safety standards campus-wide.
   • Ensure continued provision of health and mental health services.
   • Ensure a secure campus through continuing secure access and parking operations.
   • Coordinate with Public Safety to ensure members of the campus community with functional needs are assisted, as necessary.
   • Disseminate emergency warning messages through the emergency notification system as necessary.
   • Ensure the safety and security of all University facilities and community members.
   • Provide emergency sheltering and food to displaced campus residents.
   • Provide alternate modes of communication to coordinate critical emergency response and recovery functions.
   • Undertake appropriate measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts on ongoing experiments and research.
6. Request Support for Resources
   Depending on the duration of the outage, numerous resources may be brought to campus to support the safety and welfare of the community. Resources to consider include:
   • Portable lighting equipment
   • Shelter supplies
   • Transportation assets
   • Portable/mobile generators and fuel
   • Potable water
   • Mobile communication equipment
   • Portable toilets

The University maintains three basic types of habitable structures: academic buildings, administrative buildings, and residential buildings. Different considerations must be considered for evacuating academic/administrative buildings as compared to residential buildings. Therefore, it is determined that the appropriate response will be as follows:

1. Academic and Administration Buildings
   Emergency lighting on campus, per industry standard, will illuminate the immediate area for 30 to 90 minutes. The President will determine the need to evacuate within 90 minutes. In the event a building evacuation is issued, the director of Public Safety will contact the director of Public Relations and request a Webster Alert be issued advising of the evacuation. Public Safety personnel will be directed to search the buildings and all elevators to ensure buildings are unoccupied.
2. Residential Buildings
   Residential buildings may be occupied for a longer duration than academic and administration buildings during a power outage because they have additional resources such as Housing and Residential Life staff who are trained to utilize additional equipment to effectively evacuate residential areas during a power outage.
   
   Evacuation procedures for residential buildings on or near campus also differ from procedures for evacuating academic/administration buildings, because these buildings are not all on the same electrical power grids which means that a power outage may not affect all of the residential area(s). The following residential buildings share an electrical power grid:
   • East Hall
   • West Hall
   • Maria Hall
   The below areas share electricity from a different electrical power grid:
   • Webster Village Apartments
   • North Hall – Eden Seminary
   • Glen Park Apartments
   • Big Bend Apartments
   A staff member from the following University departments will convene and recommend a best course of action as to whether or not to evacuate a residential area any time the building is affected by a planned or unplanned power outage:
   • Housing and Residential Life
   • Public Safety
   • Facilities
   Variables that will influence the decision to evacuate a residential building will include:
   • Time of day
   • Duration of the outage as provided by Ameren UE
   • Weather conditions

The director of Public Safety or designee will convey a recommendation of evacuation of residential buildings to the president.

If an evacuation of residential buildings is authorized by the president, the director of Public Safety will request Public Relations to send a Webster Alert to that affect. Prior to sending the Webster Alert, Public Relations will coordinate with Housing and Residential Life regarding the appropriate language of the alert and provide Housing and Residential Life enough time to put resources into place to effectively implement an evacuation.

INSTRUCTIONS: Begin by indicating whether each facility is without grid power and whether or not their generator is operating properly (if equipped). Complete the additional questions for each facility. This survey should be repeated every 4 hours and submitted to the director of Public Safety. Completed copies of the survey should be retained as part of the incident record.

√ = Yes X = No NA = Not Applicable

Webster University is committed to campus safety as a method of promoting a positive, productive learning environment. To better serve the University community, a Building Manager Safety Program was established. This program was developed with the primary goal of safety education, awareness, and training. It focuses on the safety of building occupants through timely dissemination of information and improved identification of safety hazards.

The program is based on voluntary participation drawn from within the University. Volunteers are trained annually by Public Safety to perform as building captains, representing the entire facility, or floor managers who represent sub-areas of a building. Building captains and floor managers are NOT expected to risk their personal safety by delaying their own evacuation from a building to perform rescue or structural firefighting activities to which they are neither trained nor properly equipped. For an employee to be a building captain or floor manager the employee’s supervisor must give approval.

The building captains and floor managers will provide education to occupants of their respective buildings and disseminate information that is intended to increase safety awareness and facilitate evacuations. During emergencies and emergency tests, the building captains and floor managers will aid first responders by identifying persons unaccounted for or unable to evacuate and assist as needed. During actual emergencies, local authorities will assume on-scene command as trained first responders.

The building captains will be the safety representative and point-of-contact within a building or designated area for safety matters.

In relation to safety and health, building captains will:

• Serve as the point of contact for safety information and incident reporting for all building
• Orient all new staff and faculty assigned to their designated areas in the safety procedures and equipment, including:
  • Building evacuation procedures
  • Exit locations
  • Areas for assembly
  • Fire alarm and fire extinguisher locations
  • Locations of first aid kits and automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
  • Other pertinent safety related building and area information

In relation to fire protection, building captains will:

• Serve as the point of contact for building evacuations.
• Know who needs special assistance to evacuate the building and provide increased training and awareness to building occupants in order to better aid those individuals in times of emergency.

