Cornell University

 


Emergency Response Guide

This guide will help you respond to emergencies on campus. Keep it readily available near your telephone. Review it from time to time.

Reporting a Problem : Animal Incidents : Bomb Threat : Buildings and Utilities : Crime
Earthquake : Evacuation of Buildings : Fire, Smoke, Explosion : Hazardous Material
Mail and Suspicious Objects: Medical and Mental-Health : Weather/Operating Status
Workplace Violence

Reporting A Problem

In an emergency, call 911

What Is a 911 Emergency?

A 911 emergency is any situation that requires IMMEDIATE police, fire, or medical response to preserve life or property.

Call 911 to report problems such as:

In an emergency, seconds count. Calling 911 inappropriately may delay responses to real
emergencies. This guide will help you use your best judgment when deciding whether a situation requires an emergency response.


Campus Emergency Numbers

Police, fire or medical emergencies            911

If you're calling on a Cornell phone, Cornell Police will respond to your call directly and route it to local police, fire, ambulance, and other services.

Facilities-related emergencies:

Campus Live 5-0423
Other facilities 5-5322

Campus Response/Information Services

Cornell Police emergencies: 911
Cornell Police non-emergencies : 5-1111
Environmental Health and safety: 5-8200
Facilities Customer Service: 5-5322
Campus Life Facilities Office: 5-0423
University Operating Status Inclement Weather Phone : 5-3377

University Operating Status Web Site:
http://www.cornell.edu/about/status/index.cfm

University Special Conditions Web Site:
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/SpecialConditions/

In an emergency, you can call 911 on ANY phone in Tompkins County. On the Cornell campus, Cornell Police is the 911 liaison and a primary emergency-response agency.

To report an emergency occurring on campus:

On a regular Cornell phone, dial 911. (Do not dial 5-911 or 9-911.) Cornell Police will respond directly and will route the call to local police or fire departments, or ambulance and other services.

You can also use any outdoor Blue Light phone (situated throughout the campus) or designated emergency phone (in various campus buildings) to report a campus emergency. Just pick up the receiver.

To report a campus emergency to Cornell Police on a cell phone or pay phone, dial 255-1111.


When reporting a 911 emergency, be prepared to give the following information:

Call from a safe location, if possible. Remain calm. Speak slowly and clearly. Do not hang up the phone until the dispatcher tells you to or hangs up.

NON-Emergency Situations

A non-emergency situation does not require immediate attention to preserve life or property. Examples are minor vehicle accidents; disabled vehicles; missing property; excessive noise; and similar police-related matters.

To report a non-emergency situation on the Cornell campus, call:

Animal Incidents

Untrained persons should not attempt to approach animals. Only trained animal technicians should handle animals. Any direct physical contact with an unknown animal, especially if it results in a bite or scratch, could have serious consequences. Such contact should be reported to Gannett: University Health Services at 255-5155 immediately.

Any animal that is wandering loose on campus should be reported immediately to Facilities Customer Service at 255-5322.

If an animal such as a bat or a raccoon is inside a building, try to safely isolate it in a room by closing doors behind it and keeping people away. If you are unable to isolate the animal, call Cornell Police at 911.

Venomous Animals

In the case of a bite or other injury caused by a venomous animal (e.g., a black widow or a
brown recluse spider) or an allergic reaction to an insect or other animal, call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.

Bomb Threat

If you receive a bomb threat by telephone, try to remain calm and get as much information as possible from the caller. Try to write down the caller's exact words and the time of the call. Check to see if the caller's phone number or location is displayed on your phone.

Ask the caller:

Try to notice descriptive or other useful details (preferably write them down):

If the threat came in a form other than a call (e.g., a note was left or delivered):

Buildings and Utilities

Call 911 and evacuate campus buildings according to unit emergency plans (see the last page of this guide) in cases of:

Call 911 and await further instructions in cases of:

For problems in Campus Life facilities:

Call the Campus Life Facilities Office at 255-0423, or the area service center, for problems in Campus Life facilities (including residence halls) such as:

If the problem occurs between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., or on weekends, contact the Residence Life staff on call.

For problems in other campus facilities:

Call Facilities Customer Service at 255-5322 for problems such as:

In electrical emergencies, avoid touching equipment that is smoking, sparking, tripping circuit breakers, or giving electric shocks.

In the case of telephone or computer network failure, call your unit's network administrator, or Cornell Information Technologies at 255-8990, or the Network Operations Center at 255-9900.

In the case of flooding, never enter areas where there is submerged electrical equipment. Only if you are trained to do so and it is safe:

If you are trapped in a stalled elevator on campus, do not try to exit the elevator car through the roof or by forcing the doors. To summon help, use the elevator's emergency telephone, call 255-1111 from a cellular phone, or bang on the doors and shout for assistance. Wait for trained personnel to assist you from the elevator.

Crime

To report a crime or criminal behavior in progress on campus to Cornell Police, call 911 on a regular Cornell phone or pick up the receiver of any Blue Light phone or designated campus emergency phone. To reach Cornell Police on a cell phone or a pay phone, dial 255-1111.

