Emergency Closing Procedures

School of Public Health Policy

Note: The decision to close SPH for employees and the decision to close SPH for classes are made independently of one another. The School may be closed for non-essential employees but classes may be held, or vice versa.

Note: A backup person is designated for each responsible party in these processes. That person will fill a role in the absence of the responsible party. When both parties are absent, decision making and notification responsibility will move up rather than down the chain.

Emergency Closings for Employees

Decision

The decision to close the School for non-essential employees is made by Medical Campus administration (provost; vice president and associate vice president) in consultation with the dean of SPH and other Medical Campus deans. The SPH associate dean for administration & finance serves as backup for the SPH dean.

A list of essential SPH employees will be developed and maintained by the associate dean for administration & finance. This will specifically designate those employees who are essential when the School is closed for employees but classes are not canceled. The Talbot reception desk must be covered during working hours when classes are in session.

Notification

Once informed of an emergency closing decision, the dean or the associate dean will notify the SPH manager of operations or her backup, the assistant to the deans, who will then:

  • Contact the director of communication, the SPH web master, or her backup in order to put an employee closure message on the Insider and on the SPH home page;
  • Record an employee closure message on the main SPH telephone number; and
  • Send a broadcast email to SPH faculty (including part-time faculty) and staff.

Since SPH closes for employees when, and only when, the Medical Campus closes, and since Medical Campus administration contacts campus offices (e.g., Control Center) and TV and radio stations about campus closings, there is no need for SPH to notify campus offices and the media for a separate SPH listing. Because employee closing notices will be posted in the media and distributed by web posting, phone message, and email, we will not maintain or activate an SPH phone tree.

Emergency Closings for Classes

Decision

The decision to cancel SPH classes is made by the associate dean for education.

For more information about course cancellations and when students will know if courses are canceled, please refer to the Student Insider.

Notification

Once a decision is made to cancel classes, the associate dean will notify both the director of student services or her backup and the manager of operations or her backup.

The director of student services will:

  • Notify the TV and radio stations;
  • Send a broadcast email message to the student listserv; and
  • Notify the Educational Media Center

The manager of operations will:

  • Contact the director of communications, the web master, or her backup to put a class cancellation message on the Insider and on the SPH home page;
  • Record a class cancellation message on the main SPH telephone number;
  • Send a broadcast email to SPH faculty (including part-time faculty) and staff; and
  • Notify the relevant BU Medical Campus offices including:

- Central Control
- Security (A security guard will staff the Talbot front desk from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekday evenings regardless of whether classes are held.)
- Telecommunications HELP desk

Boston University Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures

To report an emergency or suspicious activity: Call the Boston University Police Department at 617-353-2121 on the Charles River Campus and Public Safety at 617-414-4444 on the BU Medical Campus.

All teaching faculty are urged to join “Send Word Now,” the Boston University Alert System, so they will get emergency communications. Emergencies cover a range of events from weather to chemical spills to violence.

To be notified through the Send Word Now system, go to The Links, select employee link, select “BU Alert” under the Personal menu, and enter your cell phone number as the number of choice. You may also opt to get emergency emails through this system.

Students are required to be on the Send Word Now system and will get emergency communications as events unfold.

Shelter in Place: General Guidance

Although it is unlikely that we will ever need to shelter in place, it is helpful to know what to do, just in case. No matter where you are, the basic steps of shelter in place will generally remain the same.

  1. If you are inside, stay where you are unless the building you are in is affected. If it is affected, you should evacuate. If you are outdoors, proceed into the closest building or follow instructions from emergency personnel on the scene.
  2. Locate an interior room to shelter inside. If possible, it should be above ground level and have the fewest number of windows. If sheltering in a room with windows, move away from the windows. If there is a large group of people inside a particular building, several rooms maybe necessary.
  3. Shut and lock all windows (for a tighter seal) and close exterior doors.
  4. Turn off air conditioners, heaters, and fans. Close vents to ventilation systems as you are able. (University staff will turn off ventilation systems as quickly as possible).
  5. Make a list of the people with you and ask someone to call the list in to BUPD or BUMC Public Safety so they know where you are sheltering and who is with you. If only students are present, one of the students should call in the list.
  6. Await further instructions. If possible, visit the BU or BUMC main web pages for incident updates, or call the BU Information Line 617-358-SAFE (7233), which will have prerecorded instructions.
  7. Make yourself comfortable and look after one other. You will get word as soon as it is safe to come out.

Evacuation

An evacuation will be considered if the building you are in is affected or if people must move to a location of greater safety. If the fire alarm sounds, always evacuate. In the event of an evacuation, please gather your personal belongings quickly (purse, keys, BU ID card, etc.) and proceed to the nearest exit. Do not use the elevator. Once you have evacuated the building, proceed to your primary rendezvous location.

BU Alert

BU Alert provides free notification by email or text message during an emergency. If you receive a BU Alert notification during class, you are encouraged to share the information immediately.

General Classroom Safety Tips

  • Know your building location, name, and classroom each semester you teach.
  • Know the locations of safety features in and near your classroom, including fire extinguisher.
  • Know where the nearest staircase is (in general, do not use elevators in emergencies).
  • Bring your cell phone to class.
  • Program the following numbers into your cell phone:
    • Emergency contact person at BUSPH, Mary Murphy-Phillips, 617-335-9884 (cell)
    • BUMC Command and Control 617-414-4444
    • 911
  • Keep your classroom door closed at all times.
  • Plan how you and your students will exit the building quickly in an emergency.