The floor manager will be the point of contact for building occupants within their floor of area. Floor manager responsibilities are:

• Ensure procedures to aid individuals requiring special assistance to evacuate the building are known and understood by occupants.
• Provide evacuation procedure training for their assigned areas.
• Know the location of fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers and AEDs in their assigned areas.
• Help assemble and account for people during evacuation procedures.
• Serve as alternate building captain when necessary.

Building captains and floor managers must have the approval of their supervisor to perform in such capacity. They must be able to commit to one eight-hour training day per year to occur on the Webster Groves campus. Interested parties must complete the application in Attachment 1.

Applying for (check one):              Building Captain              Floor Manager

Date:                                                         Job Title:                                                       

Name:                                                                                                                             

Building and Floor:                                                                                                         

Department:                                                                                                                   

Campus Email:                                         Campus Phone:                                            

Supervisor’s Name:                                                                                                       

Related Experience:

List any training or positions related to safety, health or emergency management.

 

Employee Signature:                                                          Date:                                   

By signing this form, I acknowledge I understand the role of Building Captains/Floor Managers and I approve participation of the employee. I understand this will require the employee to attend annual training and spend additional time on this program as needed.

 

Supervisor Signature:                                                        Date:                                     

Send completed form to: publicsafety@webster.edu

Scope

This IRP outlines Webster University’s incident response management approach, teams and procedures, and also provides the University community members without specific emergency management roles with important general information about various aspects of the University’s incident response procedures and protocol. Incident management and response is defined as the “capability to effectively manage unexpected disruptive events with the objective of minimizing impacts and maintaining or restoring normal operations within defined time limits.”

Entities Affected by this Policy

This plan applies to the University informational systems, institutional data and the network infrastructure of Webster University and to any person or device who has access to these systems or informational data.

Our Contact Information

If you have questions about this IRP, please direct your questions to the following contacts below:

Webster University
Information Security Officer
470 E. Lockwood Ave.,
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Office: 314-246-7051
Email: iso@webster.edu

Webster University
Privacy Officer
470 E. Lockwood Ave.,
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Office: 314-246-7333
Email: cro@webster.edu

This IRP has been developed in accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) following nationally recognized incident response management approach in establishing security response capabilities and handling incidents efficiently and effectively.

Recent attacks on enterprise information assets have become quite sophisticated, with adversaries seeking significant financial gains using more advanced and persistent techniques to target and attack reputable organizations. These attacks from either internal or external sources can take multitude of forms for varying reasons, each of which can have risk, security and privacy implications. The University believes in having a structured and tested incident response and management methodology and understands that it is important to utilize a formal approach to incident management for the overall University business continuity and risk mitigation strategy.

It is the responsibility of each department leader within Webster University to have an established incident response plan for internal departmental use. All plans should be consistent with the incident response plan and based upon the definitions of events and incidents defined below, it is the responsibility to escalate these occurrences immediately to the University privacy or security officer.

Events and Incident

A security incident is an event that may indicate that an organization’s systems or data have been compromised or that measures put in place to protect them have failed. An event is any observable occurrence in a system or network.

A security incident is a violation or imminent threat of violation of University administrative policies, acceptable use policies or standard security practices. Examples of incidents are:

• Intrusion attempts for financial gain.
• Obtaining intellectual property for competitive advantage.
• Creating business disruptions.
• Obtaining private information for exploitation.
• Sensitive documents are misplaced, stolen or lost.
• Sensitive documents are exposed, improperly disposed of or stored.
• A device (e.g. Laptop, desktop, removable storage, smartphones, etc.) containing University data is lost stolen, or otherwise unaccounted for.

There are many types of risk that the University can be exposed to because of such attacks or events, each of which needs to be addressed from both the risk planning and incident response perspectives. These types of risks include:

• Reputational risk (public relations or legal issues with customers or the public)
• Regulatory risk inability to satisfy regulatory processing requirements)
• Operational risk (inability to process critical business functions)
• Internal human relations issues (relating to payroll and employee privacy)
• Financial risks (the loss of physical assets or costs to remediate risks)

As outlined in the previous section of the IRP, departments throughout the University are responsible for maintaining their own official or unofficial policies and procedures related to or responding to privacy or data security incidents.

If you know or suspect any unusual or suspicious behavior related to data security, it is imperative that the incident is reported quickly so the right personnel can investigate as soon as possible.

Information Security Office

The Information Security Office (ISO) and/or the Privacy officer are primarily responsible for incident management and assisting the University in a joint response to critical incidents, emergencies and disasters that affect or threaten to affect the University systems and data.

Immediately report to the University security or privacy officer any suspected or actual incidents of loss, inappropriate disclosure or inappropriate exposure of information used in the pursuit of the University’s mission, whether printed, verbal or electronic form.

If you wish to notify a compliance officer directly or to report the incident anonymously, the following contacts can be used:

Webster University
Information Security Officer
470 E. Lockwood Ave.,
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Office: 314-246-7051
Email: iso@webster.edu

Webster University
Privacy Officer
470 E. Lockwood Ave.,
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Office: 314-246-7333
Email: cro@webster.edu

Filing or reporting an incident can be done without fear or concern of retaliation.

