1.3.4 - EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Xavier University will immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation, occurring on the campus, involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students and employees on campus. In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, the University has implemented a comprehensive communications system with the primary method of communication being the XU ALERT ME System (Text, Phone, email, and electronic message signs, where available) to provide prompt warning notifications and alerts of immediate threats to the health and safety of members of the campus community. The University may also use additional communication methods including outdoor mass notification system, University website notices, Public Address System (where available), and building fire alarm systems.

Members of the Xavier community are automatically signed up for immediate email notification through Xavier University XU ALERT ME. Additionally, all students are automatically signed up to receive immediate phone notification though the XU ALERT ME system if the student registered a phone number during the enrollment process. Others may check the University website at www.xavier.edu and the Xavier Safety site at www.xavier.edu/safety for updates during an emergency on campus.

The XUPD is primarily responsible for confirming that there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation on campus that could cause an immediate threat to the health and safety of the members of the campus community. The XUPD may be assisted in confirming an emergency by other XU administrators, the local first responder agencies and/or the National Weather Service. For example, there are other departments on campus that could be in a position to assist with confirming certain types of emergencies, such as a pandemic flu outbreak, etc. The Office of University Communications, the XUPD, and/or Clery Compliance and Safety Coordinator have access to the systems to notify the campus community of immediate threats that have occurred and necessitate evacuation, shelter in place, or other action on the part of students, employees, and campus visitors. These departments, in conjunction with the Xavier University Campus Emergency Response Team, have the authority to determine the appropriate segment or segments of the campus community that will receive alerts, to determine the content of the alert, and to initiate the notification system.

Xavier University will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the judgment of the first responders (including, but not limited to: XUPD, CPD/NPD, and/or the CFD/NFD and Emergency Medical Services), compromise the efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.

In the event of a failure in the systems (technology) listed above, the University may use face-to-face communication. The University typically provides follow-up information to the community using the same systems that were used to send out the original alert. The information will also be updated on the Xavier University Safety website.

Members of the larger community, such as parents, neighbors, etc. interested in receiving information about emergencies on campus may access the Xavier University Safety website at www.xavier.edu/safety and via local and/or national news coverage.