MeredithPlan

CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN

A committee of faculty, staff and students has been established to create a pandemic preparedness and response plan for Western New Mexico University. This committee is currently finalizing the plan which will be posted on the WNMU web site when it is finalized. Questions may be directed to Dr. Chris Farren, VP of Student Affairs and Chair of the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) at farrenp@wnmu.edu or at 575-538-6339.

I. CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN

This plan has been established to cope with major incidents that may endanger human health and safety, property or the ability of the campus to function. The plan defines the roles and responsibilities of departments and divisions during major incidents.

II. RESPONSE PRIORITIES

Regardless of the type of major incident, the following priorities will always apply:

1. Initial Assessment: any event must be initially evaluated for appropriate response measures.
2. Life Safety Assurance: any threat to the lives or safety of individuals must be addressed immediately.
3. Population Welfare: action must be taken to shelter and care for the affected population.
4. Protection of Property: action must be taken to limit and control property damage.
5. Recovery: action must be taken to return to normal operations and fully recover. This phase may include post-incident evaluation, investigations into property damage and personal injury.

III. THE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM LEADER

The Vice President for Student Affairs coordinates the University's response to all major incidents. In his/her absence, another Senior Management Team member shall be directed by the President to act as the Team Leader according to the following sequence:

• Vice President for Business Affairs
• Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Vice President for Institutional Advancement

IV. RESPONDING TO A MAJOR INCIDENT

1. Notify Campus Police by radio or telephone (538-6231) when any emergency occurs.
2. If the event is deemed to be a major incident, Campus Police shall notify the Vice President for Student Affairs, or the Vice President for Student Affairs may deem a situation a major incident based on his/her own information as well.
3. The Vice President for Student Affairs shall call a meeting of the Crisis Intervention Response Team. Campus Police will assist in notifying the Team Members who the Vice President for Student Affairs decides are relevant to the particular incident based upon the specific incident response plan.

V. THE COMMAND CENTER AND RELATED OPERATION CENTERS

The Command Center will be located in the Sierra conference room in the Student Memorial Building. In case of extreme crisis, key members of the CIRT will meet in the Sierra conference room.

In situations when the Silver City campus has been evacuated, the off campus command center will be in Watts Hall.

The Vice President for Student Affairs, who serves as the CIRT Leader, will notify Campus Police to prepare the Command Center (the Sierra conference room). This location provides access to the crisis communication phone bank, extensive documents and procedures for use during an emergency or crisis, and other items as noted in the Campus Crisis Packet.

Phone Bank Location: To communicate with parents, students, and other concerned persons regarding a crisis, a phone bank would be set up in the Command Center.

Gathering space for large group: The Intramural Gymnasium will serve as the designated gathering space for students and others on campus during an emergency. In situations involving severe weather, persons living or working on campus would be directed to the ground floors and interior hallways of buildings.

Generators:A large, diesel powered generator would power the upper and lower levels of the Student Memorial Building to provide lights, heat, and limited cooking functions.

Storage Location for the crisis plan/packet: the crisis packets will be stored in two locations on campus. One packet will be stored in a locked cabinet mounted in the Sierra conference room in the Student Memorial Building. The second crisis packet would be stored in a locked cabinet in the Campus Police offices.

VI. THE CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM

The Western New Mexico University Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) is comprised of the following positions and others may be added or substituted depending on the emergency. The exact membership of the Team will vary depending on the nature of the incident. Incident response will require close communication with the Silver City Fire and Police Departments and/or other mutual aid organizations as needed.

Attachments: Specific Incident Response Plans

Catastrophic Injury or Death of Student(s)

Severe Weather (Tornado)

Fire Incident

Violent, Disruptive or Criminal Behavior (includes harassment and stalking incidents)

On Campus Hostage or Terrorism Incident

Gas Leak

Chemical Spill

Bomb Threat

Incidents Involving Students Studying Abroad

On-campus Evacuation Plan

Off-campus Evacuation Plan

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