UTEP’s Emergency Plan In Event Of Shooting; Signing Up For UTEP Emergency Alerts
During a major emergency or natural disaster, UTEP has an emergency alert system that sends out text messages and e-mails to students, faculty and staff warning them of danger. UTEP’s Chief of Police told ABC-7 recently that in case of a shooting, they are encouraged to seek shelter in buildings, not necessarily evacuate. Signing up is free. They just need to log on to my.utep.edu and click on the My Home tab. It will automatically ask if they would like to sign up for this service. UTEP also plans to send out a campus bulletin via email alerting all faculty, staff and students of this service.
UTEP’s Emergency Management Plan has a section in reference to dealing with a hostile intruder/active shooter incident. Read it below:
Hostile Intruder/ Active Shooter Incident ? If a Hostile Intruder/Active Shooter is discovered on the campus, the individual making the discovery shall immediately contact UTEP Police Department or 9-1-1 and provide as much information as possible. Do not approach the intruder or intervene in any ongoing crime ? If gunshots are heard within a building, faculty will close and lock or barricade their room doors and turn off the lights to that area. Faculty should try and calm student fears and keep them as quite as possible. Faculty will stay in the locked/barricaded room until informed by UTEP Police Department personnel that it is safe to come out of the area. Faculty should use their cell phones to notify UTEP Police Department and local 9-1-1 personnel of the situation. . . At a minimum, the individual should provide a description of the intruder and any specific characteristics (height, weight, hair color, race, and type and color of clothing) and type of weapon(s) if any. ? Under no circumstances o You have firsthand knowledge that there is a fire in the building, or should the fire alarm be activated or an attempt made to evacuate the building unless you are in the room or immediate area where the shots are being fired. Persons may be placed in harm?s way when they are attempting to evacuate the building. Should the fire alarm sound, do not evacuate the building unless: o You have been advised by a Police Officer or UTEP Police Department personnel to evacuate the building. ? Office personnel in the affected building will close and secure their office areas and immediately call UTEP Police Department and 9-1-1 to notify of the situation. ? UTEP Police Department will immediately enter the building to engage the intruder. Additional personnel will be posted to ensure no one enters the building(s) until additional local emergency services and UTEP Police personnel arrive and the area is secured. ? Once emergency service authorities arrive, the University Incident Commander will coordinate any information or assistance with them. Only trained law enforcement personnel UTEP Emergency Management Plan should attempt to perform a methodical search of the buildings in which the hostile intruder is located. ? A senior law enforcement officer on scene will notify the University Incident Commander when reentry to the building can be made and the classes and office areas are safe to open. There is no specified time limit for when students and faculty will be permitted back into or exit the isolated area. This will depend solely upon the information received and the results of the findings of the university authorities. Meeting place/points of assembly, including a second location should be designated by each department for its members in their evacuation or unit plans.
