Purpose

Lindenwood University is committed to the safety and security of all stakeholders. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to employees as it relates to campus emergencies and cancellations.

Scope

These policies apply to all employees and are designed to provide guidance in response to emergencies.

Policy

To see all security documentation, go to the following webpage:

St. Charles Campus

Ryan M. Anderson
Director, Public Safety and Security
1905 First Capitol Suite A
(636) 949-4687
Campus Security: (636) 949-4911
St. Charles Police Department: 911 or (636) 949-3300

Building Exit Plans

Every building has a building emergency exit plan. To access the plans for the St. Charles campus and extension centers, consult the Public Safety and Security webpages. All employees should be familiar with the building(s) they occupy and be prepared to help students and visitors in emergencies.

Employee Injuries and Accidents

In the event of an emergency, 911 should be called immediately. Assistance Towers (with an illuminated blue light on top of the tower) are available and located throughout campus.  Once activated by pushing the red button, the tower will contact the department of public safety on-campus to assist.

Lindenwood University provides workers’ compensation benefits for all employees in accordance with federal, state, and local laws if a compensable injury or illness has incurred in the course of employment.

Employees must immediately report all injuries incurred on the job, no matter how insignificant, to their supervisors. The employee must also immediately complete an incident report in Workday and submit it to the benefits director. Employees who do not wish to seek medical treatment must sign a Declination of Medical Treatment Form and submit it to the Benefits Director. Injured employees must also obtain a signed Service Authorization Form from the Benefits Director to receive any medical treatment. ALL injured employees must seek medical treatment at the nearest Concentra location for any work-related injury. If the medical provider certifies that the injured/ill employee is unable to work, a leave of absence may be initiated.

Students and Guests Injuries and Accidents

At times, members of the campus community and guests suffer injury or illness. In the event of an emergency, 911 should be called immediately. Assistance Towers (with an illuminated blue light on top of the tower) are available and located throughout campus. If the injury or illness is not life threatening, campus security should be called for assistance. An incident report must be completed.

Please note it is important to err on the side of caution and call 911 in instances where individuals appear to be unconscious or are otherwise impaired.

If a student or campus visitor needs to be transported to the hospital, 911 should be called. Employees should not transport students or campus visitors in Lindenwood or personal vehicles. If the student is transported to the hospital, Campus Security will notify a designated emergency contact.

Emergency Messaging System

During emergencies, the university alerts students, staff, and faculty via the Lindenwood instant message system provided by Rave. This important service enables quick mass communication in the event of school closings, severe weather, or campus crises. The service is free to users.

Employees can update their cell phone information to receive emergency texts by logging into the Faculty and Staff Portal. Click on “Emergency Text Messaging” under the Services tab at the bottom of the left menu, and then select the update button. Please allow 24-48 hours for cell phone number updates to take effect.

Additionally, ALERTUS is a software program designed to communicate emergency information through workstation computers connected to the university network. Once activated, it displays a message on network-connected monitors to notify users of important emergency details.

Inclement Weather Policy for Employees

When the campus is closed due to inclement weather, all exempt and non-exempt employees will work remotely unless otherwise directed by their supervisor. Similarly, in the event that classes are canceled and employees are given additional travel time to make it to campus, both exempt and non-exempt staff and student employees will be credited for hours normally worked up to the stated start time. Otherwise, when classes are canceled and the campus remains open, all staff employees, student employees, and service contractors are expected to maintain a normal work schedule.

Essential, nonexempt staff are required to report to campus when the campus is closed and/or starting late. Only when the campus is closed for the entire day will essential, nonexempt staff receive regular pay for all hours actually worked plus emergency or inclement weather pay (up to 8 hours) during the time the campus is closed. Essential employees who do not report to work due to illness on a required inclement weather workday must provide a doctor’s excuse and will not receive closure pay. Essential employees previously approved for vacation are not required to report to work when the campus is closed for inclement weather and will not receive closure pay.

