WELLS COLLEGE

CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN

2009-2010

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

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Every critical incident or emergency scenario cannot be predicted. However,

many critical incidents require similar responses from the College. The primary
objectives of this plan are to protect life, preserve property, restore normal
campus operations as soon as possible, and accomplish these goals:

initiate and resolve the Colleges response to a critical incident;

coordinate the resources and capabilities of various departments and areas
in that response;
use efficient, effective communication to facilitate that response;
communicate the Colleges response to internal and external
constituencies.

These goals will inherently:

ensure that College personnel have clearly identifiable roles and areas of
responsibility;
interact effectively with civil authorities and local emergency providers;
ensure the privacy, safety and compassionate treatment of impacted
persons or groups;
create a solid basis for moving from initial response to sustained planning
and response, as well as business continuation planning.
In addition, administrators, supervisors, and other designated employees who
may be called upon to respond to an emergency situation should also establish
appropriate internal procedures that are in accordance with these emergency
response procedures. These procedures and the Critical Incident Response Plan
are reviewed on a regular basis.
It is the responsibility of all Wells College administrators and department
supervisors to ensure that all personnel are aware of the procedures contained in
this Critical Incident Response Plan. This plan designates responsibilities and
identifies the administrative framework by which Wells College will respond as
various emergency situations arise.
Routine incidents are handled as described in the Community Handbook,
Faculty Manual and Staff Handbook and other procedures as outlined by
campus departments.

Definitions
Critical Incident is defined as:

Emergency: An immediate and disruptive incident in which normal

operations are temporarily altered in at least one segment of the
community.

Disaster: A series of emergencies, or one significant emergency,

disrupting multiple segments of the community and requiring crisis
management and decision making by senior administrators.
Crisis: A disruptive incident, or series of incidents, which impacts overall
operations of the institution or multiple segments of the community and
brings the institution to a decision point, requiring response from senior
administrators.
Media event: An incident or set of circumstances that brings the
attention of the outside world to Wells College with potential negative
implications.

Critical Incident Types

Types of critical incidents are neither mutually exclusive nor all-encompassing.
It is possible for any incident to fit one or more of the categories. Specific
examples of campus events include the sudden death of an individual, a hate
incident, a contagious medical outbreak, a fire in a campus building, a crime in
progress, a bomb threat, a severe weather emergency or other disruptive event. It
also includes incidents occurring off-campus such as a terrorist attack or other
local, regional, national and international events with institutional implications
and effects.
It is not possible to anticipate every type of critical incident or situation the
institution and community may face. Therefore, this plan is necessarily general
in scope. It is not intended to replace the preparedness planning of individual
departments or areas. Nor is this plan intended to function as the Colleges
overall crisis/disaster response plan. It is expected that the CIRT members
(listed below), will be involved in decision making as the College moves from the
initial response to on-going critical incident management.
Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) consists of campus administrators
convened to ensure that the community has access to appropriate resources,
assist the College in its response to a critical incident, and facilitate a coordinated
campus response to crisis incidents, threats or potential threats to the well-being
of students and/or the campus community. The main goals of the CIRT are to
respond, protect, communicate, and resolve critical incidents on campus.
The CIRT is responsible for:
supporting affected persons
determining a plan of action to the incident
addressing community impact
disseminating accurate information
identifying other campus resources beyond the CIRT
recommending channels for educational outreach, action and prevention

Authority to Convene the CIRT

During normal business hours when the College is in session, consultation will
occur at the vice president and Cabinet level and may involve the president. The
president, assistant to the president, and/or the dean of students will determine
when and if to convene the CIRT.
After hours (or when the College is closed), activation of the CIRT resides in the
student life division under the direction of the dean of students or designee since
student life is the only 24-hour on-campus operation and includes both the
department of security and residence life. The dean of students consults with the
president as necessary when activating the CIRT.
Notification and Activation

Residence life staff, through their professional chain of command,

advise the dean of students or designee of a situation. In turn, the dean of
students advises/consults with appropriate senior administrators and/or
the president;

