Emergency Response Policies

What “Shelter-in-Place” Means

One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency situation is to “Shelter-in-Place”. That is, to remain indoors due to a developing dangerous/hazardous situation outdoors. These guidelines are aimed at keeping you safe while remaining indoors. “Shelter-in-Place” means selecting a small, interior room if possible, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire building or barricading the room you are using for shelter. If you are told to “Shelter in-Place”, follow the guidelines provided.

Why You Might Need to “Shelter-in-Place”

For any type of emergency where guidelines for “Shelter-in-Place” would be appropriate, information will be provided by University authorities through the Emergency Text Messaging System. The important thing is for you is to follow these guidelines and know what to do if you are advised to “Shelter-in-Place.”

How to Shelter-in-Place

• If there are students, faculty, staff, or visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay. When University authorities suggest to “Shelter-in-Place”, they want everyone to take those steps now, where they are, and not drive or walk outdoors.
• Close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside.
• If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
• Select interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. The room(s) should have adequate space for everyone to be able to sit in. Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary. Large storage closets, utility rooms, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows will work well. Avoid selecting a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes.
• It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s) you select. Have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
• Bring everyone into the room(s). Shut and lock the door(s).
• Be alert for Emergency Notification System (ENS) updates until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate. These updates may call for evacuation of specific areas.

Supplies

For the workplace, where you might be confined for several hours, the following supplies are suggested to
have available:

• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio
• Food – high-energy foods like granola bars, energy bars, etc.
• Water
• Medications – If you use prescription medications, keep at least a small supply of these available.

More Information

Additional information may be accessed at the following websites:

• American Red Cross
• Homeland Security
• Ready.Gov

An active shooter is a person who appears to be actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a
populated area. In most cases there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. These situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to innocent victims. University campuses are not immune to serious or violent crime. This document provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students who may be caught in an active shooter situation, and describes what to expect from responding police officers.

Guidance to Faculty, Staff, and Students

In general, how you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter, bearing in mind there could be more than one shooter involved in the same situation. If you find yourself involved in an active shooter situation, try to remain calm and use these guidelines to help you plan a strategy for survival. The nationally recognized “Run, Hide, Fight” is discussed below. 

When planning to run or hide, knowing your environment can increase your odds of survival.

• Pre-planning for such an event is highly recommended.
• Cover are objects that may stop bullets (brick walls, trees, vehicles, etc.).
• Concealment hides you, but may not protect you from bullets (bushes, interior sheetrock walls, wood doors, etc.).
• Know your exit points (doors and windows) and available escape routes.
• Do the doors swing outward from the room? If they do, they will be difficult to barricade.
• Do the doors swing into the room? If they do, they will be easier to barricade.
• Ask yourself how you can barricade your room or office? What’s available? Desks, chairs, other large pieces of furniture?

1. Run - If possible, use available cover and concealment on your escape route

• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Leave your belongings behind
• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
• Help others escape, if possible
• Do not attempt to move the wounded
• Prevent others from entering an area where the active shooter may be
• Keep your hands visible
• Call 911 or the New Rochelle Police Department directly at (914) 654-2300

2. Hide – (Lockdown – Appendix B)

• Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view
• Turn off lights and computer monitors
• Lock door or block entry to your hiding place
• Silence your cell phone (including vibrate mode) and remain quiet.

3. Fight

• As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger
• Attempt to incapacitate the shooter
• Act with as much physical aggression as possible
• Use improvised weapons or throw items at the active shooter
• Commit to your actions…your life depends on it!

• If an active shooter is in the same building you are, and you can safely escape, you should do so (Run). Remember to use cover and concealment as you run, avoid open areas such as a large field if you can. Warn people as you run away from the danger. Leave your valuables behind, keep your hands visible, and follow the instructions of any police officer you may encounter. Do not attempt to remove injured people; instead, leave wounded victims where they are, and notify authorities of their location as soon as possible. You should run to a location that will provide temporary refuge (firehouse, nearby businesses, or neighbors).
• If an active shooter is outside your building or outside your office or classroom and running away is not an option, you should immediately seek cover in an attempt to conceal and hide from the shooter. Proceed to a room that can be locked, close and lock all the windows and doors, and turn off all the lights; if possible, get everyone down on the floor and ensure that no one is visible from outside the room. One
  person in the room should call 911, New Rochelle Police 914-654-2300, or Campus Safety 914-633-2560, advise the dispatcher of what is taking place, and inform him/her of your location; remain in place until the police give the “all clear.” Unfamiliar voices may be the shooter attempting to lure victims from their safe space; do not respond to any voice commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being
  issued by a police officer. This may require calling the New Rochelle Police Department to verify the location of their officers.
• If an active shooter enters your office, classroom, or residence, it might be possible to negotiate with the shooter. However, if the shooter is actively killing and there is no opportunity to run/hide, then you must fight as a last resort. There are strength in numbers and you should use all available options to win including improvised weapons. If the shooter leaves the area, proceed immediately to a safer place if possible or
  lockdown the room. If you succeeded in disarming the shooter, remember the police are looking for an active shooter. You do not want to be holding the weapon and be mistaken for the shooter when they enter, find a way to secure the weapon. Hide it in a book bag, closet, somewhere away from the shooter and the innocent.