During inclement weather when road conditions are hazardous and may endanger employee safety, supervisors are encouraged to adjust work schedules to allow employees to arrive late or leave early based upon the circumstances. Employee safety is of critical importance. Employees should be allowed to make up any missed work time due to inclement weather during the same work week. Staff employees who are unable to report to work or to make up missed time during the work week may use accrued vacation or sick time.

Inclement Weather Announcements

If weather conditions become potentially hazardous, Lindenwood University will assess the situation with a focus on the safety of faculty, staff, and students while also considering essential services that need to continue despite the adverse weather. Following this assessment and depending on the specific weather conditions (such as tornadoes or snow/ice), an alert will be issued to students, faculty, and staff via Rave system text messaging and Office 365 email. This alert will provide detailed instructions on the required actions and outline any essential services that will remain operational during inclement weather. Closures and schedule alterations due to inclement weather will also be posted on the St. Louis-area television stations KTVI, KMOV, and KSDK.

In the unlikely event that Lindenwood alters the normal work and/or class schedule, an announcement will be posted on the university’s homepage. An announcement will also be distributed via Office 365 email and the Rave system or whatever is deemed most appropriate for the weather conditions.

Separate announcements may be made regarding evening classes; evening classes are defined as those classes starting at or after 4 p.m.

Only the president (or, in the president’s absence, the provost) has the authority to cancel classes in the event of severe weather. The university maintains its teaching, research, and service activities in accordance with established schedules and operational demands. To this end, suspension or cancellation of classes due to inclement weather will be avoided whenever possible. However, because some essential university functions must continue without interruption, campus operations will remain active during severe weather, even if classes are canceled.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - BUILDING LOCKDOWN

Lockdowns are implemented immediately when there is an imminent threat on campus, such as an armed intruder or a situation occurring off-campus that poses a risk to students, staff, and faculty. The duration of a lockdown can vary, lasting from several minutes to several hours, depending on the severity and persistence of the threat.

Lockdown Procedures

Once a threat is verified, students, faculty, and staff will be alerted as soon as safe and reasonable. A Rave alert will, notify students of the lockdown and advise students and staff who are not on campus to stay away. This can be done via text message, email, radio communication, ALERTUS, and/or verbal notifications. Security will use Channel 2 to notify grounds and maintenance staff and Channel 3 to alert residential life staff and building coordinators via radio. Once notified, the residential life staff, maintenance staff, and building coordinators will lock all entry doors and notify students and staff in their building to lock their doors. All radios will switch to Channel 1 for further updates.

Anyone outside when the lockdown is activated should get to a vehicle or go off campus as safely as possible. Faculty, staff, and students who are in an office or classroom should lock the door and turn off the lights. Stay away from windows and await further instructions.

DO NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR FOR ANYONE. Once the situation has been resolved, St. Charles Police or university officials will unlock the door and provide instructions. Once the lockdown is over, a Rave alert will be sent, and security will notify everyone over the radio that the threat is over.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - ACTIVE SHOOTER

Building occupants may become aware of a violent act by the sounds of an explosion, gunfire, scuffling, or by observation of events that could only be intentional acts of violence. The person(s) who observe these life-threatening acts should immediately seek shelter and call 911 and then Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911. 

When contacting 911, give them the following information:

• Location of the shooter and type of weapons
• The number of shooters, if known
• Description of the shooter and type of weapons
• The number of people at your location and if movement, direction of travel.

The building coordinator, if possible, should attempt to communicate to everyone in the building that a perpetrator of workplace violence is in the building. This may be done by using several methods, including telephone, email, or word of mouth. Once the university is aware of the emergency, an emergency notification will be issued. Students, faculty and staff will receive a notification via email, text, or ALERTUS with details about the incident location and instructions to shelter in place while awaiting further updates.

