and responding to critical incidents on campus. When a serious incident occurs that causes an immediate threat to the campus, the first responders to the scene are usually Department of Public Safety and Police Services offi cers. Officers responding to reported emergencies will evaluate and determine what is occurring. They will begin to formulate a response to the situation and make determinations as to who needs to be notified, what additional resources they need, and what actions they must take to minimize, correct, or address the emergency. Officers will base their actions on what they observe, the information provided to them by persons involved, witnesses, or reports received. Their primary response shall be based on the preservation of life and the protection of property. If the EMT or KUPD OIC determines that an institutional emergency notification is warranted, the University, will, without delay, and considering the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the KU Alert notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of Responsible University Authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to or otherwise mitigate the emergency. Depending on the nature of the incident, other local, state, or federal response agencies could also be involved in the response and management of the incident. For weather-related crises, confirmation is made based upon information provided by the National Weather Service. Once the crisis is confirmed, the University will, without delay, and considering the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the KU Alert notifi cation system. Responsible University Authorities A Responsible University Authority (RUA) is defined as a Kutztown University employee who has the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to evaluate whether or not a particular event requires an emergency notification and to determine if such a notifi cation would compromise the efforts to contain the emergency. This individual may also determine if a message should be sent to benefit the campus community's health, safety, and well-being in situations that do not pose a significant emergency or danger. Kutztown University Police and/or other RUAs may become aware of a critical incident or other emergency situation that potentially affects the campus community's health and/or safety. Typically, RUAs become aware of these situations when they are reported to the KUPD. At Kutztown University, the following employees are Responsible University Authorities (RUAs): • University President • KUPD Chief of Police (Emergency Management Team Director) • KUPD Lieutenant 15 • KUPD Offi cer-In-Charge (OIC) • Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Team • Director of Health Services • Director of Facilities • Environmental Health and Safety Manager Determining the Appropriate Segments of the Campus Community to Receive an Emergency Notification Campus and/or local first responders on the scene of a critical incident or dangerous situation will assist those preparing the emergency notifi cation with determining what segment or segments of the campus community should receive the notifi cation. Generally, campus community members in the immediate area of the dangerous situation (i.e., the building, adjacent buildings, or surrounding area) will receive the emergency notification first. The RUAs will continually evaluate the situation and assess the need to notify additional segments of the campus population. If such an assessment warrants that additional segments of the population be notified, the University will, without delay, send additional notifications. Suppose it is determined that there is at least the potential that a large segment of the campus community, or the operation of the campus as a whole, will be affected by an emergency or dangerous situation. In that case, the entire campus community may be notified. Determining the Contents of the Emergency Notification Providing accurate and timely information are of utmost importance in issuing emergency notifications. To expedite this process and ensure each message contains essential information, the KU Alert mass notification system contains templates scripted in advance for the most probable or highest impact emergencies based on KU’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. These messages identify the situation, allow for input of the location, and identify the immediate protective action that should be taken. The individual authorizing the message will select the most appropriate template. In those cases where there are no predetermined templates in the system, the individual may use the “custom” template to craft a specific message. The goal is to ensure people are aware of the situation and they know the steps to take to stay safe. KU would delay the issuance of a notification for a confirmed emergency or dangerous situation if issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to or otherwise mitigate the emergency. KU will issue an emergency notification as determined by the resident expert of the appropriate department/ agency that is managing the emergency, including, but not limited to: KUPD, the Emergency Management Team, the Office of the President, Facilities Management, Counseling and Psychological Services,
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