Any time the senior security and/or the senior privacy director (or designee) receives information about a possible emergency, he or she will activate select portions of the department’s standard operating procedures and IRP to the extent necessary to control the situation.

Director of Information Security

The senior director of Information Security serves on the IRT. The senior director of Information Security is also responsible for convening and assigning roles to individuals pertaining to the incident assessment and response:

• Incident commander
• Incident coordinator
• Forensics investigator
• Legal and data analysis

The incident commander is responsible for coordinating all stages of the incident response process, and specifically acts as the leader of the investigation. In addition, the incident commander has the following duties:

• Serves as the primary contact for the incident.
• Ensures appropriate stakeholders are designated for specific roles and responsibilities.
• Leads the IRT to consensus on taking action or making decisions during the incident.
• Includes additional resources as appropriate.

The incident coordinator is responsible for the oversight of the incident response, including, but not limited to the following duties:

• Coordinates all meetings, including place, time, attendees, conference bridges, etc.
• Aggregates documentation in a secured and centrally stored facility.
• Provides documentation related to the incident to the IRT.
• Establishes response schedules and timelines.

The forensics investigator is responsible for the electronic discovery of systems and data from in-scope systems, applications or logs. Other duties may include:

• Collect and preserve any physical evidence in accordance to safeguarding the information.
• Adhere to the appropriate chain-of-custody procedures.
• Perform searches for various keywords, timelines, etc.
• Document any relevant findings and provide to the incident coordinator.

The legal and data analysis investigator is responsible for reviewing all aggregated documents, forms, transcripts and other relevant materials. This role will also assist by:

• Validating the scope of the incident and possible root cause.
• Establishing the relevancy of all aggregated materials.
• Collecting materials from interviews, (e.g. transcripts, other artifacts, etc.) and presents to team for further review.
• Quantifying impact to the University and other affected individuals.
• Preparing incident reports and a comprehensive narrative of the incident.
• Preparing any necessary presentation materials.

As explained in the previous sections of the IRP, certain departments and personnel within the University are responsible for certain preparedness measures and handling the initial response to a potential critical incident or emergency. However, larger preparedness measures and institutional responses to privacy and data security emergencies or disasters require a clear and coordinated effort. In an effort to provide clear direction and facilitate this type of coordination, the University has established the following teams of administrators and staff from across the institution and provided each team with certain responsibilities related to preparedness and emergency response.

Incident Response Team (IRT)

The Incident Response Team (IRT) is responsible for the execution of the IRP in the event of an actual security or privacy incident. The IRT is led by the senior director of Information Security and the senior director of Privacy.

The Security and Privacy Officer typically appoints IRT members from the following departments or functional areas:

• Information Technology
• Global Marketing and Communications
• Privacy officer
• Finance Department

The primary purpose of the IRT team is to determine and guide the University’s response to an information security or privacy incident, up to and including the need to satisfy existing data breach notification statutes or processes as well as an institutional decision to notify individuals of a breach of their personally identifiable or protected health information. In the event of an actual emergency, it may not be necessary for all members of the IRT to participate in the incident stabilization and recovery effort.

Each appointed member of the IRT is responsible for identifying an alternate who can serve on the IRT in the event that the appointed member is unable to do so. Appointed members should submit their designated alternate to the senior director of Information Security or the senior director of Privacy. Each appointed member of the IRT is also responsible for ensuring that their area or department has a crisis response plan as well as the necessary resources to execute those plans. The senior directors of Security and of Privacy will review those departmental incident response plans to ensure consistency across all departments.

This section of the IRP outlines the specific responsibilities of key University administrators and staff who serve on one or more of the University’s official emergency management/response teams.

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The CFO serves on the Incident Response team (IRT) and is responsible for directing University personnel in the following areas of emergency response any time the IRP is activated:

• Financial management and emergency purchasing.
• Assigning clerical and administrative staff to assist in the CIRP.
• Monitoring the situation for potential loss or other risk management duties and coordinate any necessary insurance requirements.
• Maintaining an accounting of actions, communications and directives taken or given throughout the response.

Chief Communications Officer (CCO)

 The CCO serves on the IRT. The CCO (or designee) is also responsible for the following if the IRP is activated:

• Leading the IRT in drafting a public relations plan.
• Designating a staff member to serve as Public Information Officer and respond to media inquiries.
• Overseeing the preparation of any necessary statements to the public or campus community.
• Directing the establishment of any needed phone banks, assign staff to the phone bank, and provide any necessary training and information to the phone bank staff.
• Arrange briefings for the IRT at the scene.
• Planning any needed news conferences.
• Establishing electronic or alternative communication methods as needed.
• Directing personnel to photograph the scene if safe to do so.