If you are inside the building when violence occurs, do the following:

Escape/Evacuate

• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Leave your belongings inside
• Keep your hands visible
• Don’t let someone slow you down by inaction
• Once outside, stop people from entering the building and go to a safe place
• Call 911 and give the police an update on what is happening

Evade/Hide

• Hide in an area away from the shooter’s view
• Block and lock the door. Use whatever is available to block the door
• Turn off the lights
• Silence your phone
• Stay quiet

Engage/Take Action

• As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger
• Act with physical aggression and attempt to incapacitate the shooter
• Use chairs, tables, or anything with which you can throw or hit the shooter

DO NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR FOR ANYONE.  Once the situation has been resolved, St. Charles police officers or university officials will unlock the door and provide you with instructions. The St. Charles Police and Lindenwood Public Safety & Security will coordinate the building’s security once it is secure.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - SHELTER IN PLACE

What it means to “Shelter-In-Place”

If an incident occurs and the buildings or areas around you become unstable, or if the air outdoors becomes dangerous due to toxic or irritating substances, it is usually safer to stay indoors, because leaving the area may expose you to that danger. Thus, to “shelter-in-place” means to make a shelter of the building 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.

Basic “Shelter-In-Place” Guidance

If an incident occurs and the building you are in is not damaged, stay inside an interior room until you are told it is safe to come out. If your building is damaged, take your personal belongings and follow the evacuation procedures for your building (close your door, proceed to the nearest exit, and use the stairs instead of elevators). Once you have evacuated, quickly seek shelter at the nearest university building. If police or fire department personnel are on the scene, follow their directions.

When to “Shelter-In-Place”

A shelter-in-place notification may come from several sources, including Lindenwood Public Safety & Security, residential life staff members, other university employees, St. Charles government, or other authorities utilizing the university’s emergency communications tools.

How to “Shelter-In-Place”

No matter where you are, the basic steps of shelter-in-place will generally remain the same. Should the need ever arise, follow these steps, unless instructed otherwise by local emergency personnel:

1. If you are inside, stay where you are. Collect any emergency shelter-in-place supplies (i.e. medication, water, food, defensive object etc…) and a telephone to be used in case of emergency. If you are outdoors, proceed into the closest building quickly or follow instructions from emergency personnel on scene.
2. Locate a room to shelter inside. It should be an interior room that is above ground level and without windows or with the least number of windows. If there is a large group of people inside a particular building, several rooms may be necessary.
3. Shut and lock all windows (to create a tighter seal) and close exterior doors.
4. Turn off air conditioners, heaters, and fans.
5. Close vents to ventilation systems as you are able.
6. Make a list of people with you and ask someone (residential life, faculty, or other staff) to call the list to Lindenwood Public Safety & Security so they know where you are sheltering. If only students are present, one of the students should call in the list.
7. Turn on a radio or TV and listen for further instructions. If safe and possible, monitor the university website, university social media platforms and other social media outlets for information.
8. Make yourself comfortable.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - EARTHQUAKE

Earthquakes occur without warning.  Some earthquakes are instantaneous tremors and others are significant sustained events followed by aftershocks. Individuals should take emergency action immediately, and additional actions will be implemented after the quake stops.

An earthquake may cause noticeable shaking of the ground and building. This shaking will vary in intensity (i.e., mild tremors to shaking sufficient to destroy buildings).

When a significant earthquake occurs, occupants should immediately take cover. Seek cover and protection by performing one of the following actions:

• Getting under a desk or heavy table and holding on.
• Kneeling in a corner of an interior wall with your head and face covered.
• Standing in a doorway and bracing your hands and feet against each side. Stay away from glass, bookshelves, and wall hangings.

NOTE: Do not seek cover under laboratory tables or benches, as chemicals could spill and harm personnel.

Once the shaking has stopped, gather valuables and quickly leave the building. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS. All employees should gather at the evacuation assembly area. Occupants who come into contact with a student or visitor should direct them to take appropriate actions. Any occupant that comes into contact with a physically disabled individual should assist that individual or take them to the nearest stairwell landing and seek assistance from an emergency responder outside the building. Building coordinators will facilitate the evacuation of the buildings.

Be prepared for aftershocks. Although smaller than the main shock, aftershocks cause additional damage and may bring down weakened structures. Aftershocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after the quake. Follow the same procedures as for earthquakes.

