Campus Safety

Safety Guidelines for Earthquake, Fire, Shooter on Campus

This covers the topics:

Before the Earthquake

Plan ahead - Earthquakes give no obvious warning before they occur. Locate potential safe areas: under a desk, inside doorways, and in halls are structurally safe locations. Stay away from windows, unsecured bookshelves, and file cabinets.
Know the location of fire extinguishers and first aid kits and how to use them. For fire extinguisher training, contact the environmental, health and safety office at (626) 914-8704.
Plan your immediate action with co-workers in the event that shaking starts. Review the Citrus College Emergency Preparedness Plan – Volume One.

During the Earthquake

Duck - Move away from possible falling objects: books, small office equipment, knick-knacks, unsecured bookshelves, and file cabinets.
Cover - Tables and desks provide protection from falling objects and glass. Hallways are structurally more secure than open office areas and will have less flying debris. Doorways also provide good structural support but watch out for swinging doors on fingers.
Hold - In a violent earthquake, things will be moving. Get on the floor; hold onto your desk. Brace yourself in a hallway or doorway. Remain calm and ride out the shaker.
Outdoors - Move away from buildings, utility poles, trees, and other structures if you can.

After the Earthquake

Make sure you and those around you are safe. Assess your immediate conditions.
Be prepared for aftershocks. Evacuate structures only after a safe exit route has been explored. Watch out for broken glass, exposed electrical wiring and potential falling lighting and other ceiling fixtures.
Assist the injured and those with disabilities to exit the building safely. If they are unconscious or you are unable to assist, report their condition and location to emergency responders. Make every effort to account for the location and status of people in your immediate area to members of the Crisis Action Team (CAT). The phones may be out; use wireless communication systems or cell phones. If necessary, assign messengers/runners.
Listen for additional information. The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) for Los Angeles County can be found on AM frequencies KFI 640, KNX 1070, KWKW 1300Kh.

Fire Extinguishers

Know the location of fire extinguishers in your area and how to use them. For fire extinguisher information and training, contact the EHS office at (626) 914-8704.
Know the location of the nearest fire alarm breaker.

Minor Fires

If a fire appears controllable, access the nearest fire extinguisher. Initiate the PASS system:

Other Fire Situations

Be smart. If a fire does not appear to be containable, evacuate the building.
Immediately activate the fire alarm system.
Call 9-911 (if using on-campus phones).
Call campus safety at (626) 914-8611.
When the fire alarm sounds, everyone must leave the building. Stay calm. Leave doors unlocked.
Whenever possible, assist anyone with a disability or with injuries to exit the building. In the event of a fire, no one is to use the elevators including those with disabilities.
Once outside, move at least 150 feet away from the building. Keep streets, fire lanes, hydrants and walkways clear for emergency vehicles and crews. Do not return to an evacuated building until cleared to do so by campus safety or the emergency responder in charge.
If you are unable to assist the injured or people with disabilities out of the building, be able to tell emergency responders the location and condition of those remaining inside.
If you become trapped in a building during a fire and a window is available, place an article of clothing, (shirt, coat, etc.) outside the window as a marker for rescue crews. Stay calm.
If there is no window, stay low to the floor where the air will be less smoky and toxic. Make noise or shout at regular intervals to alert rescuers to your presence and location.

If you are informed there is a shooter on campus:

Keep all students in the classroom for their safety until more information is provided. Lock or barricade classroom doors if possible. Move students away from doors and windows. For situations involving the potential discharge of firearms, give a drop, cover and hold command. Instruct students to stay down until subsequent instructions are given.
Do not reopen doors unless instructed to do so via the "ALL CLEAR" directive, which will be initiated and performed by the local police authority.
If an instructor observes imminent danger near a room, immediately secure the room and notify campus safety of the danger via telephone, radio system or runner.
Brief students that the building or the college has been placed on a heightened security status as a response to an apparent crisis situation. Advise students to remain quiet until more can be learned about the situation.
Calmly and quietly review emergency evacuation procedures in the emergency response flipchart with students to prepare them for possible evacuation.
Until the situation has been assessed, recommend that students remain in the classroom unless authorization to leave is received from proper authorities.

In the event you are outside when this event occurs, take the following actions:

Move away from the danger area to a safe area and notify the campus safety office at (626) 914-8611.
Proceed to the assigned class or an indoor secure area unless otherwise instructed by the building administrator or department head. If the assigned class is not accessible or is unsafe, proceed to the nearest safe classroom. Or seek shelter in the safest place available if it is unsafe to enter a campus building.
If the decision is made to leave the campus for a safer location, inform campus safety, the emergency responder or your supervisor of this off-campus location and the names of students/employees at that location. Notification should occur as soon as it is safe to do so.