Home » Levels of Response and Related Roles
VTSU strives to manage and respond to campus emergency incidents rapidly and effectively through clear leadership, effective management, and timely response. This section details the levels of response, as well as the roles and responsibilities that various members of the organizational structure will typically hold in an incident.
Levels of Response
Poses limited impact on location operations or services; requires individual department response, resources, and coordination. Incidents may include, but are not limited to minor water leaks, minor chemical or fuel spills, brief power outages, local traffic accidents, small fires, or network outages. Activation of a VTSU campus Emergency Operation Center (EOC) activation is optional. All VTSU Executive Leadership team members are notified by the Dean of Students or Associate/Director of Public Safety as soon as emergency response priorities are in motion (e.g., 911 call or initial utility failure report) or within two hours of the reported emergency.
Poses a significant risk to the campus community, entirely or in part, and considerably impacts overall location operations/services. It may require additional campus resources or external agency resources and coordination. Incidents may include but are not limited to utility (e.g., heat, electricity) for more than 6 hours, severe weather that threatens location infrastructure, larger chemical or fuel spills, and bomb threats. Activation of a VTSU campus EOC may be necessary. All VTSU Executive Leadership team members are notified by the Dean of Students or Associate/Director of Public Safety as soon as emergency response priorities are in motion (e.g., 911 call or initial utility failure report) or within thirty minutes of the reported emergency
Poses a significant threat to safety at a VTSU campus. Likely to require additional campus resources or external agency resources and coordination. Incidents may include but are not limited to, long-term utility loss, major chemical or fuel spills, active shooters or other active threats, or a natural disaster. Activation of a VTSU campus EOC is necessary. All VTSU Executive Leadership team members are notified by the Dean of Students or Associate/Director of Public Safety as soon as emergency response priorities are in motion (e.g., 911 call or initial utility failure report) or within thirty minutes of the reported emergency.
Response Roles
VTSU has designated EOCs at each primary VTSU location (see appendices). When an incident impacts an area adjacent to VTSU property or where significant external resources are required to manage an incident, the VTSU EOC may become part of another EOC operated by another local, state, or federal agency.
During an incident, media members will be directed to a designated Joint Information Center (JIC) for information and updates. The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for the JIC setup, use, and breakdown. The PIO will coordinate with external PIOs and the VTSU President or designee to disseminate information if necessary.
VTSU utilizes an emergency notification system to provide immediate emergency notification to the community. Notification occurs when confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees takes place on campus. The VTSU Public Safety Department will immediately notify the University community using an established emergency notification procedure (RAVE Mobile Safety) which will include:
- Nature of incident
- Location of incident
- Actions to be taken
Some VTSU locations have additional emergency alert capabilities, such as an audible campus siren system and video kiosks.