A Cabinet administrator/member of the CIRT becomes aware of a

situation and notifies the dean of students directly. In turn, the dean of
students advises/consults with appropriate senior administrators and/or
the president;

The Security Department becomes aware of a situation by way of:

o on scene observation
o report from a community member or third party
o report from local law enforcement or local emergency provider

Or

Or

The Security Department dispatcher and/or security officer notifies the

on-call residence life staff. The on-call staff member notifies the dean of
students. In turn, the dean of students advises/consults with appropriate
senior administrators and/or the president.
The dean of students or his/her designee and/or the director of security may, if
necessary, respond to campus. The role of the dean of students is to work with
campus security staff and/or residence life staff as well as local emergency
responders to provide guidance and authority. In addition, the dean of students
will monitor the incident and preliminary response. A prime concern is
rendering assistance to specific individuals, groups or portions of the community
immediately impacted.

It is the judgment of the dean of students or his/her designee, in consultation

with other CIRT members and other College personnel, to determine whether the
situation warrants the activation of the CIRT.
If the decision is made to activate the CIRT, an immediate meeting, in-person or
via phone call, may be convened with all members of the CIRT or selected
members as the situation demands. The dean of students or his/her designee will
be responsible for notifying members of the CIRT. Additional meetings may be
scheduled as necessary.
CIRT Members
1st Tier: Always convened and/or notified as noted above:
President
Assistant to the President
Dean of Students
Associate Dean of Students
Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students
Director of Security
Vice President for Communications and College Relations
Vice President and Treasurer
Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds
Director of IT
2nd Tier: Depending on the specific nature of the incident, one or more of the
following individuals may be asked to meet, be notified or consulted as needed:

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Vice President for Development
Director of Admissions
Athletic Director
Director of Residence Life
Director of Facilities
Manager of Human Resources
Director of Campus Dining
Medical Center
Associate Vice President for Library and Information Services
Director of Off Campus Study
Director of Institutional Diversity
Collegiate Cabinet President
Aurora Inn Manager
Campus Chaplain
Legal Counsel

Central Response Location

Many critical incidents covered by the CIRT can be managed utilizing offices and
campus meeting rooms. Unless inoperable, the Dean of Students Office
will serve as the initial meeting location for the CIRT when convened.
The backup location is the room next to the Athletic Directors office
in the Schwartz Building.
In some situations, it may be necessary to establish a temporary base of
operations in order to centralize response capability, which may include media
relations. This temporary base of operations may be at the scene of a critical
incident (such as a large fire) or be moved from campus buildings for safety
reasons. In these situations CIRT members will make the determination of the
need to establish an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and select a location.
Communications
It is important that the College speak with one voice when making internal and
external statements pertaining to the critical incident. The vice president for
communications and college relations is delegated the task of coordinating the
Colleges response to the community and the public. The vice president for
communications and college relations may further delegate responsibility to
specific team members for specific media inquiries or statements. All CIRT
members must consult with the vice president for communications and college
relations before speaking with the media or making statements to be
disseminated internally or externally.
Priority of communications will generally follow this order:
communication of the incident and response to any targeted or impacted
individuals or groups (and families as appropriate);
communication about the incident and response to the campus
community;
communication about the incident and response to the media and general
public.
Situations may arise in which local media become aware of an incident before the
campus community can be notified from within. In these situations, all
reasonable efforts will be made to provide the campus community with timely,
accurate information as soon as possible.
Communications and college relations response duties during a crisis include:
assembling, verifying, and organizing information which may be requested by the
media about the event; dealing with the media in person or by telephone;
releasing information or clarifying points of fact; arranging for statements,
interviews, or photographs if appropriate.

