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Emergencies can occur at any time, without warning. A well-coordinated response helps prevent personal injury, property damage, and lessen the resulting confusion. Careful planning, with an emphasis on safety, can help everyone on campus handle crises and emergencies with appropriate responses—and save lives. There is no guarantee that a perfect response to emergencies is practical or possible. Therefore, a plan should be considered a guide for building occupants to familiarize themselves with basic emergency planning, response, and evacuation.
Emergency Procedures Handbook (PDF)
In instances where emergency procedures given by the Marian University Office of Campus Safety and Police Services differ from those on this website, such procedures will supersede the instructions on this website.
Because of our proximity to I-65 and downtown Indianapolis, we are part of a collaborative aid/assistance plan involving several agencies. Our campus could be used in the event of a catastrophic emergency, e.g., using the campus and its buildings as a shelter for families who have lost their homes in a tornado, a triage site for medical emergencies, or an evacuation site. In these instances, please await instructions and cooperate with university and emergency personnel.
Armed assailants and “active shooters” create highly unpredictable situations. The following guidelines are based on federal training recommendations and best practices. An alternate response may be necessary depending on the actual situation.
Notification will occur through tornado sirens (interrupted blasts), building coordinators, campus voicemail, campus email, and/or text message. A fire alarm indicates building evacuation.
If warning sirens are used, they will consist of long, continuous wails for several minutes.
The all-clear signal will be three short bursts of the siren.
And the shooter is not in your building – EXTERNAL LOCKDOWN:
External lockdowns are ordered when the potential threat is outside the building. Doors are locked, and no one may enter or exit. Faculty, staff, and students should continue their schedule inside the building.
And the shooter is inside your building – INTERNAL LOCKDOWN:
Lockdowns are ordered when a threat is in the building. All classroom and office doors must be secured. Remain in rooms until lockdown is lifted.
If you cannot get into a building – DESIGNATED SAFE PLACE:
Go to the employee entrance of the Office of Campus Safety and Police Services, located in the Ruth Lilly Student Center. This entrance will remain accessible during the incident.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Close doors. Lock or barricade if possible. Move away from windows. HIDE: Turn off monitors, radios, phones, and other devices. Stay quiet and out of view. |
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| DO If possible, call campus police (6789) or 911: • Give your name and location • Report injuries • Provide details: number of shooters, description, weapon type, and location Faculty and staff may make lockdown or evacuation decisions only in life-threatening situations. • If the shooter’s location is known, evacuate ONLY if a clear exit (e.g., window) is accessible • If confronted, consider active resistance (e.g., chairs, books, desks) – as a last resort |
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| DON'T Do not answer the door under any circumstances. |
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Proceed to the DESIGNATED SAFE PLACE at the employee's entrance of the Office of Campus Safety and Police Services located in the Ruth Lilly Student Center. This entrance will remain accessible throughout the incident. |
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POLICE RESPONSE Police are trained to respond to an active shooting incident by entering the building as soon as possible and proceeding to the area of the assailant. Early in the incident, it may be impossible to deliver medical treatment to victims because the main goal is neutralizing the assailant. Try to remain as calm as possible so as not to interfere with police operations. Once the area has been secured, rescue teams will arrive to provide assistance. |
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Remain calm. Call campus police at 6789 from another phone. |
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| DO Pay attention to background noises such as running motors, music, or any sounds that might reveal the caller's location. Listen closely to the voice to assess quality, accent, speech issues, gender, or unusual characteristics. |
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| DON'T Do not answer the door. |
Building will be restricted and notifications will be delivered via building coordinators, campus voice mail, campus email, and/or text message depending on the severity of the situation.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789 or campus operations at 6362. |
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| DO Leave the building if you can. Call 6789 if others are still trapped. Free others if it can be done safely. |
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| DON'T Do not touch power lines or wiring. Gas utilities may be damaged and extremely dangerous. Do not enter a damaged building. |
In the event of an earthquake, be aware that travel routes in the immediate area may be blocked, damaged, or unavailable, requiring faculty, staff, and students to remain confined to campus temporarily. Wait for campus evacuation instructions.
Notification will be delivered by building coordinator, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, and/or text message of a lockdown. DO NOT CALL CAMPUS POLICE.
