Emergency Preparedness
William & Mary is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its students, faculty, employees and visitors to learn, teach, work and enjoy our beautiful campus and all it offers. In pursuit of that goal the university takes a comprehensive approach to protecting the university community and preparing for any emergency. Although a university campus is among the safest places you can be, we work every day to make our campus safer. This site provides you with the information you need to familiarize yourself with emergency planning.
The ability to deal with any incident depends on good communication. The university is committed to informing the community of an emergency, disaster or potential disaster immediately upon determining the nature of the emergency. Using the university's emergency notification systems, the Emergency Management Team will immediately notify the campus community of a confirmed emergency or dangerous situation that presents an immediate threat to the health or safety of the community.
Below are a few terms you should know.
Emergency Management Course
This training is intended to provide an introduction to the elements of emergency management for your workplace and home. It will cover why emergency preparedness is important to you; the various types of risks, hazards and vulnerabilities; different phases of Emergency Management and how you are involved in each; emergency communications; and additional resources available to you.
Emergency Management Team
William & Mary's Emergency Management Team is responsible for overall coordination of the university's emergency preparedness efforts. The Emergency Management Team operates under the authority of the university President and is co-chaired by the Vice President for Student Affairs & the Associate Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police. The Team is responsible for the planning and execution of emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
Emergency Operations Plan
The Emergency Operations Plan establishes policies, procedures and an organizational structure for response to emergencies that cause or have the potential to cause significant disruptions to all or portions of the university. This plan describes the roles and responsibilities of the Emergency Operations Center during emergency situations.
Annexes of the Emergency Operations Plan address disaster specific response planning for situations such as infectious disease and severe weather.
Continuity of Operations Plan
The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is designed to ensure rapid recovery from the effects of a man-made or natural disaster that may affect a single building or operation, a significant portion of the campus, the entire campus, or the region. This plan covers essential university operations, departments, and service areas including contracted operations.
Information Technology Disaster Recovery Plan
The Information Technology Disaster Recovery Plan is intended to ensure the continued operation of the university by providing the ability to successfully recover IT services in the event that a disaster occurs and impacts IT services. This Disaster Recovery Plan is a comprehensive document containing the necessary instruction, policies, organization, and information required for the university to be prepared for, respond to, and recover from an emergency that would affect our computer services.
Building Emergency Coordinator Program
The Building Emergency Coordinator Program involves building occupants in emergency planning and response and addresses the unique needs of specific buildings. Building Emergency Coordinators are the conduit for the information flow between the Emergency Management Team and the occupants of the facility.
The university's emergency plans are dynamic and are continuously reviewed and updated to incorporate best practices as they emerge. Please take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the plans and information provided here.And remember -- stay connected, stay alert, ask questions, and take care of each other.
