Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Policy Statement

Adelphi University has implemented evacuation procedures to ensure safety for all faculty, staff, students and visitors on campus.

Reason for Policy

Inform faculty, staff, and students on how to evacuate Adelphi’s campus buildings during an emergency.

Who Is Governed by this Policy

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Policy

On occasion, the University must evacuate a building or buildings. Although evacuations are usually fire related (fire alarms, fire drills) evacuations are not always fire related. A structural issue, threats both natural and man-made may also necessitate an evacuation. In order to provide the University community with a safe and orderly evacuation everyone’s assistance is required. Faculty, administrators and staff need to be informed and must act appropriately in a leadership role when an occasion to evacuate a building or buildings is necessary. Knowing what to do and how to respond to an emergency is of utmost importance to the safety of others as well as yourself. Some faculty and/or staff may be requested to take on the added title and responsibility of Evacuation Warden. Those who agree to act in that capacity will receive training in properly responding to a building evacuation.

In any evacuation the goal is for all within an affected building to evacuate quickly and safely to an area outside and away from the building, and not to re-enter until directed to by the Department of Public Safety, the police or fire departments.

Definition

This policy does not have definitions associated with it at this time. Upon periodic policy review this area will be evaluated to determine if additional information is needed to supplement the policy.

Procedures

Drills and tabletop exercises are conducted with the Garden City Police and Fire Departments each year on a minimum of three occasions. Following the drills and tabletop exercises, assessments and evaluation of the university’s emergency operation plan to determine the plans compatibility to actual emergencies and where improvements can be made. The plan is updated each summer if any updates and/or deletions are needed.

Public Safety conducts announced and unannounced drills and exercises. All drills and exercises are evaluated, documented, and records are maintained by a Public Safety Captain who is also the Emergency Management trainer and supervisor.

Garden City Campus

Appropriate action during an emergency evacuation depends on preparation. It is the responsibility of University employees to be aware of and be familiar with the emergency evacuation procedures. The procedures are intended to minimize injury, loss of life, damage to property, and insure an orderly evacuation of a building.

Anyone having evidence of, or seeing an immediate threat to life due to a fire or smoke condition, should go to the nearest fire alarm pull station and activate the alarm. Do not attempt to put a fire out unless there is a fire extinguisher nearby and the fire is small and under control.

Upon evidence of an emergency or at the direction of the Department of Public Safety and Transportation, the Garden City Police Department, Garden City Fire Department, or Evacuation Wardens, faculty and staff members in adjacent buildings shall assume responsibility for the evacuation of their building in an orderly manner.

Evacuation of buildings should be made through the nearest safe exit. There may be times when conditions warrant the use of other non-affected buildings for refuge. If directed, persons should proceed to the University Center, Center for Recreation and Sports, the Performing Arts Center, or the Swirbul Library. Fire hydrants, streets, and driveways must remain accessible to emergency vehicles. The Adelphi Department of Public Safety and Transportation will assist with the evacuations as personnel resources permit. The Department of Facilities Management shall proceed to the Incident Command Post (ICP) to offer technical assistance to emergency responders. Evacuation Wardens, faculty, and staff members will assist in maintaining order in the assembly areas until permission to re-enter has been given. Evacuation Wardens must report results and observations to an official of the fire department or Department of Public Safety.

If an incident occurs and the buildings or areas around you become unstable, or if the air outdoors becomes dangerous, it is usually safer to stay indoors, because leaving the area may expose you to that danger. Therefore the implementation of “shelter-in-place” is activated which means to make a shelter of the building that you are in, and with a few adjustments, this location can be made even safer and more comfortable until it is safe to go outside.

General Building Evacuations

1. Always know at least two (2) escape routes and emergency exits from your building.
2. Learn where the nearest fire alarm pull station is.
3. Know how many doors are between your room and the exit stairwells in the event that you might have to crawl to safety because of heavy smoke.
4. Take time to focus on a mental picture of the route you intend to use to exit your building.
5. Check your door before you open it. Feel with the back of your hand, and if it feels hot to the touch, do not attempt to leave. Without haste, contact the Department of Public Safety and Transportation or 911. Remain calm and inform the answering officer of your name, location, and nature of the emergency. Next, go to the window and wait there to attract arriving Fire Fighters.
6. In the event that you are able to exit your room do the following:
   • Take an outer garment with you
   • Close the door behind you.
   • Calmly proceed to the nearest safe stairwell while knocking on all other resident doors alerting them of the emergency condition.
   • Assist anyone with special needs.
   • Use the stairs only. Never take the elevator. Smoke rises into elevator shafts.
   • Stay on the right side of the stairwell as you descend in order to allow fire fighters enough room to quickly move to the emergency floor.
   • Exit building and move 150 feet from the entrance in order to allow others to safely exit and Fire Fighters to move freely to the emergency.
   • Re-enter the building only upon the orders of the Fire Department or public safety.
   • Finally, never think that it’s probably just another fire drill, or it’s not really a fire or other emergency requiring evacuation.

Adelphi University Centers: Hudson Valley, SFC-Brooklyn, and Hauppauge

The Centers are in leased spaces and a shared building. Emergency evacuation drills are conducted by the building management personnel and are guided by the local code. There are no residence halls at any of the centers. Public Safety from the main campus in Garden City will go to these centers and train the individuals at the center on campus evacuation and procedures.

Testing the Emergency Operations Plan and Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Adelphi University will test of our Emergency Operations Plan (E.O.P.). annually per the Clery Act (Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act). We are required to (1) test the university emergency response and evacuation procedures on at least an annual basis, and (2) publicize our emergency response and evacuation procedures, along with a summary of the test. The publishing of the “Annual Notification of Emergency Response Testing and Procedures *YEAR*” will be posted on the News and Announcements web page under adelphi.edu/safety-transportation/.

For more information on Emergency Evacuation Procedures please see the Adelphi University Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Forms

Adelphi University Annual Security Report and Fire Evacuation Tips (PDF)

Adelphi University Emergency Procedures Brochure (PDF)

Hostile Intruder Run-Hide-Fight Flyer (PDF)

Related Information

Emergency Operations Plan has access to “Evacuation of Campus Buildings” and “Hostile Intruders and Lockdowns”: 

• Evacuation of Campus Buildings (PDF)
• Hostile Intruders and Lockdowns (PDF)
• Lockdown Procedures
• Code of Conduct
• Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report (PDF)
• Public Safety News and Announcements

Document History

• Policy Origination Date: Not known
• Last Reviewed Date: July 30, 2024
• Policy Reviewed by: Policy Owner and Policy Experts
• Last Approval Date: July 30, 2024

Who Approved This Policy

John Siderakis, Vice President of Administration and Executive Leadership