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

The CIO (or designee) serves on the IRT and is responsible for the development of plans to backup current information technology systems in the event of an emergency. Whenever the IRP is activated, the CIO is also responsible for:

• Ensuring that communication lines, computer access and other services are available for use at the EOC and marshalling any additional technology resources requested by the IRT or Incident Commander.
• Developing a coordinated plan of response for matters related to Information Technology Department and Networking and Technological Services.

Senior Director, Privacy Officer

The Senior Director, Privacy Officer serves on the IRT. The Privacy Officer is also responsible for:

• Ensuring the necessary forms, policies, standards, and procedures are aligned with the University objectives.
• Educate the IRT and executives on evaluating compliance issues.
• Directing/supporting any necessary incident response capabilities.
• Assisting with the preservation of anything of evidentiary value.
• Overseeing any necessary University investigations necessary after the incident has been stabilized.

Any time the Information Security Office or the Privacy Office is aware of an actual or potential security or privacy incident, the following individuals, departments, community members and outside agencies will be notified, using the following protocol, however these notifications may not necessarily be made in the order outlined below.

Step One: Activate the Incident Response Team (IRT)

Notification will start with the Information Security Office or the Privacy Officer broadcasting a message via Webster Alerts to the IRT team members. The IRT team will receive a text message along with an email message notifying them that a serious security or privacy incident has occurred. In this message will be details on next steps such as time and dates of the location of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), telephone conference bridge numbers and other information that is vital to coordinate the team.

IRT will immediately begin to address on how they will drive the ability to continuously monitor the threats and establish clear procedures for assessing:

• Current and potential business impacts.
• Effective methods of collecting, analyzing and reporting data.
• Continuous improvement.
• Building of relationships.
• Establishing a suitable means of communication with internal and external business stakeholders.

Step Two: Executive Management Notification Escalation

University President

The president will be informed of the incident from the IRT team. He (or his designee) is responsible for deciding whether or not to continue to activate the IRT activities.

Any time the president (or designee) decides to activate the IRT,

1. They will consider whether or not to implement the following measures:
   • Designate and direct the Incident Commander to assemble the appropriate personnel.
   • Assist the Incident Commander and Incident Response Team with specific incident action plans.
   • Direct any necessary communications with the faculty/senate committee regarding an imminent or active emergency.
   • Oversee and direct any necessary short-term relocations of staff, faculty and/or students, and monitor the academic impacts of any imminent or active emergency.
2. Lead the IRT’s discussions related to the following areas:
   • Resources needed from outside the University
   • Financial and legal issues
   • Policy interpretation
   • Media interaction
   • Political and social concern
   • Prioritization of salvage operations
   • Establishing a target date(s) for resumption of a limited academic schedule
   • Requesting personnel to assist with the emotional support of staff, students and families affected by the incident.
   • Declare an end to the state of emergency and make a public announcement
   • Order post-incident

University Chancellor

The University chancellor will be informed of the incident from the IRT team and has the following responsibilities whenever the president decides to activate the IRT team.

• Shall serve as the liaison between the IRT and the Board of Trustees.
• Responsible for leading necessary high-level community outreach and partnerships.

The Communicable Disease Outbreak Control annex is designed to:

• Inform, educate, and advise the Webster University community on communicable disease prevention.
• Outline actions and processes to protect the health and well-being of faculty, staff, students, visitors and contracted employees.
• Establish communication channels of reporting communicable diseases among faculty, staff and students to appropriate personnel.

If a communicable disease significantly impacts the Webster University community, the Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT) will activate to implement necessary practices outlined in this policy to cease continued spread of disease.

Definitions

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Protective clothing, helmets, goggles or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection.
• Communicable Disease Outbreak: The occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season.

Resource Contact Information

• Department of Public Safety: 314-978-7430
• Human Resources: 314-246-7580
• Student Affairs: 314-246-6980
• Student Health Services: 314-246-4207
• St. Louis County Health Department: 314-615-0600

1. Information on Communicable Diseases
   1. Background
      Webster University will work within the scope of this annex to enhance awareness and limit the spread of communicable diseases among faculty, staff, students, visitors and contracted employees of the college. A communicable disease may be any illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxic product that results from transmission of that agent or its toxic products from an infected person, animal or reservoir to a susceptible host.
   2. Indications of a Communicable Disease Outbreak
      Any faculty, staff, student, visitor or contracted employee of the Webster University with symptoms of a communicable disease including but not limited to headache, fever, muscle aches, joint pain, nausea and vomiting, shall seek prompt medical attention from a physician. Any faculty, staff, student, visitor or contracted employee who are diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in section I.C from a physician or health care facility are required to follow the guidelines as outlined in this policy.
   3. Scope
      
      1. The Communicable Disease Outbreak Control annex shall be referred to for diseases confirmed or suspected in the Webster University community deemed as infectious, communicable or contagious that are transmitted to people by the air, bodily fluids, object or person-to-person contact.
      2. Infection control measures within the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control annex shall take effect when the following diseases are suspected or confirmed in the Webster University community:
         
