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Emergency Response Management Plan

Plan purpose

The emergency response outlined in this plan is designed to protect lives and property through the effective use of College and community resources. It is set into motion whenever an emergency affecting the College reaches proportions that cannot be handled by routine measures. These may be emergencies that happen on or off campus. 
 
This plan will provide guidance to College personnel and local authorities for the management and coordination of activities relating to any natural or otherwise unplanned emergency event. The procedures are intended to be flexible enough to accommodate contingencies of all types and magnitudes. These events include, but are not limited to earthquake, fire, flood, hazardous materials incident, explosion, active shooter, etc.
 
This plan is intended to enable Klamath Community College in meeting its responsibilities regarding any event that may affect the College or surrounding community. 

Plan scope

This plan is designed to define the roles and responsibilities of Klamath Community College staff in response to emergency situations. It also describes the role of local and state authorities in relation to incident response. The plan also provides guidelines for first responders and other emergency service personnel. Coordination with local, state and federal agencies, volunteer organizations, local business and industry, and other area facilities is also addressed. It is important to note that KCC’s incident command coordination will only be established when it is safe to do so and under generally accepted incident management guidelines. The command functions of actual emergency operations during active incidents will normally be exercised by designated first responders. 

Disclaimers

Klamath Community College, while complying with the provisions of this plan, shall not be held liable for death, injury, or loss of property except in the cases of willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith.

Responsibility and control

The Emergency Response Management Plan (ERMP) is under the executive control of the president of the College, and under the operational direction of the executive director of human resources. When an emergency situation is declared by the College president or designee, the incident commander will activate the Emergency Response Management Plan. The incident commander will retain control of the situation until relieved by a higher-ranking incident commander or by local emergency services personnel. Pursuant to federal Emergency Management Administration standards, local fire and emergency management response personnel will be expected to assume Incident Command responsibilities when necessary.
 
College personnel and equipment will be utilized to provide priority protection for:
 
  1. Life safety
  2. Preservation of property
  3. Restoration of academic program(s)
 
The Emergency Response Management team, under the direction of the Incident Commander, will determine the manner in which College personnel and equipment are be utilized. 
 
The President will coordinate with Incident Command to determine when it will be appropriate to deactivate the plan.
 
This ERMP recognizes that the comprehensive management of an emergency on campus involves two related, but equally important, goals:
  1. Response to the incident in order to provide the protection of life and property.
  2. The goal of restoring and/or continuing the normal operations of the campus community.
 
Recent emergency incidents around the country, as well as emerging best practice, recognize that each of these goals takes an extraordinary amount of command and control as well as focus. This ERMP recognizes that by preserving the ability of the president and executive Cabinet to engage in the necessary activities of the restoration and sustainability of normal College operations, engagement with community leaders and the press regarding the sustainability of College operations, and maintaining a sense of order during a crisis. While the President does maintain authority over the crisis response elements of the ERMP, the ERMP recognizes the separate goal of life and property protection as requiring equal attention. Therefore, the Incident Command System includes a separate incident commander who coordinates the response on the ground. The incident commander is required to be in frequent contact with the president throughout the emergency response, taking guidance and direction from the president. The incident commander will also notify the president when the campus recovery activities have ended.

Limitations

Klamath Community College does not have the equipment or resources available to respond to all emergency situations. The College relies on the cooperation of local and state agencies and resources to assist with situations beyond the capabilities of College personnel.

Assumptions

Success of this Emergency Response Management Plan is dependent on a realistic approach to the problems likely to be encountered and on the personnel available during an emergency operation. To account for this reality the development and implementation of this plan assume the following:
 
  1. Events in an emergency are not predictable; therefore, support and operational plans may be modified to meet the requirements of the situation.
  2. Disasters may affect the entire campus, city or surrounding area; therefore city, county, and federal emergency services may not be available.
  3. A major emergency will be declared if information indicates that such a condition is developing or is probable.
 
There is a large probability that an emergency will take place before or after regular College hours when the organizational setup of many departments is out of the ordinary. While the structure of this plan remains the same, its implementation may vary depending on available resources. Until proper officials can be notified, the individuals with the most training and rank within the Incident Command structure will be responsible for implementing the plan. These individuals are expected to follow the guidelines of this plan, while simultaneously making an effort to notify College officials of the situation.

Emergency Evacuation, Lockdown, and Shelter-in-Place Procedures

Signals
Emergency evacuation procedures
Shelter-in-place
Lockdown
Roles and responsibilities

Emergency Procedures for Specific Emergency Events

Active shooter
Hostage situation
Earthquakes
Severe weather
Bomb threat
Chemical spill or environmental hazard
Fire or explosion
Pandemic
Criminal activity or crime in progress
Aircraft crash on or adjacent to campus
Utility failure