Emergency Protocols

Update from Terry McCauley, Director of Public Safety

Go to this link to review college closing information: College Closing

Because the safety of the college community is our foremost concern, emergency response planning has been Public Safety’s continuing priority at Oakland Community College. The College has carefully devised plans that place the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff uppermost in everything we do.

The National Homeland Security Agency has placed our national and state threat condition to Level Yellow, with an associated elevated risk of terrorist attack. Specific targets have not been identified, but should the threat level be raised, additional protocols will be activated.

For the duration of this threat condition, the Oakland Community College Department of Public Safety will provide these additional services on a daily basis to support the already existing safety and security activities:

• Extra patrols in areas identified as critical to the College
• Maintenance of direct and continuous communication with local, state, and federal officials
• If necessary, convening the College Emergency Response Team to execute contingency plans
• Reminding employees to wear their identification badges
• In conjunction with the Building Marshals, training employees on the revised Emergency Response Plan and Flip Charts
• A protocol for handling mail has already been established and widely distributed

Here are some steps members of the College Community can take to ensure their own safety and that of others:

• Continue normal activities
• Report suspicious activities immediately. In case of an emergency call 911. If a situation is not an emergency, call 5555 from an in-house phone, or 248-858-4951, from an outside (or cell) phone. Suspicious activities might include persons who are inappropriately dressed, or those asking questions about sensitive areas or levels and methods of security. Be wary of unattended packages.
• Be aware of your surroundings, walk confidently, know where you parked your vehicle, park in a well-lit area, have your keys ready before you approach the vehicle.
• Continue to monitor local and world events
• Maintain close contact with family and loved ones
• Stay in communication with the College by checking e-mails, local media, the OCC website

Below are some of the sites that the government has developed to inform the public about threat levels, responses, and personal safety.

http://www.ready.gov – Listing of steps to take to be ready for terrorists activity
http://www.fema.gov – The Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland - Department of Homeland Security – Updated news site concerning our Homeland safety

National Incident Management System Resolution Adopted

On April 17, 2006, the Oakland Community College Board of Trustees adopted a Resolution in support of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS is a directive by the President of the United States to the Department of Homeland Security to administer a consistent approach for all levels of government to effectively and efficiently work together to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from any emergency incident, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.

Through formalized procedures for managing personnel, communications, facilities, and resources, the Oakland Community College Department of Public Safety trains to this standard and operates from this model.