         1. Tuberculosis (confirmed or suspected)
         2. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)
         3. MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome)
         4. Viral hemorrhagic fevers
         5. Pandemic influenza (confirmed or suspected)
         6. Meningitis (viral and bacterial)
      3. The following communicable diseases shall also be reported to Student Health Services and the Department of Public Safety:
         
         1. Measles
         2. Mumps
         3. Chicken pox/Varicella
         4. Confirmed seasonal Influenza
         5. Any other emerging communicable disease
   4. Objectives
      
      1. Protect the health and well-being of all faculty, staff, students, visitors and contracted employees.
      2. Define necessary procedures of the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control annex.
      3. Inform, educate and advise the Webster University community on communicable disease prevention.
      4. Establish reporting procedures expected for students and employees with suspected or confirmed cases of communicable diseases.
      5. Ensure compliance with local, state and federal reporting requirements (e.g., City of St. Louis, MO Department of Health & Senior Services, CDC, OSHA).
2. Tracking
   
   1. Faculty, staff and contracted employees of the University shall report any diagnosis from a physician or medical agency of any of the communicable diseases listed in sections C.2 and I.C.3 to their supervisor, Human Resources and Student Health Services.
   2. Students at Webster University shall report any diagnosis from a physician or medical agency of any of the communicable diseases defined in sections I.C.2 and I.C.3 to the Office of Student Affairs and Student Health Services.
   3. Public Safety shall document all transports to a medical facility, noting symptoms and other pertinent information for trending purposes, and provide weekly updates to Student Health Services.
   4. In the event an illness pattern is identified, notifications will be made and a best effort will be made to inform any members of the University community who may have had contact since the patient has been contagious. Any exposed individuals are those that have met the patient since the onset of the patient’s symptoms or at least one day prior to the onset of symptoms.
   5. Department of Public Safety, Student Health Services and Human Resources will ensure compliance with mandatory reporting to local, state and federal agencies.
3. Outbreak Control
   1. Procedures for All Students
      1. All students with a confirmed or suspected case of a communicable disease as defined in section I.C shall, when possible, return home, shall not be allowed to attend classes and other campus activities, or return to campus. Before a student may return to campus the student must be examined by a physician and provide a statement to Student Health Services, Office of Student Affairs, and the Department of Public Safety of non-communicability by a physician certifying that the student no longer presents a risk to the University community. Sending the student home is intended to prevent the spread of communicable diseases to other members of the University community.
      2. Students diagnosed with a communicable disease may be required by the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to remain in isolation to protect the health of the public per Missouri Title 19.CSR.20.20-050.
      3. Students residing in on-campus housing who are diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in Section I.C and do not require isolation by the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services shall not be allowed to reside in on-campus housing for the duration of their illness.
      4. For information on reporting excused absences from class, students should contact the Office of Student Affairs.
   2. Procedures for Faculty, Staff and Contracted Employees
      1. Faculty, staff and contracted employees with a diagnosis of a communicable disease as defined in Section I.C are expected to remain off work until the risk of infecting others has ended and they can return to full duties. Before an employee is allowed to return to work, the employee must present a statement from a physician to their supervisor, Human Resources and the Department of Public Safety certifying that the employee no longer poses a risk to the University community.
   3. Procedures for Managing an Epidemic Among Webster University Community
      1. An epidemic of any of the diseases defined in I.C refers to a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is expected in the University community. As few as one case of the diseases listed in I.C, except for seasonal influenza, may be considered an epidemic for the Webster University campus and the protection practices outlined in this policy shall be implemented.
      2. The director of Public Safety will activate the Emergency Operations Plan to attempt to cease the transmission of disease, coordinate necessary mass prophylaxis dispensing and maintain a safe and functioning campus environment. Measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases include:
         1. Upholding procedures of the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control annex.
         2. Disseminating information on common routes of transmission of communicable diseases including respiratory, direct contact, indirect contact or fomite spread.
         3. Creating, maintaining and dispensing of any infection prevention supplies.
         4. Implementing isolation only when necessary.
         5. Closing campus only when necessary.
         6. Coordinate with the St. Louis County Health Department for the potential opening of a Closed Point of Dispensing (Closed POD).
   4. Isolation
      1. In the event a student with a communicable disease is not required by the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services to remain in isolation in a medical facility, but cannot return home, the student may remain on campus in isolation.
      2. Appropriate measures should be taken to minimize restrictions of liberties and health risks to all individuals of the University community. The CMRT, in coordination with Housing and Residential Life, shall implement plans to best care for and provide appropriate accommodations to infected patient(s) to maintain a healthy and safe campus
         1. The CMRT shall make known the location of the patient(s) residing on-campus to all appropriate personnel.
         2. The CMRT, in coordination with Housing and Residential Life, shall implement plans to serve the residential needs of the infected patient(s) including, but not limited to, food services, custodial services and communication.
         3. Any college personnel designated to the area the infected patient is residing on-campus in isolation in shall be educated on the appropriate methods of self-protection. All necessary methods of self-protection, including any personal protective equipment, shall be made available to prevent the transmission of the disease to any college personnel.
      3. In the event a student must remain in isolation on campus and before the student may be discharged from isolation, they must be examined by a physician and provide a statement to the Student Health Service Office, Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Public Safety of non-communicability from the physician before returning to classes and other campus activities. The statement from the physician must certify that the patient no longer presents a risk to the University community. The CMRT must notify all appropriate University personnel if a patient has been released from isolation and may return to class.
      4. If multiple students need to be isolated on campus, appropriate accommodations will be made to minimize risks and maximize health benefits to all stakeholders. Multiple patients needing isolation shall only be allowed to be isolated in the same room under the circumstance that both patients have the same communicable disease as diagnosed by a physician.
      5. In the event a student is held in isolation on campus and needs to be transported to home or another location, the student must notify Public Safety before leaving the isolation room. Public Safety, through the assistance of appropriate units or the CMRT, shall assist the patient in the transportation process. All Public Safety personnel involved in transporting the patient shall wear appropriate PPE throughout all points of contact with the patient. The patient must also always wear appropriate PPE during transportation to prevent the transmission of disease.
         Public transportation is not an acceptable means of patient transportation.
   5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
      1. PPE is required to be worn by any individuals before entering a room designated for isolation. Baseline PPE is required to be worn, which includes disposable gloves, non-disposable outer garments, such as impermeable coveralls or aprons, polyurethane boots that can be cleaned and disinfected, safety goggles and disposable particulate respirators, such as N-95, are the minimum level of respiratory protection that should be worn. All PPE shall be properly fit-tested for all individuals wearing PPE. Disposable PPE shall be properly discarded, and non-disposable PPE shall be cleaned and disinfected per state or USDA outbreak-response guidelines. Those that are required to wear PPE must be trained on properly donning PPE before entering any room designated for isolation. PPE-donning shall be taught by the Department of Public Safety.
      2. The Department of Public Safety shall be responsible for procuring, storing, and distributing all PPE to individuals.
   6. Transmission Mitigation
      1. All faculty, staff, students and contracted employees are expected to take appropriate measures to always reduce the transmission of disease from person to person including washing hands and staying home when ill.
      2. In the event of a communicable disease outbreak, appropriate measures shall be taken to prevent further transmission of the disease from person to person. Transmission mitigation measures include, but are not limited to, hand sanitizer stations, wearing of personal protective equipment and cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces that are a common source of transmission of disease between people. In the event of a communicable disease outbreak spread from person to person through the air, appropriate disposable respirators shall be procured and distributed to all stakeholders through the CMRT.