What to Expect from Responding Police Officers

Police officers responding to an active shooter are trained to proceed immediately to the area in which shots were last heard; their purpose is to stop the shooting as quickly as possible. The first responding officers will normally be in teams; they may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or they may be wearing external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment. The officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, or handguns, and might also be using pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation. Regardless of how they appear, remain calm, do as the officers tell you, and do not be afraid of them. Put down any bags or packages you may be carrying, and keep your hands visible at all times; if you know where the shooter is, tell the officers. The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured people; rescue teams composed of other officers and emergency medical personnel will follow the first officers into secured areas to treat and remove injured persons. Keep in mind
that even once you have escaped to a safer location, the entire area is still a crime scene; police will usually not let anyone leave until the situation is fully under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Until you are released, remain at whatever assembly point authorities designate.

General Quick Response Guide - Lockdown

• Secure immediate area.
• Lock and barricade doors - block the door using whatever is available – desks, tables, file cabinets, other furniture. If safe to do so, allow others to seek refuge with you.
•  Turn off lights.
• Close blinds.
• Silence cell phones.
• Block windows.
• Turn off radios and computer monitors.
• Keep occupants calm, quiet, and out of sight.
• Keep yourself out of sight and take adequate cover/protection, i.e. concrete walls, thick desks, filing cabinets (cover may protect you from bullets).
• Place signs in exterior windows to identify the location of injured persons.

Contacting Authorities

• Use 914-633-2560 to contact the Iona University Office of Campus Safety.
• Dialing 2560 from a campus phone will connect you with Campus Safety.
• Dialing 911 from a cell phone will connect you with New York State Police Emergency Enhanced 911. Be sure to give the call taker your exact location. It is advisable to program 914-654-2300 into your cell phone to call the New Rochelle Police Department directly.
• During a major emergency, phone lines may become overloaded, social media may provide an available mean to communicate with emergency services.

What to Report

• Your specific location — building name and office/room number; 
• Number of people at your specific location;
• Injuries – number injured, types of injuries; and
• Assailant(s) – location, number of suspects, race/gender, clothing description, physical features, type of weapons (long gun or handgun), backpack, shooter’s identity if known, separate explosions from gunfire, etc.

Un-Securing an Area

• Consider risks before un-securing rooms.
• Remember, the shooter will not stop until he or she has been engaged by an outside force.
• Attempts to rescue people should only be considered if it can be accomplished without further endangering the persons inside the secured area.
• Always consider the safety of masses vs. the safety of a few.
• If doubt exists for the safety of the individuals inside the room, the area should remain secured.

If You Hear or See a Hostage Situation

• Immediately remove yourself from any danger.
• Immediately notify the Campus Safety and Security Department at (914) 633-2560 (or 2560 from any campus phone).
• Be prepared to give the Campus Safety and Security Department personnel the following information:
  • Location and room number of incident
  • Number of possible hostage takers
  • Physical description and names of hostage takers, if possible
  • Number of possible hostages
  • Any weapons the hostage takers may have
  • Your name
  • Your location and phone number

If You are Taken Hostage

• Remain calm, polite, and cooperate with your captors.
• Do not attempt escape unless there is an extremely good chance for your survival. It is safer to be submissive, and obey your captors.
• Speak normally. Do not complain, avoid being belligerent, and comply with all orders.
• Do not draw attention to yourself with sudden body movements, statements, comments or hostile looks.
• Be observant and attempt to memorize the physical traits, voice patterns, clothing or other details that can later help provide the identification of your captors.
• Avoid getting into political or ideological discussions with the captors.
• Try to establish a relationship with your captors and get to know them. Captors are less likely to harm you if they respect you and have established a relationship.
• If forced to present terrorist demands to authorities, either in writing or recording, state clearly that the demands are from your captors. Avoid making a plea on your own behalf.
• Try to stay low to the ground or behind cover from windows or doors, if possible.

