To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Lieutenant Todd Short" <dpscomments@illinois.edu>

Reply-To: dps-mail@illinois.edu
 Subject: ANNUAL TEST OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE/EVACUATION PLANS

Members of the Campus Community,

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently completed a test 
of our emergency response and evacuation plans. The test included two 
components: a drill and an exercise. The drill (a test of our Illini-
Alert emergency notification system), was conducted on October 18, 2011 
at 10:00 am.  This drill was announced via a campus mass mail and Eweek 
notice.  The Illini-Alert system sent an email to the Illinois.edu 
addresses of all active faculty, staff, and students.  Those who have 
registered alternate email addresses also received an email 
notification.  Those who have registered a cell phone were sent a text 
message during this drill. 

In an attempt to increase the speed and breadth of emergency 
communications, the campus recently increased Illini-Alerts modes of 
emergency communication to include Facebook and Twitter.  This multi-
modal approach provides a robust communication engine that will continue 
to function successfully even if there is a failure of one mode of 
communication.
 
If you have not signed up to receive emergency messages through Illini-
Alert, please visit emergency.illinois.edu to register.   

The second component of the test was a tabletop exercise conducted on 
October 26, 2011 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Champaign County 
Emergency Operations Center.  The exercise was announced via a campus 
mass mail and Eweek notice.  The tabletop exercise involved multiple bomb 
threats including one device that detonated in a campus building.  The 
exercise scenario tested various components of the Campus Emergency 
Operations Plan, including evacuation procedures. 
 
Summary of Emergency Response Plan

The University Campus Emergency Operations Plan includes information 
regarding the roles and responsibilities of those operating in the campus 
Incident Command Post and Emergency Operation Center; operating status 
parameters; incident priorities and performance expectations; shelter-in-
place and evacuation guidelines; and local contingency and continuity 
planning requirements.  University departments are responsible for 
developing their own emergency action plans and continuity of operations 
plans for their staff and areas of responsibility.  The University 
conducts numerous emergency response exercises each year, such as 
tabletop exercises and tests of the emergency notification systems on 
campus.  These tests are designed to assess and evaluate emergency plans 
and capabilities of the institution. 

University of Illinois police officers and supervisors have received 
training on the National Incident Management System which includes use of 
the Incident Command System.  This federally mandated training is 
designed to assist first responders in responding to and managing 
critical incidents.  If a serious incident occurs that causes an 
immediate threat to campus, personnel from the University of Illinois 
Police Department, Urbana Police Department, Champaign Police Department, 
Urbana Fire Department, Champaign Fire Department, PRO Ambulance and 
ARROW Ambulance will usually be the first on scene.  Personnel from these 
agencies typically respond and work together to manage a critical 
incident.   Depending on the size, scope and seriousness of the incident, 
other University departments and/or other local or federal agencies could 
also be involved in the response.  

General information about the emergency response and evacuation 
procedures for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are 
publicized each year as part of our Clery Act compliance 
efforts.  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Annual 
Security Report can be viewed at 
http://www.dps.illinois.edu/universitypolice/asr2010.pdf.  Additional 
information, including a copy of the Campus Emergency Operations Basic 
Plan, can be found at 
http://www.police.illinois.edu/emergencyplanning/ceop.html. 
 
Summary of Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Evacuation drills are coordinated by University Housing, Code Compliance 
and Fire Safety and local fire departments each semester for all 
University Residence Halls to ensure that emergency response and 
evacuation procedures are tested at least twice each year.  Students 
living in University Residence Halls learn the locations of emergency 
exits in the buildings and are provided guidance about the direction they 
should travel when exiting each facility for a short-term building 
evacuation.  Residents are not told in advance about the designated 
locations for long-term evacuations because those decisions are affected 
by time of day, location of the building being evacuated, the 
availability of the various designated emergency gathering locations on 
campus, and other factors such as the location and nature of the threat.  
In these cases, University Housing staff and/or first responders on scene 
will communicate information to students regarding the developing 
situation or any evacuation status changes.
 
The purpose of evacuation drills is to prepare building occupants for an 
organized evacuation in case of a fire or other emergency. At the 
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, evacuation drills are used as 
a way to educate and train occupants on fire safety issues specific to 
their building.  Prior to conducting drills, University Housing residents 
are provided a brochure with emergency evacuation information.  
Additionally, evacuation routes are posted on the doors of resident hall 
rooms.  During drills, occupants practice procedures and familiarize 
themselves with the location of exits and the sound of the fire alarms.  
In addition to educating occupants about the evacuation procedures during 
the drills, the process also provides the University an opportunity to 
test the operation of fire alarm system components.

Evacuation drills are evaluated by University Housing staff, Code 
Compliance and Fire Safety and local fire departments to review egress 
and behavioral patterns.  Reports are prepared by participating 
departments that identify deficient equipment so that repairs can be made 
immediately.  Recommendations for improvements are also submitted to the 
appropriate departments/offices for consideration.

Students who reside in University Residence Halls receive information 
about evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures during their first floor 
meetings and during other educational sessions they can participate in 
throughout the year.  University Housing staff members are trained in 
these procedures as well and act as an on-going resource for the students 
living in residential facilities.

Shelter-in-Place Procedures 
What it Means to Shelter-in-Place

There may be emergencies that arise that do not afford individuals the 
opportunity to safety evacuate.  During these types of emergency 
situations, sheltering-in-place may be necessary.  Sheltering-in-place 
means to stay inside a known, safe area to avoid adverse conditions in an 
exterior environment.  Examples of emergencies where the shelter-in-place 
option may be necessary and/or preferred include severe weather (tornado) 
or an active shooter situation.  This may also include a fire emergency 
for persons with disabilities that are not able to leave the building on 
their own or if the elevator is recalled during a fire.

Basic Shelter-in-Place Guidance

If an incident occurs that does not present a safe opportunity to 
evacuate, find an immediate place of safety and stay there until it is 
safe to come out.  This may include locking the door(s) or barricading 
the ingress/egress point(s) of the area you are occupying.  It may also 
include covering the windows to decrease visibility of the occupied 
area.  

If an incident occurs where a shelter-in-place option is not possible, 
leave the area immediately following the evacuation procedures for your 
building.  Follow the directions of police and/or fire personnel if they 
are on scene of the incident.

How You Will Know to Shelter-in-Place

A shelter-in-place notification may come from several sources, including 
the University of Illinois Police Department (via the Illini-Alert 
emergency notification system), the Office of Public Affairs, other 
University employees, or other authorities utilizing the University?s 
emergency communications tools.

How to Shelter in-Place

If an incident occurs where sheltering-in-place is the best option, 
follow these steps, unless instructed otherwise by emergency personnel:

These steps should only be followed if safe to do so:

-Once aware of the emergency, seek or remain in a location deemed safe 
from the affected area.

-Once within a safe area, attempt to secure the space in whatever 
reasonable manner is applicable.

-Stay in the area of safety and remain quiet, unless making noise would 
be beneficial to your safety (i.e. rescue or recovery).

-Stay away from objects which may lead to an injury.

-Do not leave the area of safety until you are notified that the 
emergency is no longer a threat to personal safety.

The Division of Public Safety hopes this information is useful to all 
those who work, study and visit our campus community.  Best wishes for a 
safe and productive year.

Lieutenant Todd Short
University of Illinois Police Department
Office of Campus Emergency Planning
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chief of Police

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