Revised: 1/19/2005

 

Emergency Operations                                                        UPPS No. 05.04.03
Issue No. 6
Effective Date: 3/21/2003

                                                                                                Review: April 1 E4Y

Attachments I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII

 

 

*01.     POLICY STATEMENTS

 

01.01  This UPPS is designed to outline actions which must be taken for assembling university resources for use in disaster control.

 

02.       PURPOSE

 

02.01  Establish official policy for the operation of university facilities, use of university resources, and deployment of university personnel during emergencies.

 

02.02  Outline procedures for assembling university resources for use in disaster control.

 

03.       COMPOSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISASTER/EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

 

03.01 A standing committee, appointed on September 1 each year by the University President and chaired by the Director of University Police, will develop and review the University's Disaster/Emergency Operations Plan which would be implemented during natural or man-made disasters.

 

03.02  The committee will have the following representation:

 

a.   Academic Affairs

 

b.   Auxiliary Services

 

c.   Facilities Department

 

d.   Materials Management

 

e.   Residence Life

 

f.    Student Health Center

 

g.   University Police

 

h.   Media Relations and Publications

 

i.    Counseling Center

 

j.    Technology Resources

 

k.   Telecommunications Services

 

l.    Human Resources

 

m.  University Attorney

 

n.   Director of Risk Management & Safety

 

03.03  Disaster/emergency operations plans developed by the committee shall include:

 

a.   Identification of university elements essential to disaster control operations.

 

b.   Identification of all individuals to be given the authority and responsibility for directing university elements during emergency operations.

 

c.   Strategy for staffing essential emergency functions.

 

d.   Provisions for coordination of inter-agency resources.

 

e.   Identification of budgetary considerations.

 

f.    Designation of an official university spokesperson who will make all public announcements during emergency operations.

 

g.   A model for organizing disaster control teams to accommodate the following needs:

 

1)   Communications Center

2)   Supply Center

3)   Housing Center

4)   Food Center

5)   Transportation

6)   Legal Matters

7)   Health Services/Medical Treatment

8)   Public Information

9)     Psychological Services

 

h.   Methods of documenting and reporting the following data:

 

1)   Persons assisted

2)   Nature of assistance

3)   Facilities utilized

4)   Human Resource matters

5)   Material

6)   Legal matters

7)   Budgetary/financial reports

8)   Multi-agency communications

 

i.    Records Maintenance/Retention

 

04.       APPOINTMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISASTER/EMERGENCY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

 

04.01  The President of the University shall appoint the Director of the University Police as the Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations. The President of the University shall appoint the senior police officer on duty to perform the Director's duties in the University Police Department Director's absence.

 

04.02  The Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations has the authority to utilize Texas State University-San Marcos property and may commit university resources to assist in disaster operations, including those occurring off-campus.

 

04.03  The Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations is responsible for directing university emergency operations when the Disaster/Emergency Operations Plan (Attachment IV) is initiated; he or she is responsible and accountable for each aspect of the emergency operation.

 

04.04  Upon receipt of information that a disaster has occurred, is imminent, or threatening, the Director of University Police or the senior police officer on duty will notify the Vice President for Student Affairs and make a recommendation regarding initiation of the University Disaster/Emergency Operations Plan (Attachment IV).

 

04.05  Upon notification that a decision has been made to initiate the University Disaster/Emergency Operations Plan (Attachment IV), the Director of University Police or the senior police officer on duty will notify, or cause to be notified, the President of the University, the Director of Disaster/ Emergency Operations, all university vice presidents, and Media Relations and Publications.

 

05.       RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM

 

05.01  The University may experience many crisis incidents, such as the death of a student, or a fire in an off-campus apartment complex that may not be considered disasters which pose an ongoing threat to the safety of the community or functioning of the institution. Some incidents, such as the threat of continuing criminal activity, may threaten the safety of Texas State community members but the threat may not involve physical hazards or damaged or impaired institutional facilities or systems. For these situations, the University has established a Crisis Management Team (CMT) to assess the situation, plan and coordinate an immediate and extended response to the situation, and coordinate assistance to those directly or indirectly affected by the incident.

 

05.02  The primary focus of the CMT is to provide direction and coordination of the University's response to a crisis situation in order to minimize the traumatizing effects and reduce the potential for an extended crisis.

 

05.03 The core members of the CMT are also members of the Disaster/ Emergency Operations Committee. The membership of the CMT is specified in the Crisis Management Plan (See Attachment VII). Where responsibilities of the two groups overlap, such as in providing support to secondary victims (friends, etc., of those injured or killed) of disaster situations, the CMT will operate as a sub-team of the Disaster Committee. Decisions about specific assignments will be made in the context of the operations of the Disaster Committee.

 

06.       PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED DURING EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

 

06.01  Attachment IV outlines the procedures to be followed during emergency operations.

 

06.02 Faculty conducting off-campus classes will be responsible for becoming familiar with emergency operations for the location in which the class is conducted.

 

06.03  Attachment V defines various types of disruptive activity and provides procedures to be followed in the event that such problems arise.

 

a.   Attachment I is Sections 37.123 and 51.935 of the Texas Education Code referencing "Disruptive Activities."

 

b.      Attachment II references Section 42.01 of the Texas Penal Code, "Disorderly Conduct."

 

c.      Student Misconduct is defined by Section 5.2 of Chapter VI of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, Texas State University System (See Attachment III).

 

06.04  In the event of an energy curtailment or when severe weather is imminent, refer to UPPS No. 05.04.02 for procedures to be followed.

 

07.       PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCIES

 

*07.01 The Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations shall maintain a current list of those administrators and department heads to contact if an emergency occurs after normal University working hours.  This list will be distributed to key campus personnel as updates occur.

 

*07.02 The Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations shall also maintain a current list of those administrators, department heads, and alternates who can assist in responding to an emergency. This list will be distributed to key campus personnel as updates occur.  Attachment VI outlines the responsibilities of alternates.

 

*07.03 Attachment VII is the Crisis Management Plan.  Attachment VIII includes the Crisis Management Plan for the Study Abroad program.

 

08.       EVALUATION/REPORTING OF DISASTER OPERATIONS

 

08.01  Upon the completion of a disaster operation, the Director of Disaster/ Emergency Operations will conduct a debriefing session.

 

08.02  The Director of Disaster/Emergency Operations will prepare a complete report on the university involvement in the disaster operation and submit it to the President's Cabinet through the Vice President for Student Affairs within 10 days.

 

09.       REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

 

09.01    Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

 

Position                                                                      Date

 

Chief Ralph Meyer                                                    April 1 E4Y

Director, University Police

 

Ms. T. Cay Rowe                                                       April 1 E4Y

Director, Media Relations and Publications

 

Mr. Pat Fogarty                                                         April 1 E4Y

Associate Vice President for Facilities

 

Mr. Richard Gartman                                                April 1 E4Y

Director, Risk Management & Safety Office

 

Dr. Greg Snodgrass                                                 April 1 E4Y

Director, Counseling Center

 

10.       CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

 

This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

 

Chief Ralph Meyer, Director of University Police; senior reviewer of this UPPS

 

Dr. Joanne Smith, Vice President for Student Affairs

 

Dr. Denise M. Trauth, President