Shelter-in-Place Procedures:
What it Means to “Shelter-in-Place”

If you receive a Shelter-in-Place Order and you are safe at your current location, you should remain there and make any minimum adjustments needed to make this location even safer and more comfortable until you are told it is safe to come out or to go elsewhere.

If an incident occurs and the building you are in is not damaged, stay inside in an interior room until you are told it is safe to come out. If the location where you are in not safe, given the information you have, remain calm and alert, take your personal belongings (cellphone, purse, wallet, access card, etc.) and:

• If you are in a building, follow the evacuation procedures: close the door, proceed to the nearest exit, and use the stairs instead of the elevators. Once you have evacuated, seek shelter at the nearest College building quickly. If police or fire department personnel are on the scene, follow their directions.

• If you are outdoors, proceed promptly into the closest building or follow instructions from emergency personnel on the scene. Otherwise, locate an interior room to shelter inside. Ideally, the room should be above ground level, without windows. Shut and lock exterior doors and any window. Call the Department of Safety and Security so they know where you are sheltering. Stay alert for further instructions. Make yourself comfortable until you are told it is safe to come out or to go elsewhere.

A shelter-in-place notification may come from several sources: A campus-wide DartAlert notification, the Department of Safety and Security, Housing Staff members, other College employees, Local Police or Fire Department, or other authorities responding to an emergency on campus.