General Preparedness
Make sure to familiarize yourself with:
- Your office, workspace or classrooms
- Identify the location of the closest emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, AEDs, first aid kits, etc.)
- Identify two emergency exit routes out of the office, workspace or classrooms
- Your building's emergency plan
- Your department's continuity of operations plan
Print the Emergency Procedures Poster, a quick reference of key actions in particular scenarios, and post it near your work station. (Responses for clinical operations may vary; consult your Unit Red Book and follow your local procedures.)
10 Things to Know in an Emergency is a presentation that we can use during a training presentation for your school or department.
Be Prepared to Act
Safety is the highest priority. Knowing what to do in an emergency is critical to your safety:
- If you discover an emergency situation or observe something suspicious, call 911
- If you are assigned emergency response duties, execute your responsibilities
- Depending on the situation, evacuate or shelter-in-place. Absent official instructions, use your best judgment
- Protect yourself. Do not jeopardize yourself or others attempting to save property
- Assist others, but do not exceed your training or knowledge rendering first aid
- If you are a designated employee for your unit, be ready to support continuity operations
Be Informed
Having access to accurate information about impending or actual threats or emergencies can mean the difference between life and death.
Emergency Notification
The University utilizes multiple redundant tools to alert the community to an emergency as quickly as possible. Emergency alerts are reserved for critical incidents that pose an imminent threat to the health and safety of the University community. You may be alerted in several ways:
- Fire Alarm
- Siren
- UVA Alerts
- University e-mail
- Text message to those who have registered their mobile phone number with the University during orientation or onboarding.
- LCD and LED displays
- Public address system announcements (where available)
- Alertus Desktop notification (requires installation and connection to the UVA network)
- The University's Emergency Page (www.virginia.edu/emergency)
Situation Updates
The official source for the most current and detailed information is the emergency website. Schedule changes will be posted to the Operations Status Board.