Emergency Response and Crisis Plan

Download Crisis Response Plan

Introduction and Philosophy Statement

This is a guideline for individuals to respond to students in acute psychological distress, natural and/or man-made disasters which may occur on any of the Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) campuses. This plan has been developed to reflect the mission, vision, and values of Trinidad State Junior College. All members (students/faculty/staff) of the College community must be familiar with the activation process. Review of these guidelines is important for emergency preparation. Questions and requests for staff training may be directed to the Safety Committee, or the Suicide Prevention Committee, via the Vice President of Student/Academic Affairs or Vice President of Institutional Development.

Trinidad State Junior College's goal is to provide effective, multi-faceted approaches to the identification, prevention and assistance offered to individuals who may be experiencing distress on any of our campuses. These guidelines are meant to be viewed as possible solutions and not as rigid and/or inflexible, specifically when dealing with a student in acute psychological distress.

Note: During any crisis situation, the safety and welfare of building occupants will take precedence over physical assets. Any individual behavior that is disruptive to the community may be addressed utilizing the disciplinary process.

Scope

This plan applies to the lives, buildings and grounds that comprise TSJC's campuses. However, we recognize that local, national or world events could also affect TSJC. In addition, off-campus incidents, involving TSJC students, faculty or staff may also result in activation of the plan.

The Crisis Response Plan is intended to serve as an administrative guideline for multiple emergency situations, including students, faculty and staff in acute psychological distress. Some departments within the College may also develop and maintain their own unit specific plans provided that those plans are consistent with this plan and approved prior to final adoption by the President.

It will be the responsibility of the Safety Committee and the Suicide Prevention Committee members to review and recertify the Trinidad State Junior College and department specific Crisis Response plans on an annual basis.

Purpose

The overall purpose of this plan is to prevent or minimize the impact of a crisis on the college and to maximize the effectiveness of the college in responding to and recovering from crisis.

Specifically, the Crisis Response Plan is designed to accomplish the following:

• Formulize policies and procedures to be followed in each crisis situation.
• Organize and train staff to respond effectively in a multitude of crisis situations.
• When necessary, prepare for the safe evacuation of buildings and/or premises and possibly the shutdown or loss of equipment and/or utilities
• Provide for the rapid recovery of normal College business function and aid to the college community.

Activation of the Plan

The President, or, in his absence, the respective administrator on each campus, shall be the designated authority for activating the Crisis Response Plan. Their duties may involve some or all of the following:

• Assess the emergency
• Provide immediate and appropriate response
• Determine operating status of the College
• Activate the Crisis Command Center and or Press Conference Room
• Notify the President of the College and key personnel of the situation
• Once the plan is activated the key personnel shall meet as needed but not less than once per day.

Level of Response

1. Disaster: Any event that seriously disrupts or halts the College operations. In a disaster, casualties and/or severe property damage are sustained. These require outside resources to effectively control the situation and restore the College's ability to function normally. The designated authority will activate the Crisis Response Command Center and the Press Conference Room at a designated location.
2. Major Emergency: Any incident that affects an entire building and disrupts the overall operation of the College. Examples are: a serious fire or a major outage for which outside emergency services and/or major efforts from the College support service areas are required. The designated authority will activate the plan. Depending on the severity of the emergency, the Crisis Response Command Center and/or the Press Conference Room may be activated.
3. Minor Emergency: Any incident that does not seriously affect the overall functioning of the College such as a minor fire, minor plumbing problem, or a number of inoperative elevators. The designated authority shall be advised of the situation and be prepared to take action should the situation worsen.
4. Note: Any student in distress should contact a TSJC faculty/staff member to alert that individual of their distress so they may be referred to the appropriate personnel for immediate assistance.

Depending on the severity of the crisis, a Crisis Response Center and Press Conference Room may be required. Following are the possible locations, key personnel, and equipment that will be necessary for each campus:

Crisis Response Center

1. Locations:
   • Trinidad Campus
     • Davis 234
     • Boyd Conference Room
     • Berg 102
   • Valley Campus
     • The Recruitment/Advising Center
     • The Student Center
2. Key Personnel:
   • Trinidad Campus
     • President (719-846-5541)
     • Vice President of Student/Academic Affairs (719-846-5559)
     • Vice President of Institutional Development (719-846-5643)
     • Dean of Arts & Sciences (719-846-5589)
     • Physical Plant Director (719-846-5618)
     • Director of Information Technology Services (719-846-5513)
     • Director of Housing (719-846-5458)
   • Valley Campus
     • President (located on Trinidad campus 719-846-5541)
     • Vice President (719-589-7025)
     • Dean of Student Services (719-589-7050)
     • Dean of Instruction (719-589-7037)
     • Custodian (719-589-7039)
     • Information Technology Services (719-589-7101)
3. Equipment:
   • Telephone Contact List – Emergency Notification List and Roll-out Procedures
   • Computers with Printers
   • Fax Machine
   • Both in-house and cell phones
   • Television/Radios
   • Portable Radios

Press Conference Room

1. Locations:
   • Trinidad Campus
     • Massari Performing Arts Center
     • Pioneer Natural Resources Room
     • Berg Little Theater
   • Valley Campus
     • San Luis Valley Auditorium
     • The Student Center
     • The Rio Rancho Inn
2. Key Personnel:
   • Trinidad Campus
     • President
     • Vice President of Student/Academic Affairs
     • Vice President of Institutional Development
     • Dean of Arts & Sciences
   • Valley Campus
     • Vice President
     • Dean of Instruction
     • Dean of Student Services
3. Equipment:
   • Podium
   • Microphone/Sound System
4. Press Release
   • Press releases will be issued as needed but no less than once a day
5. Notification of the Local Advisory Committee and the Colorado Community College System President

Potential Emergencies and Procedures

Psychological Crisis

A psychological crisis exists when an individual is threatening to harm him/herself or others, or is out of touch with reality due to severe drug/alcohol reaction or a psychotic breakdown. A psychotic breakdown may be manifested by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, uncontrollable behavior, or catatonic behavior.

TSJC is the recipient of a federal grant funded through the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Campus Suicide Prevention Program. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. One of the goals is to provide the college community with a comprehensive plan to identify and provide resources to students, faculty and staff experiencing psychological distress.

The American Association of Suicidology is an excellent reference guide. They list the following as warning signs from their article entitled "Warning Signs for Suicide: Theory, Research, and Clinical Application" published in the Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 36(3) June 2006:

Consensus Warning Signs for Suicide

The individual displays behavior of:

• Hopelessness
• Rage, anger, seeking revenge
• Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking
• Feeling trapped – like there is no way out
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Withdrawing from friends, family, or society
• Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep, or sleeping all the time
• Dramatic changes in mood
• No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life

Call 9-1-1 immediately or seek immediate assistance from a mental health provider if you hear the individual make statements or behave in the following manner:

• Threatens to hurt or kill themselves
• Seems to be looking for a way to harm or kill themselves: seeking access to pills, weapons, or other means
• Is talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide.

For more information, please visit their web site: http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/home