Campus Safety

Tornado Watch
A tornado watch is a forecast of the possibility of developing tornadoes in a large area.

Tornado Warning
Means that a tornado has been sighted and is approaching the area in the warning.

Tornadoes vary in magnitude from low velocity winds, which produce small forces on existing structures to high velocity winds that produce large forces and result in heavy damage to structures and other objects in their path. In general, most structures offer little resistance to the physical forces produced by a tornado, whereas, steel framed and reinforced concrete structures may survive resulting force with minor damage. The major forces produced by the tornado phenomena are as follows:

Wind Action
High velocity winds which rotate around a translating vertical axis and produce dynamic forces on structures and other objects encountered.
Impact of Missiles -usually a considerable amount of debris is suspended in the high velocity winds of a tornado. These objects act as missiles and produce damage to structures and other objects in their path.

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Tornado Watch
The Campus Police will notify each building supervisor by phone of impending weather condition. If the building is not designated as a storm shelter, the building supervisor will evacuate the building of all persons to the designated storm shelter. Upon receiving notification of a tornado the resident hall supervisor should notify students of the weather condition.

Tornado Warning
The building supervisors will relocate faculty/staff/students to areas offering the greatest resistance to tornadoes, preferably lowest levels in each building in the hall areas away from windows, glass, etc.

Sketches of the best areas of protection are posted on the buildings safety bulletin board. Follow sketches for best area of protection to relocate students to safest area in building.

RESIDENT HALL PROCEDURES

Public Warning Signal
A five-minute steady blast of the emergency preparedness siren is activated. The signal may be repeated as necessary. The emergency receiver should be monitored constantly.

Residents should proceed to lowest floor of the building. Avoid windows, lobbies or other areas that have wide free spans overhead. Women residents should gather in first floor bathrooms. Residents of male dormitories should proceed to ground floor and gather in the center of the suite, which is the bathroom facility
If warning comes at night or early morning hours, residence hall personnel should awaken everyone to ensure that each student is aware of the warning.

TORNADO SAFETY RULES

• Students should be moved from upper floors to first floor.
• Get into the innermost portions of the building with the shortest span.
• Avoid windows and glass doorways.
• Do not use elevators.
• Do not open windows.
• Get into the inside hallways and close the doors to the outside rooms.
• Building occupants should be seated on the floor with their backs to corridor walls. Coats and jackets, when available, could be used to cover heads, arms and legs, so as to reduce the injuries from flying debris. Protect your head and yourself by making as small a target as possible by crouching down.
• Keep away from the ends of the hallways.
• There is no guaranteed safe place during a tornado. Do not exit the building. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. Designated safe areas are shaded on the diagram on the emergency boards in each building. In Mississippi, tornadoes usually approach an area from the southwest and generally move in a northeasterly direction. However, in a local area the path of the tornado may be erratic. Therefore, if a tornado is sighted anywhere in an area, safety precautions should be implemented.

In an emergency dial 911 first and notify Campus Police

• Know the location of fire extinguishers, fire exits, and alarm systems in your area and know how to use them.
• If a fire exists, activate the building alarm, and report the fire to campus police.
• When the building evacuation alarm is sounded, walk quickly to the nearest marked exit and alert others to do the same.
• Do not return to an evacuated building/site unless authorized by a member of the Emergency Operations Team.
• During the evacuation, direct crowds away from fire hydrants, roadways, and clear sidewalks immediately adjacent to the building. Ask bystanders to assist in watching windows, doorways, etc., for persons that may be trapped inside.

Do Not Attempt To Rescue. Notify Emergency Responders or Fire Department Personnel

Building supervisors should notify Campus Police of break or suspected breaks in utility lines, which might present an additional hazard. Campus Police will notify maintenance and utility companies.

Explosions
If an explosion should occur, remove the person or persons immediately from the site and extinguish the fire if possible. Sound the fire alarm and notify Campus Police. Notify EMS and the Campus Nurse immediately.
Close all doors where explosions occur to isolate smoke and fire.

Report threat immediately to the Assistant to the President, VP for Student Affairs and/or Campus Police. If it is determined that the report has merit, evacuation of buildings will be directed by Campus Police and building supervisors. This should be done in an orderly manner. All persons not involved in search will be moved to a minimum of 300 feet away from building or as directed by officer in charge. If a bomb is found, technical assistance will be requested from the nearest bomb disposal unit. Campus Police, together with building officials, will determine whether evacuation is required.

Evacuation Not Ordered
The responding emergency team (campus police, Ellisville Police, etc…) in concert with employees in the affected area, might conduct a convert search. Employees will be asked to discreetly check their immediate work areas for any suspicious packages, devices, etc.

Evacuation Ordered
The employees of the building will be evacuated 2000 to 3000 feet from the building and responding emergency teams will conduct a search of the area. Employees in the affected area may be asked to assist in identifying or conduction a brief search under the direction of the Incident Commander.

