Emergency Preparedness Plan

Please do not hesitate to contact Institute staff or your class advisor in case of any emergency. 
General Emergencies

The University’s Public Safety Department is the first responder to all emergencies on campus. To report an emergency, dial 4444 from any on-campus phone or 610-519-4444 from your cell phone. We recommend programming this number into your cell phone. Local police, fire and emergency medical services can be accessed by dialing 911.

Fire Safety

• ALWAYS respond to a fire alarm as if it were an actual emergency. NEVER assume that the fire alarm system has been activated accidentally, and always evacuate the building quickly and orderly.
• NEVER use the elevator to evacuate the building, instead, always exit via the stairs when the alarm is activated.
• NEVER return to an evacuated building until instructed to do so by an authorized University official.
• If you are concerned that you might not hear the alarm in your sleep, contact Public Safety in advance or your program coordinator.
• If you become trapped in a building during a fire and a window is available, place an article of clothing outside the window as a marker for rescue crews. If there is no window, stay near the floor where the air is less toxic. Shout at regular intervals to alert emergency crews of your location.
• DO take the time to learn two ways out of your residence hall, in the event that your typical path of exit is blocked in an emergency.
• DO designate an outside assembly area for your group to meet in the case of a fire alarm or other evacuation.
• If you have a disability and need assistance evacuating the building, you should identify someone in advance who is familiar with your needs to assist you in leaving the building, or can notify emergency personnel of your location if necessary.
• DO follow these University regulations regarding fire safety:
• Fire doors at any location within the residence halls may not be propped open, blocked or obstructed. | Possession or use of hot plates, toaster ovens, space heaters, any appliance with open heating element, candles, incense, incense burners and other lighted, flaming devices or flammable liquids is not authorized in the residence halls.
• Campfires and any other outside burning with an open flame are illegal.
• Extension cords should not be tacked or taped down, placed under rugs or used in places where pedestrian traffic can cause damage to them. Only authorized employees of the University may perform any and all modifications to the existing permanent wiring of the building.
• The electrical capacity of outlets provided in the room should not be exceeded. Do not overload the circuits, or exceed the capacity of any type of extension cord.

Upon discovering a fire…

• DO NOT attempt to fight the fire yourself.
• Activate the building fire alarm system and evacuate the building IMMEDIATELY. Alert others by shouting out and banging on doors as you leave.
• Do not use the elevators in a fire, they will stop if the power ceases, possibly trapping you between floors.
• Once in a safe location, contact Public Safety at (610) 519-4444, giving full details (Location, Materials, involved, etc…)
• Do not hang up the phone. Let the dispatcher terminate the conversation.
• NEVER ENTER OR RE-ENTER A BURNING BUILDING.
• Await the Fire Department, and if possible direct them to the fire scene.

Emergency Call Boxes

Emergency Call Boxes were designed and strategically placed in order to provide emergency assistance to the Villanova Community. They are located throughout the campus and parking lot areas and are identified by a large sign and blue light near each call box. Emergency Call Boxes are strictly for emergency use only. They are your direct link to Public Safety in the event of an emergency, such as reporting a suspicious person or circumstance, a medical emergency or requesting a safety escort.

Residence Hall Safety

• Report suspicious persons to Public Safety immediately.
• Never lend your room key or building access card to another person. If you use a code to enter your room, never share it with another person.
• Never post what time you plan to return to your room on your message board.
• Do not open your door or the residence hall entrances to strangers! Use the peephole; if in doubt, do not open the door – call Public Safety (x4444) to verify the person’s identity before admitting them into your room or residence hall.
• Be alert for persons “hanging around” on the floors or near the entrances of your residence hall.
• Never prop open exterior or stairwell doors to residence halls.
• Lock your room door and windows each and every time you leave the room, no matter how briefly you plan on being gone. Nearly all residential burglaries occurring on campus involve entry being made through an unlocked (though often closed) door. Even if you are just going a few doors away from your room or apartment, or even next door, lock your door. Most residential burglaries on campus involve the taking of very little property, usually a wallet, money or some other small item, and the thief needs only a matter of minutes, even seconds, to perpetrate the crime. ALWAYS lock your door.
• Hot plates, toaster ovens, space heaters, any appliance with open heating element, halogen lamps, candles, incense and potpourri burners are not permitted in residence halls. All appliances and cords must be UL approved.
• Smoking is not permitted in any University-owned building or within 25 feet of a University-owned building.
• WALKING – If you will be walking on campus, walk in groups. If you are unable to walk with friends please call the Department of Public Safety for an ESCORT. Do not walk alone. To obtain an escort from Public Safety, call 610-519-6979, Option 7.
• RUNNING – If you will be running while on campus, run with friends. Do not run alone.

Weather Emergencies

Severe thunderstorms or tornados can develop quickly. A severe thunderstorm or tornado WATCH means that conditions are favorable for severe weather. If a WATCH is issued, remain alert and make sure you have a plan of action in the event that the situation worsens. Ensure that you have a clear path to a nearby safe area. Continue normal activities, but be alert to the weather outside, watching the sky for worsening conditions. Continue to monitor the weather through a radio, television or the internet. A tornado or severe thunderstorm WARNING means that severe weather is about to occur. If a WARNING is issued, take cover. If possible, get inside a building but remain well clear of windows and other glass.

Improper Use of and/or Tampering with Safety Equipment

The improper use of and/or tampering with fire information and/or safety equipment or failing to follow fire drill or other emergency procedures is prohibited and may be grounds for removal from University property.

• Tampering with emergency equipment (fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, alarmed emergency exits, fire doors and emergency systems) or creating situations that prevent the quick evacuation of a room or building (tampering with locks or obstructing an exit) is prohibited.
• It is against the law to transmit a false alarm of fire knowing that there are no reasonable grounds for believing that such fire exists.
• Using fire escapes or fire exits in non-emergency situations is prohibited.
• Fire doors at any location within the residence halls may not be propped open.

Public Safety Emergency # 610-519-4444

 

To note:

Please make sure that Institute has your an accurate emergency contact for you while onsite.