Skip to main content
Close
A-Z
Quick Links

Emergency Management

 PDF
  1. POLICY

    This policy provides the framework for Salt Lake Community College to protect the lives and property of its students, faculty, staff, and guests in the event of a major disruption, large scale emergency, or disaster. College emergency management efforts follow the fundamentals, best practices, and mandates established by the local, state, and federal emergency management agencies.

  2. REFERENCES
    1. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121.
    2. Emergency Management, Disaster Response and Recovery Act, U.C.A. §§ 53-2a-201— 1305.
  3. DEFINITIONS
    1. All Hazards Approach: capabilities-based preparedness to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from natural, human-caused, and technological emergencies that may impact the college, communities, or the environment.
    2. Business Continuity Plan (BCP): a document compiling the critical information an organization needs to continue operating during an unplanned event. The BCP states the essential functions of the business, identifies which systems and processes must be sustained, and details how to maintain them.
    3. Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP): the comprehensive set of plans, lists, and documents that define the succession of authority, group assignments, and response plans.
    4. Declaration of Disaster: an official announcement that communicates to the college, state, and local officials that the college’s normal functions and operations are interrupted and its resources are insufficient to meet demands resulting from the event.
    5. Emergency: any event that disrupts normal college operations, such as, but not limited to, fires, floods, storms, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents, large-scale power outages, civil disturbance, and acts of violence.
  4. PROCEDURES
    1. Background
      1. The college must develop comprehensive plans to manage emergencies at all campuses, sites, and facilities. This requires flexibility and creativity when considering the different methods for ensuring public safety during extraordinary events.
      2. The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) requires a multidisciplinary all hazards approach, including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery procedures for emergency management at the college.
    2. Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
      1. A critical component of the CEMP is the BCPs created by each college department. A BCP delineates the process and the individuals needed to restore the college to normal operations following a disruptive event.
      2. Development of a BCP includes:
        1. conducting a business impact analysis to identify time-sensitive or critical business functions and processes and the resources that support them;
        2. identifying, documenting, and implementing steps needed to recover critical business functions and processes;
        3. organizing a business continuity team and compiling a BCP to manage a business disruption; and
        4. training, testing, and exercises to evaluate recovery strategies and the BCP.
    3. Declaration of Disaster Process
      1. Only the president or their designee may issue a disaster declaration.
      2. The president shall delegate authority during their absence from campus, including management of the disaster declaration process.
      3. Disaster Declarations must be made in writing and communicated publicly.
      4. While it may not be necessary to have an actual written authority during a crisis, it is essential that units know who holds the authority to make decisions or sign official documents and who their alternate is.
    4. Activation of the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

      The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan is activated in two ways.

      1. The CEMP can be activated automatically. Should any of the campuses experience significant ground shaking due to an earthquake, emergency management team members must respond according to CEMP procedures.
      2. The associate vice president of Public Safety or their designee may notify the vice president for Finance and Administration of an emergency or potential disaster and recommend activation of the CEMP.
    5. Closure
      1. The college president or their designee is the sole individual with the authority to direct the closure of college campuses, sites, and facilities.
      2. Closure of the college during normal operational hours may be necessary, although closure is expected to be infrequent.
      3. The college remains open when possible. Critical service levels and facilities may continue to be operated, maintained, or expanded as appropriate.
    6. Timely Notifications

      When closure of the college during normal operational hours is directed or an emergency warrants it, the following procedures should be instituted to notify SLCC employees and students.

      1. The college must provide timely advisories and notifications. Notification of any activity on or near any college site where the threat is not immediate or life-threatening is at the discretion of the president or their designee.
      2. The college only issues emergency alerts if there is an imminent threat to the lives, safety, and property of the general college population.
      3. Although almost all power outages are not life-threatening, if the president or their designee finds it necessary, a college alert will be sent out if a power outage lasts, or is expected to last, a significant amount of time.

Date of last executive cabinet review: March 19, 2024

The originator of this policy and procedure is the associate vice president of Public Safety. Questions regarding this policy and procedure may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4571.