Campus Emergencies & Hazards

Emergencies can occur at any time, often without warning. The following information can help you manage many emergency situations appropriately.

Your judgment often determines whether an incident is an emergency. If in doubt, always err on the side of safety. It is important to understand how to receive information and warnings about emergencies affecting campus.

Listed below are several different ways campus affiliates can stay informed about emergencies affecting the Boulder campus and other important safety information.

FAQs

If You Hear a Fire Alarm

  1. Immediately evacuate the building via the shortest and safest route. Do not use elevators.
  2. If you notice smoke, use the alternative escape route.
  3. Test doors with the back of your hand before opening them. If the door is warm or if you notice smoke, use an alternative escape route. Check paths for safety before proceeding and close doors behind you.
  4. Crawl low if you have to go through smoke.
  5. Go to a safe area or to a pre-assigned assembly point for your building.
  6. If you are trapped during a fire emergency, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a safe window and signal/call for help. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department or 911 and tell them exactly where you are.
  7. Stop, Drop and Roll if your clothing catches fire.

If You Discover A Fire

  1. Leave the fire area and close the door to the area.
  2. Sound the fire alarm.
  3. Immediately evacuate the building via the shortest and safest route. (Proper use of fire extinguishers within extinguisher limits and by trained individuals is optional but should not be attempted until the building alarm is actuated and people are evacuated.
  4. Do not use elevators. A fire can disrupt the operation of elevators and trap occupants inside.
  5. If you notice smoke, use an alternate escape route.
  6. Test doors with the back of your hand before opening them. If the door is warm or if you notice smoke, use an alternative escape route. Check paths for safety before proceeding and close doors behind you.
  7. Crawl low if you have to go through smoke.
  8. Go to a safe area or to a pre-assigned assembly pointÌý for your building.
  9. If you are trapped during a fire emergency, close all doors between you and the fire and stuff cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a safe window and signal/call for help. If there is a phone in the room, call the 911 and tell them exactly where you are.
  10. Stop, Drop and Roll if your clothing catches fire.

Once You Have Evacuated

  1. From the nearest phone in the safe area, call 911.
  2. If you suspect that someone is missing or trapped, contact firefighters on scene or at the fire engine, police officers, or ambulance personnel.
  3. Await emergency response personnel at a safe location and direct them to the scene. Do not reenter the building until instructed to do so by the fire department.
  4. Follow directions from public safety and university officials.
  5. Report to the person who is taking roll.
  6. Never reenter the building to save your personal belongings.
  7. Stay calm.

What is Seek Shelter?

Seek shelterÌýis a proactive action taken to stay indoors or find a safe place to avoidÌýexternal hazards. This action is intended to provide safety in circumstances when evacuation would present a greater risk to individuals than remaining in their current location or outside. Although the reason for a seek shelterÌýorder may not be immediately communicated, circumstances that may warrant a seek shelter response may include:

  • Severe weather
  • HAZMAT incident
  • Any situation where it is best for you to stay where you are to avoid an outside threat

What do I do if a seek shelter order is given?

When a seek shelter order is given it will depend on the threat or hazard as to what specific steps should be taken, however the following guidelines should be followed:

  • If outside, take shelter in the nearest campus building. During a flash flood move to the upper floors.
  • Find an interior room with the fewest windows.
  • Shut and lock all windows (this provides a tighter seal) and close exterior doors.
  • If instructed, for weather-related events, or for HAZMAT incidents turn on a radio or television and listen for further instructions.
  • Remain alert for instructions and updates as they become available from emergency personnel and university administrators.
  • Remain calm and look after each other. You will be notified when it is safe to come out. Do not leave until you are sure that the identity or source of the announcement is a public safety or university official.

What if I am in class?

Faculty members and students should remain in place until directed to relocate by public safety officials.

What if I am off campus?

If you are off campus when a seek shelter order is ordered, find a safe place indoors and then follow city or local jurisdiction directives. Do not attempt to return to campus.

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder Alerts OverviewÌý

Understanding ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder’s alert system can keep you informedÌýand empowered to make personal safety decisions.

For starters, bookmark the university’sÌý, which outlines theÌýÌýthat can be sent, depending on the nature, location and severity of an incident.ÌýThe website also outlines how to receive alerts, which can differ depending upon the type of alert that is sent.Ìý

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder issues emergency notifications, called ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Emergency Alerts, to the campus community when there is a confirmed immediate threat to the safety of those on our campus (orÌýnear campus in areas of high student populations).

Such threats may include an active harmer, a natural disaster, severe weather or other time-sensitive life safety concerns. ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Emergency Alerts can also be used in the event of campus closures or delayed starts.

These alerts are sent out via text message, email, social media and posted to the alerts site.

Along with ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Emergency Alerts, campus also issues ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Safety Alerts in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ().Ìý

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Safety Alerts are email notifications to the community of a crime committed on or near campus (per Clery Act guidelines) that provides increased community awareness of ongoing or dangerous situations.

For non-immediate threats or other incidents that may impact the daily lives of our university community, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder has a tier of notifications called ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Advisories.Ìý

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Advisories are notifications to the campus that do not rise to the level of an emergency notification or safety alert but are high-profile enough that our campus community benefits from awareness. These are shared via social media and on our alerts site.Ìý

Find additional information

In the case of campus emergencies, theÌýuniversity’sÌýÌýwill be updated with community information as soon as it is available, usually within 15 to 20 minutes of the first text message alert. All official alerts shared on social media will also be on this page along with links to additionalÌýÌýincluding theÌý¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder Police websiteÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýEmergency Management website.

How to receive alerts

Anyone with a colorado.edu email address is automatically registered to receive emergency and safety alert emails.ÌýAdditionally, we highly encourage you toÌýÌýto receive text alerts by going to the Buff Portal or your My¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉäInfo portal. Alerts are always posted onÌý.

If you're in Boulder regularly, sign up forÌýÌýto ensure you’re receiving the latest emergency updates as they happen.Ìý

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If you're in Boulder regularly, sign up for to ensure you’re receiving the latest emergency updates as they happen.

The Boulder Office of Disaster Managment distributes emergency alerts for signifcant incidents, including natural disaters,Ìývia a system called. Campus community members with Boulder addresses are automatically opted-into the Everbridge system. Those who live outside of Boulder but want to be aware of emergency notifications in the area Ìýfor BoCo Alerts.Ìý

See our Resources page for a list of local state and county alert systems.Ìý

TheÌýÌýis a great source for information about emergencies affecting the campus. In the event of an emergency, theÌýÌýwill display all relevant information about the emergency and where to find additional information and instructions.

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management website provides information about emergency situations that are occurring in the county on their Emergency Status Page.Ìý

Emergency DefinitionsÌý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýPersonal PreparednessÌýÌý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýInteractive Flood Map

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