External lockdowns are ordered when the potential threat is outside the building. Building doors are locked and no one is allowed to enter or leave the building. Faculty, staff, and students will continue their regular schedule without leaving the building.
Internal lockdowns are ordered when a potential threat is known or suspected to be in the building. All classroom and office doors are secured. Faculty, staff, and students must remain in the classrooms and offices until the lockdown is lifted.
If you are on campus and unable to gain access to a building, proceed to the employee entrance of the Office of Campus Safety and Police Services located in the Ruth Lilly Student Center. This entrance will remain accessible throughout the incident.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789. |
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| DO Pay attention to what they are doing and report the following to campus police:
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| DON'T Do not approach or attempt to apprehend the person(s) involved. |
Notification will be delivered by building coordinator, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, and/or text message.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION If inside, stay there. |
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| DO Get under a desk or table, or stand in a doorway or corner. Stay clear of windows, bookcases, mirrors, and fireplaces. Extinguish any open flames or ignition sources immediately. If in a multi-story building, stay on the same floor. An evacuation may not be necessary. Wait for instructions from safety personnel. |
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| DON'T Do not use elevators. Do not rush for doors. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay inside your vehicle until the shaking stops. If the earthquake has been severe, do not attempt to cross damaged bridges, overpasses, or roadways. |
If driving, pull over and stop. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If the earthquake has been severe, do not attempt to cross damaged bridges, overpasses or sections of road.
If outside, get into an open area away from trees, buildings, walls, and power lines. If outdoors near tall buildings, step inside a doorway, drop down, and cover your head and shoulders to protect yourself from falling glass and other debris.
This section covers four types of evacuation: building evacuation, campus evacuation, evacuation of disabled persons, and evacuation of large crowds.
Notification will be delivered by building coordinator, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, and/or text message.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Leave the building and go to the following assembly areas:
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Notification will be delivered via building coordinators, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, text message, and/or the Marian University website.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Follow instructions given by campus police or emergency personnel. They will direct you to campus staging areas. |
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| DO Give priority to persons with disabilities and all emergency personnel. |
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| DON'T Do not call campus police. Do not leave campus until evacuation instructions and routes are given. |
NOTE: Individuals with special needs must inform the building coordinator, campus police, and immediate supervisor of the accommodations needed.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789. Inform police and emergency responders of the location of all persons who remain in the building. |
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| DO Persons who require assistance must be assisted by trained personnel, if possible. Protect them in a safe location while awaiting rescue, typically a stairwell landing. If there is smoke or fire blocking stairwell access, move them to a room away from the smoke or fire. |
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| DON'T Do not use elevators with someone in a wheelchair unless directed to do so by the fire department. |
Notification will be delivered via PA systems and/or bullhorns at Lake Sullivan Sports Complex, P.E. Center, or St. Vincent Field (stadium).
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Follow instructions given by public address announcers. Crowd management personnel will be stationed at exits to direct and assist and will remain in radio contact with campus police. |
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| DO Assist patrons with disabilities if necessary. Relocate them to avoid blocking exits. Keep exit paths clear at all times. |
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| DON'T Do not call campus police. Do not re-enter the Lake Sullivan Sports Complex, P.E. Center, or St. Vincent Field once evacuated. |
Notification will be delivered by building fire alarms, text message, and/or building coordinators.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Pull fire alarm. Call campus police at 6789. Evacuate the building, close the doors, and proceed to the designated locations:
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| DO Smother or douse a small, minor fire only if it can be done without endangering yourself or others. Call 6789 even if the fire is extinguished. If the fire is small and you have extinguisher training, use a portable fire extinguisher. If there is any doubt about the fire's size or your ability to extinguish it, do not try — evacuate immediately. |
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| DON'T Do not attempt to extinguish a fire if you have any doubt about its size or your ability. Do not use elevators. |
| Campus Police (Fire, EMT, HazMat) | 6789 or 911 |
| Campus Operations (Utility Failures) | 6362 (during normal business hours) |
Voicemail (recorded announcement): (317) 955-6600
| National Weather Service | nws.noaa.gov |
| WISH CBS 8 | wishtv.com |
| WRTV ABC 6 | theindychannel.com |
| WTHR NBC 13 | wthr.com |
| WXIN FOX 59 | fox59.com |
A hazardous spill could occur off-campus and affect the campus community. In this case, you will be advised by police and emergency personnel if you should enact the Shelter-In-Place procedure.
