Fire or Evacuation Emergency
Anytime there is an evacuation emergency such as a fire the alarms within the building hallways and rooms should sound, including an alarm sound or instructions and a strobe light. In the apartment area, the alarms may be restricted to independant units; please take notice of any unique procedures in your area provided by the staff or during the drills each semester.
Smoke detectors, sprinklers, and alarms are designed to provide the highest level of safety for our residents. Tampering with safety equipment or ignoring an evacuation order is prohibited and is subject to fines as outlined in the Residence Life Guide, available on the Student Conduct website. Residential facilities are important buildings to keep safe, and Housing and Residence Life works together with other departments and local authorities to determine if any alarm or known facilities problem has been sufficiently resolved to allow for reentry.
If you would like more information about how to stay safe in a fire, a 2003 memo is available for download which outlines several important and useful tips for surviving a fire emergency.
Facilities Emergencies:
Floods, Power Outages, Broken Glass, etc.
The possibility of unpredictable facilities emergencies is a fact of life. Housing and Residence Life trains security desk workers, student staff, and professional staff to deal with a wide variety of possible emergencies. The security desk in your area will be able to assist you in reaching on-call staff to respond to your problem. Also, during the day, you can contact Facilties Services (977-2955) to report an emergency. After hours, the Depertment of Public Safety (977-3000) can dispatch emergency maintenance. Emergencies are issues that must be addressed immediately, including flooding water that will not stop running, complete power outages, broken windows, and broken doors and locks. Please note that on some occasions, responding staff may install a temporary fix until more extensive repairs can be made. If you believe your problem has not been resolved, please contact the building staff for further assistance.
Prompt reporting of problems assists us in limiting risk of injury, personal property damage, and long-term damage to the facilities. In some cases, special information, temporary evacuation, or follow-up maintenance may be required. Responding staff will take appropriate measures to ensure communication with all affected residents. Please contact building staff after an emergency if you are in need of specific follow-up or have questions.
Tornado or Severe Storm Emergency
If you hear the tornado or civil siren seek shelter in the bathroom, interior hallway, or lower level of the building, away from windows and glass. In severe weather, the security desk workers will be notified of severe weather watches and warnings. In most cases, the desk worker will communicate with building staff as to the duration of such warnings. The siren may stop sounding before danger has completely passed.
It is important that you make yourself aware of shelter near or within your residence before an emergency occurs. In severe weather, it is important to seek shelter inside as soon as possible and to stay away from windows and exterior walls.
Earthquake Emergency
Although earthquakes are not common in St. Louis, history has several examples of serious tremors that have caused severe damage. If you feel a tremor, falling debris is a serious danger and you should brace yourself under heavy furniture or in a doorway. Afterwards, in a major event the building may become unstable and you should evacuate carefully. In any campus emergency, building professional staff or Public Safety will serve as the Emergency Manager and offer further instructions.
Elevator Emergencies
The elevators in buildings are relied upon by many of the campus residents. At times, especially during periods of heavy use, the elevators may stop working, sometimes with occupants inside. However, all elevators are equipped with emergency call buttons and manual alarms. Emergency response to alarms is prompt and high priority; misuse of alarm bells or false alarms is a policy violation. If you find yourself trapped in an elevator, please notify emergency staff immediately and share and relevant information about medical conditions or injuries.
Medical Emergencies
Although 911 service is available on campus, medical emergency response will be expedited by calling the Department of Public Safety at 977-3000. The Department of Public Safety officers are trained first-responders and are able to dispatch emergency services.
If you are assisting with a friend in crisis, building student and professional staff may be able to help connect you to resources that you need, including Student Health and Counseling nurse or counselor on-call.
Psychological Emergencies
In the event of a medical or psychological emergency, call the security desk, the Department of Public Safety, or 977-2323. Counseling staff is available at 977-2323 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide assistance.
If you are concerned about a friend or roommate, please contact building staff or Student Health and Counseling.
Sexual Assault
If you or a friend has been sexually assaulted, it is important to connect yourself with resources and learn about what options are available. Student Health and Counseling professionals are available around the clock at 977-2323 and can confidentially connect you with important resources. The Department of Public Safety can provide after-hours transport to the hospital for sexual assault examinations, which can be very important in the collection of evidence and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Housing and Residence Life student and professional staff can also help connect you to resources, but be sure you understand their duty to report and any limits on their confidentiality.
Physical Assault
Fighting, threatening, or otherwise physically harming another individual is prohibited.
Any unwanted touching, pushing or shoving may be considered physical assault. If you are attacked or witness an attack on campus, contact the Department of Public Safety immediately at 977-3000 or at any of the blue emergency phones around campus.
Theft or Robbery
It is important in a community living environment to ensure that you take steps to prevent burglary including marking and recording your valuables and locking your door. If you are the victim of theft or burglary, contact the Department of Public Safety to submit a report as soon as possible. You may also want to assure that your belongings are not in the University Lost and Found. If you would like help establishing a roommate agreement regarding valuables, locking the door, and responsibility for guests, contact the Housing and Residence Life student staff member in your area.
Harassment or Threats
The University will not tolerate or condone harassment of any person(s) at any time.
Harassment may be defined as committing any act or threatening to commit any act that may frighten, degrade, disgrace or injure any person. This includes but is not limited to, use of racial expletives, name calling, prank phone calls, verbal threats, intimidation, physical or sexual abuse, or hazing.
If there is an immediate threat to yourself or others, contact the Department of Public Safety. For other concerns about harassment or threats, Housing and Residence Life staff to help address your concerns or connect you with appropriate resources.
Use the menu to the right to select your topic of interest. Please take precautions to prepare for emergencies before they happen. Pay attention to all information disseminated through e-mail or staff to keep you up-to-date on any new policies or procedures regarding this information.
Unforeseen events may arise that you may not be prepared for, but by remaining calm and involving and cooperating with security staff or emergency responders, the best possible outcome can be acheived.