If building occupants cannot be accounted for, the building coordinator would assist in documenting the names of those missing and supply that list to Public Safety & Security and the St. Charles police.

Campus facilities, Public Safety and Security, and the St. Charles police and fire departments will consult to determine whether employees should return to their workstations or be dismissed for the day. The building coordinator will then provide guidance to students, faculty and staff based on the decision. Updates will also be communicated through a Rave alert.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - FIRE

This section of the Building Emergency Action Plan will be activated in the event of fire alarm activation or fire discovered by building occupant.

Any faculty, staff, student, or visitor who becomes aware of a fire shall immediately activate the building fire alarm system. The fire alarm system will in turn notify all building occupants that a fire emergency exists. This is accomplished through sounding an audible alarm and activating a visual flashing light. The university evacuation policy mandates that the building shall immediately be evacuated. All faculty, staff, students, and visitors will regard any activation of a fire alarm as a true fire emergency unless there has been previous notification of the fire alarm system being tested.

The person activating the fire alarm shall, once safe, contact 911 and advise police dispatch of the situation and then contact Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911.

All occupants will immediately evacuate the building utilizing the posted evacuation routes. Occupants may collect their valuables (purse, coat, etc.) if time permits and should close the door upon leaving. Any occupant who comes into contact with a student or visitor should direct them to evacuate the building. Any occupant that comes into contact with a physically disabled individual should assist that individual from the building and seek assistance from an emergency responder. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS.

Only occupants trained to operate a fire extinguisher should make an attempt to extinguish the fire. Those who have not been trained shall immediately evacuate the building. 

Only if the fire is very small, such as an incipient stage fire, should those trained occupants attempt to extinguish the fire. If the fire is not contained, involves flammable solvents, is spreading rapidly, is partially hidden behind a wall or ceiling, cannot be reached from a standing position, or if it becomes difficult to breathe in the room, one should not attempt to extinguish the fire or cease the attempt to and immediately evacuate the building.      

Once out of the building, all occupants should gather at the evacuation assembly area. The building coordinator will conduct a count of all present and work to determine if everyone has vacated the building. Nobody should leave the assembly area, either to re-enter the building or leave the campus, until advised to do so by the building coordinator.

The building coordinator will provide information to Public Safety & Security, St. Charles City police or fire, or to any other emergency response agencies on the scene. This information may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Location of the fire
• Name and location of disabled individuals requiring evacuation assistance
• Status of the evacuation, personnel missing that may still be in the building
• Special hazards associated with the building

DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING UNTIL FIRE OFFICIALS GIVE THE ALL-CLEAR SIGN.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Implement the Basic Emergency Action Plan for medical emergencies for any injury or illness that requires more than simple first aid.

Immediately contact 911 and then contact Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911.

When reporting the emergency, provide the following information:

• Type of emergency
• Location of the victim
• Condition of the victim
• Any dangerous conditions

Comfort but do not move the victim.

Have someone standby outside the building to "flag down" the ambulance when they reach the vicinity of the building.

Once the victim has been cared for and is transported, normal worker injury reporting procedures should be followed.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - SEVERE WEATHER

This section of the Basic Emergency Action Plan will be activated in the event of a severe weather situation.

In the event of a severe weather situation, a notification will advise building occupants of the type of warning (thunderstorm or tornado) and to implement the Emergency Action Plan - Severe Weather.

Once occupants have been notified of a THUNDERSTORM WARNING, they should take no other steps than to ensure that they are prepared if conditions deteriorate.

Once occupants have been notified of a TORNADO WARNING via text message, email, or ALERTUS, they should gather their valuables and take cover in the nearest severe weather shelter area in the building. Any occupant who comes into contact with a student or visitor should direct them to take appropriate actions. Any occupant that comes into contact with a physically disabled individual should assist that individual to the severe weather shelter areas. Office doors should be closed upon exiting. Building occupants should take cover in the areas determined safe.

The building coordinator should ensure that all building occupants are in the shelter areas and remain there until the "all clear" is given from university officials via text, email, or in-person notification.

If injuries or building damage occurs, notify the St. Charles Police Department at 911 and Lindenwood Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911.