Bomb Threat Call

• Exact location of the bomb.
• Time set to explode.
• What does the bomb look like?
• What is the explosive?
• Why was it placed?

Obtain as much detailed information as possible about the bomb and its location. Legitimate callers usually wish to avoid injury or detection. Request more information by expressing a desire to save lives.

Bomb Threats to Residence Halls
In the event of a bomb threat, immediately notify:

• The Dean of Men or Dean of Women
  The Dean of Men or Women will make the decision whether or not to evacuate after consultation with the Dean of Student Affairs and the Assistant to the President.


• The Campus Police
  Police will notify proper officials


• If evacuation is made:
  Do not touch any suspicious objects.
  Report anything out of the ordinary to residence hall personnel.
  Evacuation should be to a minimum of 300 feet.


• Investigator's report:
  If you receive the call, make yourself available to investigating officers.
  Do not discuss the call with other personnel.

The Campus Police Department provides 24-hour assistance on campus. Immediately contact campus police personnel if hostile or violent behavior, actual or potential, is witnessed.

• Initiate immediate contact with Campus Police officers to ensure that a timely response is begun before a situation becomes uncontrollable.
• Leave the immediate area whenever possible and direct others to do so.
• Should gunfire or explosives hazard the campus, you should take cover immediately using all available concealment. Close and lock doors when possible to separate yourself and others from the armed suspect.
• In the event of a school shooting or other violent threat, immediately notify Campus Police. The campus police will then notify the proper authority and proper campus administrator. Officers in charge will evacuate all persons not directly involved, from the area.

School Shooting Call Checklist

• Exact location of shooting.
• Exact number of gunmen and their descriptions.
• Probable firepower (guns, rifles, etc.)
• Probable number of people in building.
• Approximate number of possible injuries from eyewitness accounts. Obtain as much information as possible about the shooting and its location and possible injuries. Request more information by expressing a desire to save lives.

Violent Intruder

In the event of a violent intruder on campus many decisions will be at the discretion of the instructor. There is no one plan that will work in every situation but here are some suggestions:

• If the intruder is located outside but close to your building, close your classroom door and lock it if possible and close the window blinds. Turn out the lights and move students to a location that would make it difficult for the intruder to see them. For example, if the intruder is walking outside your first story window have the students lay down along the wall closest to the window.
• If the intruder is in your building follow the above but have the students lay down along the wall with the door. It may also be beneficial to barricade the door but remember that you may also be blocking the only exit.
• Should an intruder enter your classroom or office, try to remain calm. Talk to them using your name and the names of those around you as often as possible. Try not to talk in negative or threatening tones and always make things sound like they can have a positive end. Campus Police will call other law enforcement agencies and college officials as appropriate and will evacuate all persons to establish a perimeter around the effected area.

Assault Prevention

• Lock the doors to rooms at all time
• Refrain from propping doors or entrances open
• Refrain from allowing stranger to enter rooms or floors
• Call Campus Police, building supervisor, instructors or resident hall staff for assistance when needed.
• Walk with others while on campus
• Report suspicious person/activities to residence hall staff or Campus Police immediately
• Report crimes immediately to Campus Police
• Take appropriate steps to secure personal property like jewelry, cell phones, stereos, etc.
• Read, understand, and abide by the Guide to Campus Life handbook.
• Provide input to the College about how the campus can be made safer.
• Report instances of obscene or harassing phone calls or conversations.

In the event of an assault: Take the survivor to a safe place, if a severe physical injury does not preclude moving him/her.

Call Campus Clinic at 477-4104. The campus nurse can tell you how best to assist the survivor and furnish the appropriate contact number and/or resources he/she can utilize. After hours call Campus Police (477-4006) for assistance. If the survivor lives in campus housing, call the Resident Assistant on duty and give him/her information without revealing the identity of the survivor. Help the survivor report the assault to Campus Police at 477-4006. If the assault took place off-campus, call 911. If the assault occurred on campus, call 477-4006 or 477-4169.

In the event of a chemical spill, leak or potential release of hazardous materials, Jones College staff and students should:

1. Identify material (dangerous or not).
2. Check for nearby personnel to warn them of the dangers.
3. Evacuate the area.
4. The following information should be known at the time of the incident:
   • Identification of the material
   • Approximate quantity
   • Location of the incident
   • Time of incident
   • Any injuries
   • Location of person making call
5. Contact - Direct questions to Campus Police at 601-477-4006/4169.

Pandemics happen when new (novel) viruses emerge, which can infect people easily and spread from person to person in an efficient and sustained way. Jones College is committed to preparing for such an event. A sub-plan of the college’s Emergency Management Plan is the Pandemic Response Plan that addresses the specific guidelines and actions unique to a pandemic. The major goals of Jones’s pandemic plan are to assure the following:

1. reduce illness and death
2. minimize social and educational disruption
3. ensure the college’s ability to continue core and critical functions
4. minimize economic losses