If a Rescue is Taking Place

• Do not run. Drop to the floor, and remain still with your hands clearly visible. Do not make any sudden movements as the police may not be able to clearly identify hostages from hostage takers.
• Wait for instructions from the police, and obey all instructions.
• Do not be upset, resist, or argue if a rescuer isn’t sure whether you are a terrorist or a hostage.
• Even if you are handcuffed and searched, do not resist. Just wait for the confusion to clear.
• You will be taken to a safe area, where proper identification will take place as well as an interview.

The following is a guideline on what actions to take if a bomb threat is received. If you receive a
bomb threat by telephone, here are some helpful things to remember:

• Remain calm. When the bomb threat is received, the person taking the call must remain calm and obtain as much information as possible.
• Do not put the caller on hold.
• Do not attempt to transfer the call.
• The person taking the call should immediately notify another staff person in the office, preferably while the caller is still on the line.
• Pay attention to the caller and his/her words and speech:
  • Does the caller have any distinguishing voice characteristics such as an accent, stuttering or
    mispronunciation?
  • Is the caller angry, excited, irrational or agitated?
  • Is the caller a man or woman, young, middle-aged, or old?
  • If you have caller ID, note the phone number of the caller
• Listen for background noises (traffic, train whistle, music, radio, TV, children, airplanes, etc).
• It is important to document all that you know and hear. This should include filling out the Bomb Threat Checklist (Appendix C).
• Call the Office of Campus Safety at 2560 from a campus phone or 914-633-2560 from a cell phone.
• Do not evacuate the building until told to do so by the Office of Campus Safety or Law Enforcement.

Bomb Threat Checklists

• Stay calm and collect all the information you can:
  • Name of call taker
  • Date and time received
  • How was threat reported (telephone, email, in-person, by mail)?
  • Location threatened
  • Exact words used to make threat

Questions to Ask the Person Making the Threat

• When is the bomb going to explode?
• Where is the bomb located?
• What kind of bomb is it?
• What does it look like?
• Who placed the bomb?
• Why was the bomb placed?
• Where are you calling from?

Description of Caller’s Voice

• Young, old, middle-aged
• Accent
• Male, female
• Race
• Background noises
• Remarks, etc.
• Completed by: (your name)
• Phone: (your phone)

• The University is prepared to notify the campus community via the Emergency Notification System
  (ENS) of severe weather emergencies. The following terms are utilized by the National Weather Service:
  • Watch: Conditions are right for a severe thunder storm or tornado to develop. Continue with normal activities, but continue to monitor the weather.
  • Warning: Radar or weather spotters have identified a severe thunder storm or tornado.

If you are indoors:

• Know the location of the appropriate area(s) for your facility. This can be a basement or a ground floor hallway with no windows or a door frame.
• If you are unable to go to a room with no windows get under a desk or a table.
• Remain in a protected area until the threat has ceased or the danger has passed.
• Call the Office of Campus Safety at 2560 from any campus phone or 914-633-2560 from a cell phone to report injuries.

If you are outside:

• Try to seek shelter indoors.
• If you cannot, try to get to a protected or safe area away from buildings, windows and glass, telephone or light poles or any place where there could be falling debris.
• A low area such as a ditch or ravine or a depression works well.
• Lie face down and cover your head and face.
• Avoid any downed power lines.
• Call the Office of Campus Safety at 2560 from any campus phone or (914) 633-2560 from any cell phone to report injuries and damage.

In the event of a fire or hazardous materials emergency within a campus building, it is necessary and
safest for occupants to evacuate. University policy is total evacuation.

A fire or hazardous materials emergency exists whenever:

• A building fire evacuation alarm is sounding.
• An uncontrolled fire or imminent fire hazard occurs in any building or area of campus.
• There is the presence of smoke, or the odor of burning.
• There is an uncontrolled release of combustible or toxic gas or other hazardous material, or a flammable liquid spill.

To Survive a Building Fire

Activate the building fire alarm if it is not already sounding.

• Pull a fire alarm station on the way out.
• If the building is not equipped with a fire alarm, knock on doors and shout on your way out. Leave
  the building by the nearest exit.
• Crawl if there is smoke.
• If you get caught in smoke, get down close to the floor and crawl. Cleaner, cooler air will be near the floor.