Once the warning period has expired, the building coordinator will give the word for employees and students to return to normal activity.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - UTILITY OUTAGE

Employees will become aware of utility outages by the obvious absence of that particular utility:

• No Lights, computers not working - Electric
• Toilets won't flush, drinking fountains not working - Water
• Inability to place outgoing telephone calls - Telephone
• Building won't warm up during winter - Steam or Gas
• Building won't cool in summer - Electric or chilled water

The building coordinator should contact Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911 to report the problem and obtain any available information.

While a power interruption does not usually cause emergencies within a facility, injuries or hazards may be created by outages. The building coordinator will determine the appropriate course of action. The building coordinator should consider the following issues:

• Dangers from tripping and injuries due to lights being out
• Person(s) being trapped on elevators
• Dangers of extreme heat and cold
• Inability to contact responders if an emergency occurs while telephones are out
• Sanitation problems due to no water

The building occupants will await university leadership decisions regarding the continuance of work in the building during a utility interruption. Any occupant that comes into contact with someone who is physically disabled should assist those individuals.

If laboratory research is underway during a utility interruption and the interruption will affect the research, the research should cease until the utility has been restored. Experiments, chemical processes, and operating electric equipment should be stopped in a manner that would not cause additional problems.

If anyone is trapped on an elevator, immediately call Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911 or 911 for assistance.

BASIC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - WORKPLACE VIOLENCE/TERRORISM

Building occupants may become aware of a violent act by the sounds of an explosion, gunfire, scuffling, or by observation of events that could only be intentional acts of violence. The person(s) who observe these life-threatening acts should immediately seek shelter and 911 and then call Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911.The building coordinator should attempt to communicate to everyone in the building that a perpetrator of workplace violence is in the building. This may be done by using several methods including telephone, email, or word of mouth. Different types of workplace violence require different actions:

Explosion - If an explosion occurs, building occupants should leave the building using the same evacuation plan and procedures as they would for a fire.

Threatening Phone Calls/Bomb Threat - In the event that the facility receives a threatening phone call or bomb threat, the call receiver is to maintain an open line of communication with the caller for as long as possible. As soon as possible, it is necessary for the call receiver to complete the “Threatening Call / Bomb Threat Checklist” with the assistance of Public Safety & Security. Either the caller or someone close by should contact Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911 or St. Charles city police at 911 as soon as possible.

Gunfire - If you become aware of gunfire occurring in the building, take refuge in a room that can be locked. The room should also provide limited visibility to anyone that is outside of it. Secure the door and hide under a desk, in a closet, or in the corner. DO NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR FOR ANYONE. Once the situation has been resolved, Public Safety & Security or St. Charles City police will unlock the door and provide you with instructions.

Physical Threat - If someone's actions pose a physical threat to you, evacuate the area and report these actions to your supervisor. Contact Public Safety & Security at (636) 949-4911.  In the event of any emergency, call 911..

Toxic or Irritant Gas - Immediately evacuate the building using the same evacuation plan and procedures as used for a fire.

Hostage Situation - Immediately vacate the area or seek safe, secure shelter, take no chances to endanger the life of the hostage. Contact St. Charles city police as soon as possible by dialing 911. In the event someone is hurt and/or a fire is caused by these events, advise the St. Charles Police Department of this situation.

The building coordinator and Public Safety & Security will coordinate the building’s security once the incident commander releases the building. This group will also contact building occupants and advise them on when to return to normal activity.

Any occupant who comes into contact with a student or visitor should direct them to take appropriate actions. 

AFTER THE EMERGENCY ACTIONS

The building coordinator will participate in any post-incident critique regarding the emergency. 

The building coordinator will contact the assistant vice president of operations regarding any property damage caused by the incident. In the event an occupant is injured, normal injury reporting procedures should be followed.

The building coordinator(s), and other employees may be asked to assist in preparing a report after implementing this plan. This report shall review emergency actions, their effectiveness, and needed revisions. This report will be shared with employees and forwarded to the university cabinet once completed.