Do not approach or attempt to apprehend the persons involved. Take only actions necessary for self-defense. If you are safe, stay where you are until the police arrive. Otherwise, try to move to a safe location.

Provide as much information as you can, including:

To report non-emergency police-related activities, including crimes that are no longer in progress, missing property, minor auto accidents without injuries, disabled vehicles, etc., call Cornell Police at 255-1111.

Earthquake

Though earthquakes are not a high risk in the Ithaca area, they are possible here.

If you are inside a building and feel it shaking or swaying:

If you are outdoors when you feel shaking:

If you are driving when you feel shaking:

After the shaking has stopped:

Evacuation of Buildings

Leave your building immediately when an alarm sounds or if you are instructed to do so by a university representative. If you are away from your own area, leave immediately by the nearest safe exit and go to your evacuation meeting site. If you are in your own area:

If you are required to leave the building immediately but are unable to (because of a physical disability, injury, or obstruction):

As soon as you have evacuated:


Critical-operations staff must follow the emergency plans for their units. All emergency plans for critical operations must be reviewed and approved by Cornell Environmental Health and Safety. Without prior review and approval, no staff member can remain in a building once an evacuation signal or order has been given.


Fire, Smoke, Explosion



All fires occurring on campus must be reported to Cornell Police, including those that have been extinguished. Do not hesitate to activate a fire alarm if you discover smoke or fire. In that situation:

If you have been trained and it is safe to do so, you can attempt to put out a fire with a portable fire extinguisher. Attempt to extinguish only small fires, and make sure you have a clear escape path. If you have not been trained to use a fire extinguisher, you must evacuate the area.

If clothing is on fire:

Hazardous Material: Chemical, Radioactive, Biological


All hazardous-materials spills on campus must be reported to Cornell Police immediately. Call 911 or use an emergency phone. Be prepared to provide (and spell) the names of the materials involved and to describe the location, size, and nature of the incident.

A hazardous-material emergency exists when:

In a hazardous-material emergency:

Suspicious Mail, Packages, Materials

If you receive or observe a suspicious piece of mail, package or material:

Characteristics of a suspicious piece of mail or package that is received unexpectedly or is unknown may include:

Medical and Mental-Health Emergencies

Call 911 in any emergency that requires immediate police, fire or medical response to preserve a life. This includes:

Health-care consultation is available 24 hours a day. Call Gannett: Cornell University Health Services at 255-5155.

Alcohol Intoxication/Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. Do not allow someone who has drunk too much to "sleep it off." Stay beside the person and call 911 immediately if the person:

Injuries

After calling 911, you may provide first aid if you are trained, it is safe to do so, and the victim consents.

Do not attempt to move an injured person unless it is absolutely necessary to prevent further injury.

Calmly assure the injured person that help is on the way.

Assist emergency personnel in locating the victim and investigating the incident.

For all injuries, the injured person must complete a Cornell University Accident Report. This includes campus visitors, as well as students, faculty and staff. The Accident Report is available at http://www.ehs.cornell.edu by clicking on the Injury Reporting link.

Prepare for medical emergencies by taking first aid and CPR training classes.

For information about health and campus health-care services, go to http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/

Weather/Operating Status

Weather-Related Cornell Closings or Delayed Openings

During severe weather or natural disasters, people may be prevented from entering or leaving campus or off-campus Cornell facilities for hours or days.

Notice of a decision to close or delay opening Cornell will be communicated as quickly as possible by e-mail, phone trees, local radio and television stations, and postings to the Cornell's University Operating Status web site (see below).

Call 255-3377 to hear a recorded message about Cornell closings or delayed openings. Do not call Cornell Police, Facilities Customer Service or radio and television stations.

Winter Ice and Snow Storms

When severe winter weather conditions are predicted, monitor weather reports closely. Information is available from Cornell's:

University Operating Status Inclement Weather Phone: 255-3377

University Operating Status Web Site: http://www.cornell.edu/about/status/index.cfm

University Special Conditions Web Site: http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/SpecialConditions/

In case of fast-developing storms (thunderstorms, tornadoes):

If a tornado alert or warning is given or you see a funnel cloud:

If you are in a building:

If a thunderstorm approaches:

If you are outside during a thunderstorm and there is no shelter nearby:

Workplace Violence

Your actions may help calm a potentially violent situation, or they may escalate the problem. Try to behave in a manner that helps calm a situation:

Avoid exacerbating behaviors:

If someone becomes agitated:

Practice preventive measures:

Unit and Building Information

Building Name:
____________________________________________
Facility Inventory No:____________________________
Address:_____________________________________
Building/Unit Evacuation Meeting Site:
____________________________________________
Alternate Evacuation Meeting Site:
____________________________________________

Building Coordinator's Name:
____________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Alternate Phone: ______________________________
E-Mail:_______________________________________

Emergency Coordinator's Name:
____________________________________________
Phone:______________________________________
Alternate Phone:_______________________________
E-Mail:_______________________________________

Alternate Emergency Coordinator's Name:
____________________________________________
Phone:______________________________________
Alternate Phone:_______________________________
E-Mail:_______________________________________