Emergency Notification, Response, and Evacuation Procedures
Policy Statement
Colby-Sawyer College is proactive in planning and preparing for emergencies. It has developed Emergency Guidelines to provide a basic procedural framework for responding to emergencies at CSC. All community members are encouraged to review this important information before an emergency occurs.
Training and Testing Procedures
New London Police officers are well-prepared for emergencies through comprehensive training in incident command. They regularly participate in Hostile Intruder exercises to maintain readiness. CSC’s Campus Safety and Emergency Management teams also actively engage the campus community by offering educational programs. These programs focus on appropriate responses to hostile intruder scenarios and cover a range of other safety concerns, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle such situations effectively.
During Mountain Day, the College’s CSC ALERT system is tested each fall. The Marketing and Communications department thoroughly evaluates and documents the test. To encourage sign-ups, a campus-wide invitation is sent. This invitation includes details on where to find more information about emergency response and evacuation procedures, including a website link.
Every school year, emergency evacuation exercises are conducted for each college-owned residence hall and house. These exercises aim to educate and train occupants on issues specific to their building. During the exercises, participants practice emergency procedures, familiarize themselves with the location of exits, and recognize the sound of the emergency alarm. The Department of Campus Safety documents each exercise, including the date and time and an evaluation of its effectiveness.
Each year, the college community conducts tabletop exercises to test and evaluate the College’s emergency response and evacuation procedures. The participants in these exercises vary annually and have included members from the Senior Leadership Team, the Incident Response Team, Academics, Marketing & Communications, Facilities Management, Campus Safety, Residential Education, Baird Health and Counseling Center, Student Development, Food Service, Athletics, and student representatives. Outside agency partners such as the New London Police, New London Fire, New London Hospital, New London Ambulance, and New London Emergency Management are sometimes involved. After completing these exercises, CSC summarizes its emergency response and evacuation testing to ensure continuous improvement and preparedness.
CSC Alert Policy Statement
Colby-Sawyer provides the CSC ALERT system to the college community through Omnilert, LLC. This system is designed to send emergency messages to enrolled campus members via multiple channels, including SMS (text) messages to wireless devices, emergency displays throughout the campus, college-owned computers, and text-to-voice messages to campus telephones. The CSC ALERT system is integral to the college’s overall emergency communication plan, ensuring that critical information is quickly disseminated to enhance safety and preparedness across the campus.
The CSC ALERT system is primarily used when a situation presents an imminent danger to the campus, to notify the college’s Incident Response Team (IRT) of an incident, and when urgent and timely information must be conveyed to the college community. "Imminent danger" refers to threats that jeopardize the immediate safety of the campus community and are unexpected, where failure to provide a warning could result in serious harm. Examples of such emergencies include tornadoes, chemical or hazardous material spills, or the presence of an armed or actively violent person. Additionally, CSC ALERT is utilized to communicate urgent and timely information, such as delayed openings or closures of the college due to weather, or to provide updates during a power outage.
Contact information submitted to the CSC ALERT system will be used only for purposes of emergency and urgent communication, such as campus closings. It will not be sold or used for marketing or any purpose other than emergency and timely communications.
The president or the president’s designee authorizes the activation and use of this system during a campus emergency or when urgent and timely information must be conveyed based on recommendations and/or discussion with the Director of Campus Safety, Director of Emergency Management (or Incident Response Team (IRT) designee), and/or the Director of Marketing and Communications. During a life-threatening emergency, the president or designee may act alone based on information and recommendations from the Director of Campus Safety or the Student Development Administrator (SDA). In the absence of the president and only in situations that pose an “imminent danger” to the campus community, the Director of Campus Safety or Student Development Administrator (SDA) has the authority to request and/or implement this action with an immediate briefing to the president and other Senior Leadership Team members to follow.
The CSC ALERT system will be tested at least once annually and/or as part of a campus-wide drill. The drill ensures that the system is in good working order and that campus community members know what actions to take in an emergency. The annual Mountain Day notification is considered an announced test of the CSC ALERT system.