Department of Public Safety: Implementation, maintenance and updates of this policy. Developing and facilitating communicable disease training when necessary. Coordinating response and recovery for disease outbreaks on the Webster University campus.

Student Health Services: Responsible for reporting to County and City of St. Louis, Missouri, Department of Health and Senior Services, and CDC. Receive and process reports from students that have been diagnosed and have been given a statement of non-communicability. Coordinate with the Incident Management Team for outbreak response and isolation.

Human Resources: Receive and process reports from employees that have been diagnosed and have been given a statement of non-communicability. Responsible for reporting to OSHA.

Crisis: An event which is often sudden or unexpected that disrupts the normal operations of the institution or its educational mission, and threatens the well-being of personnel, property, financial resources and/or reputation of the institution. On a college campus, crisis situations generally fall into three categories: critical incident, campus emergency and disaster.

• Critical Incident — a situation that affects a specific segment or subgroup (e.g.: a fire in a residence hall room, an isolated student death).
• Campus Emergency — a situation that disrupts orderly operations of the college (e.g.: a campus power outage, meningitis or other active disease scenario).
• Disaster — a situation that disrupts orderly operations of the college as well as those of the surrounding community (e.g.: an active shooter on campus, some severe weather scenarios).

Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT): Group of University personnel (usually non-teaching) trained to respond to and manage a crisis incident. CRT members, depending upon the situation, may be assigned to the Incident Command Post but will primarily be assigned to the Emergency Operations Center.

Crisis Management Planning Team (CMPT): Team that creates emergency management-related policies and procedures. Members may assist the Incident Commander at the Emergency Operations Center to manage the crisis.

Emergency Function: Critical areas within the Incident Command System, e.g. Operations or Planning.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC): Protected centralized site from which members of the crisis management team coordinate, monitor and direct emergency response activities during the crisis.

Emergency Operation Plan (EOP): A document that describes how people and property will be protected in a disaster or crisis situation. It details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions and identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies and other resources available for use in the emergency situation. Finally, it outlines how all actions will be coordinated.

Emergency Personnel: Law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, health officials and hazardous materials teams.

Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful; often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.

Incident Command Post (ICP): Scene specific and provides overall management at the incident site. It is a central command and control location (interior or exterior) responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions and ensuring the continuity of operations.

Incident Command System (ICS): A standardized organizational structure used to command, control and coordinate field operations and the use of resources and personnel at the scene of an emergency. ICS uses a top-down direction and control structure that includes five functions of command, operations, planning, logistics and finance/administration that can expand or detract to meet the crisis. The concepts and principles of ICS include common terminology, modular organization, integrated communication, unified command structure, consolidated action plan, manageable span of control, designated incident facilities and comprehensive resource management. ICS is the combination of facilities, personnel, equipment, procedures and communications operating within a common structure and designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents.