Notification will be delivered via building coordinator, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, text message, information on the website, and/or designated radio and TV stations.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789. |
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| DO
Provide the following information to campus police:
If material contacts your skin, immediately flush the affected area with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Remove and discard contaminated clothing and shoes. This should take place while someone else calls for help from a safe location. Consider extinguishing any open flames or fire hazards. Evacuate the immediate area, avoid the spill site, and close doors behind you. If outside, move upwind of the spill. |
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| DON'T Do not attempt to clean up the spill yourself. |
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Follow directions from police and emergency responders. If the hazardous material is airborne, you may be asked to enact the lockdown or shelter-in-place procedure. |
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| DO Move upwind of the area if you see people showing signs of chemical exposure (e.g., choking, eye tearing). |
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| DON'T Do not leave campus until campus evacuation procedures have been announced by authorities. |
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789. |
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Give as much information as possible about the illness or injury:
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| DON'T Do not move a seriously injured person unless they are in a life-threatening situation. |
Extreme cold, extreme heat, blizzard conditions, heavy snow, widespread flooding, or other weather events may result in emergency conditions requiring cancellation of classes or operation on a reduced schedule.
Notification will be delivered via designated radio and TV stations, text message, the university website, and/or the Marian University Facebook page.
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Listen to radio or TV to find out whether classes are canceled, the university is closed, or if it is operating under emergency conditions. If classes are canceled and university offices are closed during an academic session, essential personnel in campus operations, campus police, and residence life are still expected to report for duty. |
Events that trigger lockdown or shelter-in-place may include an airborne Hazardous Material Spill, Tornado, severe weather, or other dangerous situations.
Notification will be delivered via interrupted blasts of the tornado siren, building coordinator, campus voicemail, campus e-mail, and/or text message. DO NOT CALL CAMPUS POLICE.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION STAY INSIDE. Remain sheltered until you are given further instructions or the all-clear is announced. Move away from windows and doors and stay in the interior of the building. Take an emergency radio and flashlight, if available. |
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| DON'T Do not use elevators. |
If you see large amounts of debris in the air or are told the air is badly contaminated, you should:
Mail and package delivery to each department should be screened for suspicious letters and/or packages. Common features of threat letters or packages include:
Notification will be delivered via building coordinators, campus voicemail, campus email, and/or text message.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789. Include the location and appearance of the object in your report. Evacuate the area immediately. |
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| DON'T Do not touch the object. |
If you have opened a suspicious letter or package that claims contamination but there is no visible substance:
If you have opened a suspicious item and a foreign substance is visible:
If you are covered in a significant amount of substance, stay in place and call campus police at 6789.
Notification will be delivered by campus and community tornado sirens and/or text message. DO NOT CALL CAMPUS POLICE.
Warning sirens will consist of long, continuous wails for several minutes. The all-clear siren will consist of three short bursts.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Go to the designated shelter, interior hallway, or small room on the lowest level of the building you are in. Move below ground, if possible. Begin Shelter-In-Place. |
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| DO Wait for all-clear signal before leaving the safe area. |
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| DON'T
Do not open windows. Do not stand or sit near windows or exterior doors. Do not attempt to turn utilities or equipment on or off. After the all-clear, leave badly damaged buildings and do not return unless directed to do so by campus police. |
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Seek shelter in a building. If no shelter is available, lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area. |
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| DO Watch for downed power lines and call campus police at 6789. Wait for all-clear signal before leaving the area. |
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| DON'T Do not remain in your car. |
Notification will be delivered by building coordinator, campus voice mail, campus e-mail, and/or text message.
| IMMEDIATE ACTION Call campus police at 6789 (for gas) or campus operations at 6362 (for electrical/plumbing issues). |
| DO Remain in the building unless evacuation is ordered. Locate exit stairs or doors and exit while emergency lighting is available. |
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| DON'T Do not use candles or open flames. Do not enter the building until power is fully restored. |
| DON'T Do not walk through standing water due to electrocution risk. |
| DO Leave the area immediately. |
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