Feel doors before opening.

•  Before opening any doors, feel the metal knob.
• If it is hot, do not open the door.
• If it is cool, brace yourself against the door, open it slightly, and if heat or heavy smoke are present, close the door and stay in the room.

Go to the nearest exit or stairway.

• If the nearest exit is blocked by fire, heat, or smoke, go to another exit.
• Always use an exit stair, NEVER an elevator.
• Elevator shafts may fill with smoke or the power may fail, leaving you trapped. Stairway fire doors will keep out fire and smoke if they are closed and will protect you until you get outside.
• Close as many doors as possible as you leave. This helps to confine the fire.
• Total and immediate evacuation is safest. Only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is very small and you have received training. Do not delay calling emergency responders or activating the building fire alarm. If you cannot put out the fire, leave immediately. Make sure Campus safety and the fire department are called – even if you think the fire is out.

If you get trapped, keep the doors closed.

• Place cloth material (wet if possible) around and under the door to prevent smoke from entering.
• Be prepared to signal your presence from a window. Do not break glass unless absolutely necessary, this may cause outside smoke to be drawn inside your location.

Signal for help

• Hang an object at the window (jacket, shirt) to attract the fire department’s attention. If there is a phone in the room call either 2560 or 914-633-2560 from a cellular phone and report that you are trapped in your room and provide a room number and location. New Rochelle Police/Fire/EMS can be reached at 914- 654-2300 from a cell phone or 911 from a landline.
• If all exits from a floor are blocked, go back to your room, close the door, seal cracks, open the windows if safe, and attempt to notify others of your location by waving something out the window, shouting or using a phone for help.

Stop, Drop and Roll

• If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll, wherever you are.
• Rolling smothers the fire.

Obstacles

• Storage of any items in the corridors ex: bicycles, scooters, chairs, desks, and other items are strictly prohibited in all hallways and stairwells.
• Blocked exits and obstacles impede evacuation, especially during dark and smoke filled conditions.

Notify emergency responders from a safe distance away from the building.

• Call 2560 from any campus phone.
• Call 914-633-2560 from a cellular phone.
• New Rochelle Police/Fire/EMS can be reached at 914-654-2300 from a cell phone or 911 from a landline.

How to Identify Suspicious Packages and Letters

Some characteristics of suspicious packages and letters include the following:

• Excessive postage
• Handwritten or poorly typed addresses
• Incorrect titles
• Title, but no name
• Misspellings of common words
• Oily stains, discolorations or odor
• No return address
• Excessive weight
• Lopsided or uneven envelope
• Protruding wires or aluminum foil
• Visual distractions
• Ticking sound
• Excessive security material such as masking tape, string, etc.
• Marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal” or “Confidential”
• Shows a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address

Actions to Take Once a Potential Suspicious Package Has Been Identified

• Stay calm – do not panic.
• Do not move or handle a suspicious package.
• Call the Office of Campus Safety at 2560 from any campus phone or 914-633-2560 from a cell phone.
• If there is reason to suspect that a package may contain an explosive device based on characteristics described above, do not handle the package. Leave the immediate area and contact the Office of Campus Safety.
• If the suspicious letter or package is marked with a threatening message (such as “anthrax”) or if a suspicious  powder or substance spills out of the package or envelope, follow these guidelines:
  • Do not clean up a suspicious powder.
  • Turn off local fans or ventilation units in the area if fan/ventilation switches are quickly and easily accessible.
  • Leave the room and close the door, or section off the area to prevent others from entering. Call for assistance and keep others away from the area.
  • Anyone who was exposed to the powder or substance should be isolated from others.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face.
  • Remove heavily contaminated clothing as soon as possible and place in a plastic bag, or some other container that can be sealed. Give clothing bag to emergency responders.
  • Shower with soap and water as soon as possible if contaminated. Do not use bleach or other disinfectant on your skin.
  • It is important to note all people who were present in the area when the suspicious package was discovered.
  • Provide this information to Campus Safety to facilitate their follow-up investigation and to obtain advice from local health authorities and outside law enforcement officials as to the best standards of care for those affected.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency responders from the Office of Campus Safety will assess the situation. If the suspicious letter or package is marked with a threatening message, such as “anthrax” or if a suspicious powder or substance has spilled, they will follow certain guidelines and immediately notify the New Rochelle Police Department.