ICS is used for all incidents and all types of emergencies, large and small, and of various complexities.

Incident Commander (IC): The person responsible for all incident activities including the development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release of resources at the scene. The incident commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is responsible for the management of all incident operations at the incident site.

Incident Management Team: The Incident Commander and appropriate personnel assigned to the incident.

Mitigation: The activities designed to reduce or eliminate risks to persons or property or to lessen the actual or potential effects or consequences of an incident. Mitigation measures may be implemented prior to, during or after an incident. Mitigation measures are often informed by lessons learned from prior incidents and involves ongoing actions to reduce exposure to, probability of or potential loss from hazards.

National Incident Management System (NIMS): A system that provides a consistent nationwide approach to federal, state, local and tribal governments; the private sector and non-governmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from incidents regardless of cause, size or complexity.

Preparedness: The range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain and improve the operational capability to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from incidents.

Prevention: Actions to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring.

Recovery: The development, coordination and execution of service and site restoration plans and to evaluate the incident to identify lessons learned and to develop mitigation efforts to lessen the impact of future incidents.

Response: Activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident. Response is the immediate actions taken to save lives protect property and meet basic human needs. It includes the execution of emergency operations plans and of mitigation plans to protect against all unfavorable outcomes of the incident. The scope of response activities is dependent upon the nature and size of the incident.

Staging Area: Location established where resources can be placed while awaiting a tactical assignment.

Terrorism: A violent act or an act dangerous to human life, in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any segment thereof, to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objective. *In the event of a terrorist incident; threat of a terrorist incident or knowledge of a potential terrorist plot, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must be notified.

Threat: An indication of possible violence, harm or danger.

Unified Command: Is an application of ICS used when there is more than one agency within incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the designated members of the UC.

Mitigation

Mitigation is intended to eliminate hazards and vulnerabilities, reduce the probability of hazards and vulnerabilities causing an emergency situation, or lessen the consequences of unavoidable hazards and vulnerabilities. Mitigation is a pre-disaster activity, though it may also occur during a crisis event as the situation develops.

Preparedness

Preparedness implies conducting activities to develop the response capabilities of members of the University community in the event of an emergency. Preparedness activities within an emergency operations program can include:

• Establishing emergency equipment and facilities.
• Emergency planning and ERP maintenance.
• Collaboration and practice activities involving local emergency responders, emergency management personnel, other local officials and volunteer groups who may assist during emergencies.
• Conducting periodic drills and exercises to test emergency plans and training.
• Completing an After-Action Reviews after drills, exercises and actual emergencies.

Response

The primary purpose of this plan is to establish policies, procedures and an organizational structures and roles essential for Webster University to respond to, and recover from, crisis and emergency situations. Response operations are intended to resolve an emergency situation quickly, while minimizing casualties and property damage. Response activities can include providing warnings and alerts, administering first aid, fire suppression, law enforcement operations, evacuation, shelter and mass care, and search and rescue.

Recovery

When a crisis, emergency or disaster occurs, Webster University will need a recovery program that addresses both short-term and long-term issues. Short-term operations generally seek to restore vital services to the University and provide for the basic needs of the staff and students, while long-term recovery focuses on restoring the university to its "normal state." The recovery process should include temporary relocation of classes, restoration of University services, debris removal, restoration of utilities, disaster mental health services and reconstruction of damaged athletic facilities. The federal government, pursuant to the Stafford Act, can offer major disaster recovery assistance.

This appendix includes the FEMA Emergency Response framework that is considered industry best practices. Webster University may not use all of the specific positions/protocols explained in this appendix; however, any time the EOC and Incident Commander are activated, the University’s emergency response will be guided by these principles.

During an emergency, the Incident Commander is responsible for directing response actions. This usually occurs from a designated Command Post. To effectively direct response actions, the Incident Commander must constantly assess the situation and develop and implement appropriate strategies. The Incident Commander must be familiar with the available resources, accurately document all response actions, and effectively communicate response strategies to others participating in the response.

Command Staff

Incident Commander Responsibilities: Person responsible for the University response to the incident. The type of incident generally dictates the agency from which the incident commander is assigned. Core positions/functions that support the Incident Commander are:

• Safety Officer: Responsibilities: The Safety Officer ensures that all activities are conducted in as safe a manner as possible under the circumstances which exist.
• Public Information Officer (PIO): Policy: The public has the right and need to know important information related to emergencies/disaster at the University/College site as soon as it is available.
• Liaison Officer: Responsibilities: The Liaison Officer serves as the point of contact for agency representatives from assisting organizations and agencies outside the University/College district and assists in coordinating the efforts of these outside agencies by ensuring the proper flow of information.

General Staff

Operations Chief Responsibilities: This position manages the Crisis or Safety Team members and, at the direction of the Incident Commander, implements the core response such as evacuating from the facility or overseeing a lockdown. If staffing is limited, the Incident Commander may also fill this position.

