A few weeks ago, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was on the St. John’s campus investigating a possible suspicious person. On June 13, the downtown campus of the University of Toronto was on lockdown while police there investigated a suspicious person on campus.
There have been several events over the last few weeks, including the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., that have heightened awareness of being prepared for an emergency situation.
Preparedness plan
The situation on Memorial’s St. John’s campus did not result in an actual emergency but the university does have a plan to deal with several different types of emergencies. For the campus community, the most important part of that plan is preparedness.
Karen Alexander, associate director, Office of the Chief Risk Officer, says preparedness begins at the individual level and that all members of the campus community have a responsibility to ensure that our campus is a safe place to live, work, study, learn and play.
“There are so many different emergency situations that can happen,” she said. “And there are different levels within those events,” said Ms. Alexander. “But sometimes you only have a few seconds to act in an emergency situation. These things can happen so fast. So, it’s up to everyone on campus to know what to do.
“Don’t wait to hear from us, for example, in the case of an active intruder. If you feel you’re in danger or your employees are in danger, follow the protocol and figure out, get out, hide out, get the word out and wait it out,” Ms. Alexander added. “Familiarize yourself and your staff with the protocols.”
Resources and information
Information on how to prepare for an emergency is available online or you can download the emergency procedures poster.
In the event of an emergency, information will be shared via Memorial’s website, Newsline or on the university’s official Twitter feed @MemorialU.
If you become aware of a dangerous situation, please contact the appropriate officials. Contact information for emergencies can be found here.
