Emergency Preparedness

Planning and preparedness for a safer community

Items for an emergency kit including water, money, first aid kit, etc.

What past disasters have taught us is that 9-1-1 can't always come to the rescue. That is why it is important to have a plan to keep you and your family safe no matter where you are. Developing a plan can be the difference between keeping the scene safe and secure or sitting around waiting for help.

Contact the Emergency Management Office if you need assistance in creating a plan for you and your family.

PSUAlert

PSUAlert is the University-wide emergency messaging system used to notify our campus communities of emergency situations.

All Penn State students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to add contact information to PSUAlert, the University's emergency alerts system. By default, students, faculty and staff will receive alerts at their Penn State email address. To add personal contact information to PSUAlert, including cellphone and land line information, visit the PSUAlert website.

Build an Emergency Kit

Where will you be during an emergency or disaster in our community? If you answered, "at the emergency," you should develop an Emergency Kit.

A emergency kit should be able to sustain you and your family for three days. Your kit maybe several small kits (food, medications, clothes, etc.) located throughout the home. If told to evacuate, be prepared to gather these kits quicky.

Here are some common items in a kit:

Water - one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation.
Food - at least three-day supply of non-perishable food.
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries.
Flashlight and extra batteries.
First aid kit.
Whistle to signal for help.
Medications and items for unique needs.
Moist toilettes.

For more information of building an emergency kit, please visit Ready.gov.

Make A Plan

Know exit routes and assembly areas (near and far)
Identify safe locations to shelter
Consider a variety of ways to keep in contact with family, friends, roommates, and co-workers

Personal Safety Tips

Always keep the door to your room locked,
Do not let people into a locked building or office unless you work with them or they have been properly identified. If the person becomes difficult, call University Police by texting or calling 911 or calling (814) 863-1111.
In the event that a suspicious person is seen roaming around or if you receive suspicious calls, contact University Police.
Don’t investigate a suspicious person or noise outside by yourself.
Keep a list of emergency numbers with you.
Never walk alone at night if possible. Choose the best lit, most traveled paths when walking. Walk in an alert confident manner and actively pay attention to your surroundings. Familiarize yourself with University Police's Safe Walk service.
Take a self-defense course or request a personal safety program for your work unit or student group through the department's Community Oriented Policing Unit.

Resources

Travel Warnings
Links to information about Travel and Weather

State & Federal Links

Emergency Action Guides

Developed by University Police and Public Safety, Penn State's Emergency Action Guides outline recommended actions for incidents such as fires, severe weather, medical emergencies, active threats, hazardous material releases, and other campus emergencies. By understanding these response procedures in advance, students, employees, and visitors can be better prepared to protect themselves and assist others when seconds matter.

Training

Penn State participates in a variety of emergency exercises and drills throughout the year that involve key leadership and stakeholders at the University. We use four types of exercises that are consistent with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

Exercises/Drills

The following can be facilitated with your college, department, or unit.

Drills - This is a coordinated and supervised exercise used to test a single specific operation or function. It involves deployment of equipment and personnel.

Tabletop Exercise - This is a facilitated group analysis of an emergency situation in an informal stress-free environment. It is designed for examination of operational plans, problem identification, and in-depth problem solving.

Functional Exercise - This is a fully simulated interactive exercise that tests the capability of an organization to respond to a simulated event. It takes place in the Emergency Operations Center and focuses on coordination of multiple functions or organizations. This exercise strives for realism and is short of actually deploying equipment and personnel.

Full-Scale Exercise - This is a simulated emergency event, as close to reality as possible. It involves all emergency response functions and requires full deployment of equipment and personnel. (To note, planning efforts for this type of an exercise would take approximately 12 months, from the start to final execution.)

Clery Exercises

Clery Exercise - This is a year exercise completed with all campuses. The exercises are conducted with campus leadership, as well as their crisis management team to practice emergency situations that fall under the Clery Act. The exercise also generates a physical test of the emergency notification system known as PSUAlert.

Email the Emergency Management Office if your unit is interested in conducting a drill or exercise.

Other Training Sites

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) training page offers information on training, drills, and emergency management.

Penn State Environmental Health & Safety offers training and emergency information.

University Police also offers training exercises and courses on safety, security, and self-defense.