Goshen College distinguishes between an emergency and a crisis.
In most situations and institutions the words “crisis” and “emergency” are used interchangeably. Goshen College chooses to make the following distinction in how we use the two words.
Emergency: An emergency is an immediate event, condition or situation that has the potential to cause harm or injury to individual(s) and/or damage to property and/or significantly disrupt the operation of the institution. Any person on campus may be called upon to respond to an emergency and should be practiced and prepared to do so when the situation is encountered.
Crisis: A crisis is an event, condition or situation that has the potential to cause harm or injury to individual(s) and/or damage to property and/or significantly disrupt the operation of the institution, threaten the institution’s financial standing or its ability to fulfill the institution’s mission beyond the immediacy of an emergency. An emergency must be addressed instantaneously whereas a crisis can endure for an extended period of time. An off-campus emergency will be considered a crisis.
Crimes committed in proximity to or occur on-campus that are reported to Campus Safety or local law enforcement agency and are considered by the institution to represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees will trigger a timely warning. Timely warnings will be issued electronically when crimes that have already occurred continue to represent an ongoing threat.
Crisis Management Team
Team members shall assign a person from their area to serve in their place should they be absent from campus. Each team member or alternate will have a copy of the crisis management plan. Additional members may be invited to join the team depending on the crisis situation. Should the Crisis Management Team (CMT) be activated, the Crisis Management Coordinator (CMC), Provost, Ken Newbold will call the persons below or their alternates. Following the phone call, unless instructed otherwise, team members should immediately report to the Crisis Center. All numbers are in the 574 area code unless noted otherwise.
Depending on the specific needs of the emergency, the CMC will implement the following emergency communication procedures.
A. Order the activation of the siren
B. Send a text message to all enrolled mobile devices
B. Give instructions and content for implementation of the emergency web site
Where: Applies to crimes that occur anywhere on your Clery geography.
When: Issue a warning as soon as the pertinent information is available.
Evacuation Procedures
If local emergency authorities determine that an evacuation is necessary, then the Crisit Management Coordinator shall give instructions to activate siren message 5 and accompany with voice announcement. This announcement will need to be broadcast from the Umble Center.
Students in Classes
Evacuation overseen by Academic Dean or alternate; the administrative assistant to the dean will maintain an emergency call list for each academic department and a list of classroom phone numbers, located in the Emergency Contacts section.
Upon being notified that a campus evacuation is to take place, faculty members in class should do the following immediately:
- Take attendance.
- Read or announce the evacuation notice to the class as provided by the facilities staff member.
- If this is an emergency evacuation and immediate departure is necessary: Ask students to proceed to the Goshen College Church-Chapel (unless otherwise noted in the evacuation notice). Make clear that students are not to return to their residence halls.
- Sign-in procedure at Church Chapel: The registrar’s office will prepare signs for each of the ten entrances to the church-chapel, instructing everyone which door to enter. E.g. Last Name A-C.Each door will be staffed by a faculty or staff member with a sign-in sheet for name and ID number. Registrar staff will bring class rosters to the church-chapel. After sign-in a particular class roster will need to be cross-checked with the ten sign-in sheets.
- Take the completed attendance sheet to the Goshen College Church-Chapel.
Students in Residence Halls
Evacuation overseen by the Dean of Students or alternate.
The residence life staff will go through each residence hall and inform students of the hall evacuation and direct them to the Goshen College Church-Chapel or an alternate location. Following the evacuation of the hall, a notice of evacuation will be posted at each entrance to the building. The residence life staff will notify either the Goshen College switchboard or the crisis center as each hall is evacuated.
Employees
Employees will be notified by their direct supervisor or their vice president, of the evacuation. (see Emergency Contacts section). Supervisors should establish a list of employees who have been evacuated and take this list to the Goshen College Church-Chapel. Employees may be released for the day at the discretion of the vice president or in his/her absence, the direct supervisor.
Other Persons on Campus
The administrative assistant to the president (alternate: administrative assistant to the vice president for academic affairs) will call these offices as necessary to inform them of the crisis:
- Events Office Director: 535-7997
- Director of CCYC: 535-7298
- Director of College Kindergarten: 535-7444
- College Mennonite Church: 535-7262
- AVI Fresh Food Service: 535-7580
- Follett – Bookstore: 535-7481 or 7482
- Mennonite Archives: 535-7477 or 7478
- The Mennonite: 535-6051
Off-Campus and Degree Completion Students
Students engaged in activities off-campus or commuting students not present on the campus will be contacted as necessary. The decision to personally contact off-campus students will be dependent upon the crisis and evacuation time span. Direct contacts will begin at the discretion of the dean of students and academic dean, in conjunction with the crisis management team.
The director of facilities will identify staff members who will evacuate all campus facilities and post signs on the doors of all campus buildings. At the Goshen College Church-Chapel or alternate evacuation destination, sign-in sheets should be established so that arrivals can be documented and crosschecked against the earlier lists. On all evacuated buildings a notice of evacuation should be posted at all entrances and exits. At the evacuation destination, the registrar and the associate dean will coordinate the completion and crosschecking of signing sheets.
All Other Types of Evacuations
If the evacuation occurs in the evening or during the summer months, the following steps should take place.
- Campus Safety officers or workers from the physical plant will be dispatched to announce the evacuation to all individuals in academic and recreational facilities. Employees should proceed to the evacuation destination for further instruction. The director of facilities will maintain an updated emergency contact list and will assure that all GC Campus Safety officers always have the updated list.
- Personnel from the events office will go through all residence halls and to the sites where events are scheduled to announce the evacuation process. An evacuation notice should be posted on all entrances to the buildings. At the Goshen College Church-Chapel or alternate evacuation destination, sign-in sheets should be established so that arrivals can be documented and crosschecked against lodging lists. On all evacuated buildings a notice of evacuation should be posted at all entrances and exits. During the summer months, the director of events, the registrar and associate dean will coordinate the completion and crosschecking of sign-in sheets.
Evacuation Transportation Plans
Below are contacts for arranging emergency transportation, if the crisis management team would decide that campus evacuation is necessary.
- Goshen Community Schools: Barry Younghans, Director of Transportation.
(byounghams@goshenschools.org). Phone during office hours: 533-7176. Phone at other times: 533-2356 (home) or 536-3958 (cell). Alternate: Bruce Stahly 533-8631 (office), 534-2470 (home), 596-3028 (cell). - Cardinal Buses Inc.: Matt Shoup, Vice President. (mshoup@cardinalbuses.com)
Phone: 825-9405 (office) 370-2502 (cell).