All ongoing media relations concerning the emergency are the responsibility of
the Office of Communications and College Relations. The media will not be
allowed on the site of the emergency without prior approval of the president or
vice president for communications and college relations. The vice president for
communications and college relations will provide updated information.
Areas of Specific Responsibility
FUNCTION
Emergency
Operations Center

REPRESENTATIVE
CIRT members

Security

Director of Security, local

emergency providers

Public Information

Vice President for

Communications and
College Relations, CIRT
Team members as
appropriate
Security, Medical Center
(as available), athletic
trainers, EMT-trained staff

Medical Care

Psychological
Care
Facilities/Services

Student
Assistance

Environmental
Health and Safety
Communications
Infrastructure

Human Resources

Dean of Students,
Associate Dean of
Students, Medical Center,
Chaplain
Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds,
Director of Facilities,
Director of IT
Dean of Students,
Associate Dean of
Students, Residence Life
Staff, Director of Campus
Dining
Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds,
Director of Facilities,
Security
Director of IT and staff,
Director of Security,
Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds,
Director of Facilities
Vice President and

RESPONSIBILITY
Designate location of EOC; coordinate all
emergency operations and implement planned
response
Direct security operations; contact local
emergency providers; provide initial first aid,
fire response and scene preservation; assist
local emergency responders (or in their
absence coordinate search and rescue,
provide emergency transportation); follow
established College procedures and protocols.
Disseminate information to the campus
community, media, and public, provide
information to the CIRT; record response
operation activities; coordinate text and email
notification systems.
Coordinate medical care and triage and work
with local emergency providers (as necessary,
establish sites for first aid stations, hospital and
morgue)
Provide counseling and psychological support,
coordinate with rep. of any on-campus support
groups, coordinate with local agencies
Utilities assessment and repair; provide
equipment for rescue/clean-up; provide for
sanitary services; coordinate labor and
supplies for repair; follow emergency
procedures and protocols; provide building
plans for local emergency providers
Locate and account for residential students;
provide housing, food and water for students;
as able, provide food, water and shelter for
staff, faculty and non-residents
Monitor and assess hazardous and unsafe
conditions; develop measures for assuring
community safety; liaison with civil emergency
preparedness officials and agencies
Prioritize and restore telephone service; restore
data processing and computer systems and
internet connectivity; follow emergency
standard operating procedures for computer
and telecommunications services
Assist VPs to determine which personnel are

Treasurer, Manager of
Human Resources and
Business Services

essential; locate and account for faculty, staff,

administrators and volunteers; relay
information to and from families; organize
volunteers for operation tasks

Crisis Reporting Procedures

If a member of the community becomes directly or indirectly involved in, or is
aware of a crisis situation affecting members of the Wells community, they
should follow the procedures outlined below:

Serious accidents, injuries, or medical emergencies: call 911

immediately and specify that you are calling from Wells College. Then
notify the Security Department (ext. 3229). A security officer will be
immediately dispatched to the scene.
In a non-emergency medical situation, contact the Security
Department (ext. 3229), and a security officer will be dispatched.

Blue Light Emergency Telephones

There are a total of 11 outdoor blue light emergency phones in strategic locations
throughout campus. These telephones are in yellow boxes marked with a blue
light. Blue light telephones provide direct and immediate voice contact with the
Department of Security. The blue light telephone system is intended for oncampus emergency purposes only. Blue light phones cannot be used to dial
emergency services or 911.
The blue light emergency phones are located in the following locations:
A.A. House
Barler Hall
Boathouse
Leach Lot
Macmillan rear entrance
Macmillan front, south side
Morgan
Smith Hall (Sommer Center)
Schwartz Athletic Center
Woods lot
Zabriskie
Protocol for Specific Situations
The following procedures are kept in the Office of Security in the Procedures
Manual and are distributed to campus offices as needed.
1. Reporting Routine Incidents
2. Medical (Physical and Emotional/Psychiatric)

3. Severe Weather
4. Utility/Phone Failure
5. Fire
6. Crimes in Progress
7. Sexual Assault
8. Bias Incident
9. Bomb Threat
10. Evacuation
11. Hazardous Waste
12. Civil Disturbance/Crowd/Traffic Control
13. Terrorism
14. Off Campus Studies

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