Library Disaster Manual: Emergency Procedures

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

In case of an emergency, call 9-911.  Dialing 9-9-1-1 from any university land line phone will directly connect you with the Bellevue Police Department. You will get the local emergency telephone system. Our location is the Bellevue University Library.  The address is: 1028 Bruin Boulevard, (Building with circle drive and flagpole in front). Once you have hung up, immediately call 557-5000, or simply 5000 when calling from a University land-line phone. This is the phone number for the Campus Safety Office.

Emergency BLUE LIGHT phones are located in each parking lot with direct access to either the Safety Administrator or 9- 9-1-1. Look for blue location lights.

1. Call 557-5000, or simply 5000 when calling from a University land-line phone.  Also contact the Senior Director, Library Services Robin Bernstein, 557-7300 or 402-290-4804 (cell phone). Provide as much information as you can about the emergency including the time the emergency occurred and the necessary steps that were taken.
2. Complete a Bellevue University Incident Report, located in BRUIN in the Employees site under "Forms."
3. The Public Relations Department is solely responsible for releasing any information to the media.  Do not comment or speak to the media should they arrive on the scene or call.

BUILDING EVACUATION

In the event of an evacuation, keep yourself and the public as calm as possible.

Building monitors, Reference and Circulation staff members are responsible for evacuating all persons from the Library Building. The Senior Director, Library Services (or designee) is responsible for evacuating all staff, visitors, etc., from library office areas.  The Senior Circulation Assistant (or designee) should take the cash box with them before leaving the building.

The Library is part of the Blue Team.  Library employees should rally at the corner of Galvin Road and Bruin Blvd. in the Administration Building parking lot.  At the rally point, the staff members should be counted to ensure that all are safe.  A map outlining the designated tornado shelters and evacuation routes is on the last page of this manual.

On evenings and weekends, all Reference and Circulation staff members are responsible for evacuating all patrons and other staff from the building.  If possible, Library Staff should verify that all persons are evacuated from the Learning Commons, Classroom 480, the Conference Room, The El Camino Latino Center, and the hallway bathrooms.

After an evacuation, document the circumstances on an Incident Report (including date, time and complete description of the situation).  Incident Report forms are located in BRUIN under Forms. A courtesy e-mail should also be sent to the Senior Director of Library Services. 

Periodic test drills (fire drills) are conducted on a regular basis to prepare employees for possible disasters and to determine the effectiveness of the emergency plan.

The Bellevue University Senior Management requires that each department develops an emergency action plan that details actions to be taken in the event that the primary operating location is closed for severe weather or other natural disasters. To be effective, the plan should include detailed procedures for the following:

• Processes that assure the continuation of essential business functions to meet student/course requirements that include: online course availability; voicemail/email response in support of student inquiries; technical support that allows working from alternate locations (e.g., home).
• At a minimum, managers of departments that interface directly with students or prospective students should instruct their employees to periodically check emails and voicemails and assure proper notification is in place on appropriate systems advising of the out-of-office situation.
• Establish two-way communication between managers and employees, as necessary.