G17.1.4 Emergency Notifications
Chapter: Chapter 17 – Critical Incident and Emergency Management
Sub-Chapter: 17.1 - Critical Incident and Emergency Planning
Effective Date: 05/08/2018
Revised Date: 02/24/2022
Rescinds: G17-01 - 5/31/2019; G16.3.2 - 7/31/2020
Purpose
To define the role of the Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) in initiating emergency notifications (referred to as emergency alerts) for a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees.
General Order
The Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) will issue an emergency alert to the campus community immediately upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on or reasonably contiguous to and imminently threatening the campus. (17.1.4 e) Emergency alerts may only be delayed if it would compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or mitigate the emergency. Once issued, appropriate follow-up information will be provided.
Process used to confirm a significant emergency or dangerous situation (17.1.4 a)
When IUPD receives a report of a potential emergency or other dangerous situation occurring on or imminently threatening the campus, officer(s) will be dispatched to respond and make an initial assessment. The IUPD will collaborate with other university and campus departments as necessary to confirm the significant emergency or dangerous situation. The responding officer(s), supervisor, or the IUPD dispatch communication center can confirm a significant emergency or dangerous situation based on all available information.
Confirmation means that the emergency or other dangerous situation has been verified. It does not mean that all the pertinent details are known or even available.
Process used to identify the campus population to be notified (17.1.4 b)
Generally, when the IUPD issues an emergency alert it will be sent to the entire campus community. If the significant emergency or dangerous situation is limited to a particular building or segment of the population, the IUPD may collaborate as appropriate with other university and campus departments to issue the emergency alert to the appropriate segment of the campus community.
Process used to determine content of the notification (17.1.4 c)
Upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees, the IUPD will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, collaborate to determine the content of the notification and initiate the notification system.
The content of the emergency alert is developed through planning prior to the emergency or dangerous situation. Templates have been developed for multiple hazards that are able to be sent quickly, requiring minimal editing. The purpose of the initial emergency alert is to put the campus community on alert. Initial alerts may contain very limited information on the nature of what is happening and specific locations.
How the notification system is initiated (17.1.4 d)
IUPD supervisors will authorize the sending of an emergency alert. Once authorized, the IUPD dispatch communication center will primarily be responsible for sending the initial alert via the IU Notify system. IUPD supervisors may also send an initial alert. Notification may be accomplished using a variety of messaging methods which may include one or more of the following:
- Text messages
- Telephone calls
- RAVE Guardian app
- Social media
- Television
- Cable override
- Sirens
- Digital signage
- Website banners
- Face-to-face communications
- Public address systems
The only reason that IUPD will not immediately issue an alert for a confirmed emergency or dangerous situation is if by doing so, in the professional judgement of public safety and campus officials, it will compromise efforts to assist a victim, to contain the emergency, to respond to the emergency, or to otherwise mitigate the emergency. (17.1.4 g)
Follow-up information is provided to the community (17.1.4 f)
Once an emergency alert is sent, the Incident Management Team (IMT) will be activated. The IMT will send subsequent alerts to the campus community as information becomes available and as appropriate.
If new or updated information is not available, and the incident is ongoing, periodic messages will be sent indicating recipients should continue following instructions. If the incident is determined to no longer pose an immediate threat or has been conclusively resolved, a final update message will be sent.
Related Information
Indiana University
- UA-16 Clery Act Compliance
Indiana University Police Department
- G17.1.2 All-Hazards Plan
US Department of Education
- The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting, 2016 Edition: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbookfsa.pdf (Rescinded October 9, 2020)