General Emergency Response

The time to become familiar with emergency procedures is before an emergency.

Please take time to familiarize yourself with the following information. It is intended to explain our various safety and communication systems and to help you respond to an on-campus emergency. Circumstances of specific emergencies vary and case-by-case judgment is always required.

When Calling About Any Emergency

• Give your name (confidentiality will be respected). 
• Give your extension. 
• Give the building name and room number or other specific location. 
• Describe the condition clearly and accurately. 
• Don't hang up! You may be an important link in an emergency. Other information may be needed and special instructions may be provided. Let the person you are talking to end the conversation.

Communications During a Serious Emergency

In the event of an emergency or severe weather event, information will be posted on the College's emergency message hotline, 610-526-7310, to keep you updated about the impact on the community and to announce any closures or cancellations. Please call this number before calling the Campus Safety dispatcher, if you are seeking information.

The College may also use broadcast emails, text messages, and/or telephone calls, to inform and update the on-campus community. In the case of an urgent or extreme emergency, the College will also use activate an outdoor public address system to distribute an alert signal and voice message. It is important to check your voice mail, texts and email regularly during an emergency condition for possible updates. In case of an extended or severe emergency, information will also be posted on the College's web site, www.brynmawr.edu.
 

General Building Evacuation

• Fire alarms will be used to sound a building evacuation. 
• Exit via stairways. Do not use elevators. You may be trapped or let out into a danger area. 
• Seek out and give assistance to any disabled persons in the area, if you can do so safely. If you cannot assist, alert emergency responders to the situation. 
• Follow instructions of Campus Safety Officers or other properly identified emergency personnel. 
• If time permits:
  • Turn off electrical appliances.
  • Close room doors behind you.
  • Bring your keys with you. 
• Go to an open outside area, away from the building. Gather with other people leaving the building, keeping paths clear for emergency vehicles. Remain with the group so that occupants can be accounted for. 
• Wait for instructions from emergency personnel. Do not re-enter the building until allowed to do so by Campus Safety Officers.

Safety Tip: In emergencies, people tend to try to exit buildings by the same route they entered, even when that exit is blocked. Learn the alternate exit routes from buildings you regularly occupy.

Evacuating People With Disabilities

People with disabilities are advised to be prepared for emergencies. Locate and remember important areas in buildings you frequent including exits, exit routes, areas of rescue assistance, stairways, elevators and telephones. Individuals who will need assistance leaving a building during an emergency are advised to identify in advance someone nearby who can assist you. You should discuss with that person a plan for leaving the building and/or informing emergency personnel of your presence and location so that assistance can be provided.

Resident students are urged to contact the Director of Access Services at 610-526-7351 each semester and request that Campus Safety be informed about your identity and campus residence so assistance can be provided should an emergency occur. You should also inform Residential Life staff in advance about your need for assistance in the event of an emergency in the dormitory. If you need assistance to evacuate, you should identify two individuals (e.g., one Hall Advisor and one student) on your hall beforehand who can assist you and who will inform emergency personnel of your presence in the hall. Discuss with these individuals in advance the specific nature of the assistance you may need.

Employees are also encouraged to contact the Director of Access Services at the above number to identify any particular needs and to request that Campus Safety be informed about your identity and regular work location(s) should emergency assistance be needed.

During an emergency, people with conditions affecting their ability to evacuate a building should take the following steps:

• If a campus phone is available, dial 7911 for Campus Safety, state your location and situation. If using a cellular phone, dial 610-526-7911 to reach Campus Safety. 
• Do not use elevators, which may shut down in emergency situations. Rescue personnel will determine whether circumstances warrant the evacuation of a person who is nonambulatory. 
• Ask for assistance to exit the building, if possible, or to go to one of the following locations: the designated Area of Rescue Assistance, the nearest stairwell with doors that separate the stairs from the hall, or a room with a door and exterior window near a stairway. 
• Note the room number or other identifying features of your location. Ask someone leaving the building to notify emergency personnel of your location and situation.

Seeking Shelter

Severe weather, such as a tornado (rare, but occasionally occurs in this area), or other emergencies may require seeking shelter within buildings. If conditions indicate or if you are instructed to do so:

• Seek shelter in the lowest levels of buildings or an interior hallway, remaining clear of exterior windows and doors. 
• Keep away from overhead fixtures, filing cabinets and book shelves.
• Exit auditoriums, gymnasiums and other rooms with wide free-span roofs, and seek shelter elsewhere in the building. 
• In general, do not leave the building until instructed to do so by emergency personnel. 
• Upon leaving a building, be alert for debris, power lines, gas leaks and other safety hazards.