Planning Chief Responsibilities: The incumbent is responsible to collect, evaluate, document and use information to develop the incident management plan and manage resources. The Planning Chief maintains accurate records, site maps and provides ongoing analysis of situation and resource status.

Logistics Chief Responsibilities: This position is responsible for accounting for students and making arrangements for basic life support needs such as shelter or transportation. This position reports directly to the Incident Commander and is usually staffed by an administrative staff person from the main office.

Finance and Administration Responsibilities: This position is responsible for documenting all cost related to the disaster/incident. This position is also responsible for collecting and maintaining all documentation (invoices, time sheets, daily reports, Action Plans, etc.) associated with the disaster/incident. This position reports directly to the Incident Commander and is usually staffed by the administrative assistants to the president/chancellor.

Operations Staff

Leader: Operations Chief

Emergency Response Branch: Teams in this branch are responsible for assisting the Operations Chief with all functions not covered by the Campus Facility Branch. Members of these teams report directly to the Operations Chief unless otherwise noted.

• Crisis/Safety Team
  • Personnel: Staff as Work in pairs.
  • Responsibilities: These positions are filled by personnel that do not have direct student supervision responsibilities. Instructors should generally not be placed on an Emergency Response Team as they must look after students under their control. In some instances, Instructors may be relieved by another faculty/instructor/staff member to enable them to assume a position on the Emergency Response These positions usually report to the Operations Chief and are filled by non-teaching personnel. Members of the Emergency Response Team may be assigned to assist wherever needed; such as a health team.
• Medical Team
  • Medical Team Leader Responsibilities: The Medical Team Leader is responsible for the provision of emergency medical response, first aid and counseling. Informs the Operations Chief or Incident Commander (IC) when the situation requires health or medical services that staff cannot provide. The Medical Team Leader ensures that appropriate actions are taken in the event of deaths.
  • Additional Personnel: First aid trained staff and volunteers.
  • Additional Personnel Responsibilities: Assist the Medical Team Leader by using approved safety equipment and techniques.
• Student Release Team (as appropriate)
  • Personnel: University/College Secretary, available staff and disaster volunteers.
  • Responsibilities: Assure the reunification of students with their parents or authorized adult through separate Request and Release Gates.

Campus Facility Branch: Teams/individuals in this branch are responsible for assisting the Operations Chief in securing buildings(s) (physical security and utility security). Members of these teams report directly to the Operations Chief unless otherwise noted.

• Security Team
  • Personnel: Department of Public Safety personnel.
  • Responsibilities: To ensure that buildings and/or utilities are locked and secured according to Operations Chief direction.
• Family Reunification Coordinator
  • Responsibilities: Assure the reunification of students with their parents or authorized adult through separate Request and Release Gates.

Planning/Intelligence Section

Leader: Planning/Intelligence Chief Responsibilities: The collection, evaluation, documentation and use of information about the development of the incident and the status of resources. Maintain accurate records and site map. Provide ongoing analysis of situation and resource status.

• Documentation Coordinator Responsibilities: The collection, evaluation, documentation and use of information about the development of the incident and the status of resources.
• Analysis Coordinator Responsibilities: The collection, evaluation, documentation and use of information about the development of the incident and the status of resources. Maintain accurate site map. Provide ongoing analysis of situation and resource status.
• Threat Assessment Team Responsibilities: Assessing the likelihood specific situations will escalate into violence. Situations requiring assessment may include inappropriate communications from students. Threat Assessment Teams should include local law enforcement, mental health and legal experts.

Logistics Section

Leader: Logistics Chief Responsibilities: Providing facilities, services, personnel, equipment, and materials in support of the incident.

• Facilities Team Responsibilities: Providing facilities, equipment, supplies and materials in support of the incident.
• Staffing Team Responsibilities: Coordinating the assignment of personnel (staff, students, disaster volunteers) in support of the incident.
• Communications Team Responsibilities: Establishes, coordinates, and directs verbal and written communications within the University/College disaster site.
• Responsibilities of faculty/instructors/staff: Faculty members are seen as leaders by students and should be prepared to direct their students to designated assembly areas in the event of an emergency and account for every student. Faculty must be prepared to assess situations quickly but thoroughly and use common sense in determining a course of Faculty, instructors and/or staff are responsible not only for students under their immediate control, such as during classrooms periods, but also students in their immediate areas; such as during transition periods or students proximate to the classroom during the incident.

Finance/Administration Section

Leader: Finance/Administration Chief Responsibilities: This position is responsible for buying materials, documenting damage and costs, and keeping financial records of expenditures and employee This position reports directly to the Incident Commander.

• Cost and Time Coordinator/Team Responsibilities: Maintaining accurate and complete records of staff hours and incident costs.
• Compensation and Claims Coordinator/Team Responsibilities: Tracking worker’s compensation and injury claims. Forms are received from students, faculty, staff and University emergency response personnel. These are forwarded and recorded according to University/College policy.