Prepare for an Emergency

Emergency Prep for BU Students, Faculty & Staff

Carry your Terrier Card with you at all times for identification and access to streets and buildings.

At the beginning of each semester, make sure to familiarize yourself with:

- Your classroom, office, and/or workspace
- The location of the closest emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, AEDs, first aid kits, etc.)
- Two emergency exit routes out of the building
- Evacuation routes and emergency plans
- Fire response procedure
- What “shelter in place” means and the BU shelter in place procedures

Staff should also familiarize themselves with their department’s Continuity of Operations plans.

Make an Emergency Plan

Plan with your roommates and family: what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate. Taking the time before the next disaster to develop and practice your Emergency plan will help keep you and your family safe, protect your property, and build your community’s resilience.

A personal emergency plan should include:

Meeting Locations

Select two meeting locations. Choose one location close to your residence and another farther away in case you need to evacuate or can’t return to the area.

An Emergency Contact Plan

Ask an out-of-state friend or relative to serve as your emergency contact. After a disaster, it is sometimes easier to call long-distance to unaffected areas.
Provide every roommate or family member with the name, address, and phone number of the emergency contact and make sure everyone has a cell phone or a prepaid phone card.
Inform your emergency contact of any roommate’s or family member’s special needs or medical issues.
List emergency contacts in cell phones as “ICE” (in case of emergency), which will make it easier for first responders, health workers, or emergency management personnel to contact the right person in an emergency.
Plan how you will communicate if cellular phones and landline phones are inoperable:
- Teach all roommates and family members how to communicate via text messaging. Text messages often will be delivered even when cellular systems are overloaded and phone calls will not go through.
- Learn how to communicate via social media platforms: social media can be used to let friends and family members know your location and status.
- Use the interactive American Red Cross Safe and Well website to register yourself as “safe and well” or search for friends and family members after a disaster.

Evacuation Plans

Your personal emergency plan should include an evacuation plan, and you should practice how you will evacuate your residence in an emergency.
Establish possible evacuation routes that you may use to leave your community during an emergency. Talk to your local emergency management director to learn about your community’s evacuation routes.
Identify available modes of transportation:
- Make arrangements with roommates, family, neighbors, friends, or use public transportation if you don’t have personal transportation.

Shelter-in-Place Plans

Because it may be safer to remain within your home during an emergency, your Personal Emergency Plan should include instructions for sheltering in place.

Designate a safe room within your home. This room should have:
- As few windows and doors as possible
- Access to television, radio, and telephones
Ensure you have the necessary supplies and can access your emergency kit.
If you receive medical treatment or home healthcare services, work with your medical provider to determine how to maintain care and service if you are unable to leave your home for a period of time.
Review tips to safely shelter in place.

Considerations for Roommates and Family Members with Access and Functional Needs, and Pets

Plan for everyone in your household, including individuals with access and functional needs, seniors, children, and pets.