Procedures
Registration
1. Enrollment in CSC ALERT is available to all members of the Colby-Sawyer College community, Windy Hill parents, and its Board of Trustees.
2. To receive CSC ALERT messages on their electronic devices, members of the Colby-Sawyer College community must enroll online and provide contact information indicating how they would like to be notified in case of an emergency.
3. A campus-wide message will be sent via the college's e-mail system explaining the importance of registering with the CSC ALERT system and providing a link to the enrollment page.
4. Individuals who choose to enroll will complete the online registration form available through myColby-Sawyer.
5. Enrollment information will be provided to all new college employees upon hire.
6. At the beginning of the fall semester, an email message will be sent to all Colby-Sawyer community members, inviting those who have not done so to enroll and/or ensure correct contact information.
Activation of CSC ALERT
1. When Campus Safety personnel receive a report that an incident has occurred or may occur that presents an imminent danger to campus, s/he will immediately advise the Director of Campus Safety or the Student Development Administrator (SDA).
2. The Campus Safety Director or SDA will determine whether the incident presents an imminent danger and requires immediate emergency campus notification via the CSC ALERT or if the campus notification can be made effectively via other communication methods.
Imminent Danger – If it is determined that CSC ALERT will be used, the Director of Campus Safety or SDA will contact the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications or designee, who will log on to the Omnilert system and send the appropriate warning notification.
Urgent Situation – If the incident is determined NOT to be an imminent threat but instead an urgent situation or lower-level emergency, the Director of Campus Safety, or SDA, will contact the Incident Commander to consult him/her about the incident to determine: i) the nature and level of threat, ii) whether a CSC ALERT notification is required and iii) To whom should it be addressed (all campus or specific groups)?
1. If the Director of Marketing and Communications is unavailable, one of the following Omnilert Administrators will be contacted to notify the Communications Representative to IRT, the Director of Campus Safety, or the Director of Emergency Management.
2. The Director of Campus Safety or designee will notify the Colby-Sawyer Director of Emergency Management or his/her designee (if not already notified), who will initiate the telephone tree for the IRT.
3. The responding agency’s Incident Commander or his/her designee, in consultation with the Director of Campus Safety, Director of Emergency Management, and/or the Director of Marketing and Communications, should determine whether subsequent messages should be sent via CSC ALERT to the college community.
4. When the emergency has been resolved and order is restored, a message will be sent to the community indicating that the emergency has ended. The agency responsible for managing the incident (as defined by state statute) would notify Campus Safety of the “all clear.” The message to the campus community would be sent by the Omnilert administrator who sent the original message or by college communications.
Additional messages may need to be sent to the college community with specific instructions or clarification of issues in the aftermath of an emergency. The CSC ALERT administrators should determine whether to use CSC ALERT or another less urgent communications vehicle depending on the level of urgency.
The Office of Marketing and Communications and the President's Office, in concert with the IRT, may be required to post or send additional messages through alternate communications outlets (college website, e-mail) to other important constituencies,
including parents and families, alumni, surrounding communities, media, and the general public.
CSC ALERT Testing/Maintenance
The Emergency Notification System will be tested periodically to ensure it is in good working order during an emergency or drill.
1. When a test of the system is authorized, the college will make every effort to notify the Colby-Sawyer College faculty, staff, and students via the website and e-mail.
2. When the test begins, the Office of Marketing and Communications will send a message indicating that the system is being tested using the abovementioned procedure.
3. After the test, an e-mail will be sent to Colby-Sawyer College faculty, staff, and students advising them that the test is concluded and any further emergency notifications should be considered real.
The following individuals are authorized to request a test of the system:
- College President or designee
- Director of Campus Safety or designee
- Director of Marketing and Communications or designee
- Chief of New London Police Department
- Chief of New London Fire Department
The CSC Alert system is one aspect of a layered approach to notification. Other notification methods, such as officer presence, printed posters, website alerts, and local television and radio broadcasts, may be used depending on the circumstances. The College may use these other notification methods to inform the broader community of the emergency.
This policy is subject to periodic review and revision at the request of the college’s Incident Response Team. Last updated in June 2024.