A test of the Emergency Notification System will take place on Wednesday, March 4 in preparation for this drill. If you haven’t already done so, please register with the system now.

STEP 1: Drill starts with voice, email and text messages alerting the campus

On Wednesday, April 15, the drill will start with an Emergency Notification System message stating that a lockdown drill is underway and that community members should begin lockdown procedures.

The message will be sent out via email and voicemail messages to all lclark.edu email addresses and campus phone numbers. Voice, email and text messages will also be delivered to cell phones and personal email addresses of students, faculty, and staff who have registered with the system.

If you haven’t already done so, please register with the system now.

STEP 2: Buildings will be locked down

Emergency team leaders (ETLs) for every building on campus will practice locking down their buildings, and Campus Safety will immediately lock down all residence halls, and some other exterior building doors controlled by the security system that provides access through college IDs. People attempting to gain entry will be unable to override the lockdown.

For most campus buildings, ETLs will be responsible for securing those exterior doors that can be locked. Many building exterior doors are now equipped with lockdown devices; if you are near an exterior door at the time of the drill and know how to operate such devices, please do so.

To exercise best practices during this drill, please keep in mind that, during a real emergency, choosing to unlock a door/allow entry to others may be hazardous to all inside.

STEP 3: Individuals should seek shelter

If you are already inside a campus building, in an interior room, lock the door if possible, or try to improvise a barricade if the door has no lock. Those in hallways should proceed to the nearest interior room, preferably one with a telephone and door lock.

If you are outside a campus building, in an unsecured area, take immediate cover. If you are able to access a building that can be secured, quickly make your way to that location while advising others to do the same.

Persons finding themselves in a unsecured location, who are unable to gain access to a secure area, need to take all necessary steps to ensure their own personal safety—either by fleeing the immediate area to a more secure location, or by remaining in place, under cover, until the immediate danger has passed, and then seeking a more secure location.

Every effort should be made to lock access doors and close windows and window coverings in your area without compromising personal safety.

Turn off lights. Remain quiet, silence cell phones and pagers, and turn off radios and other electronics that might alert an intruder to your presence.

Conceal yourself as much as possible. Crouch down in areas that are out of sight from doors and windows. Do not huddle together in case an intruder makes entry into your area. Try to stay calm and make a plan of action, including the possibility of confronting the intruder if you have no other options.

DO NOT sound the fire alarm. Should the fire alarm sound, do not evacuate the building unless:

• You have firsthand knowledge that there is a fire in the building, or
• You have been advised by Campus Safety or your ETL to evacuate, or
• There is imminent danger in the immediate area.

Wait for further instructions from Campus Safety or your ETL. Do not open the door until they declare that the situation is clear.

STEP 4: Assess the outcome

Talk with your colleagues, students, or friends about what worked and what didn’t work:

• Did you and those around you feel sufficiently prepared to act?
• What challenges did you encounter trying to complete the drill?

Seek out people who can answer emergency preparedness questions or  help you find answers; for example:

• Campus living coordinators
• Supervisors
• Emergency team leaders
• Campus safety professionals

For more information about how to prepare for a campus intruder or threat of campus violence such as a shooting, contact Director of Campus Safety Tim O’Dwyer at odwyer@lclark.edu.