Tornado/Severe Weather
In the event of a tornado or severe weather alert, time is of the essence.Notification
Severe Weather conditions are monitored and received via:
The Emergency Alert Radios are stationed in the Main Adelphi Security office and the Largo Security Office. The radio will sound an alarm and specify the weather emergency and affected area. The radio is programmed to signal alerts for all of the UMUC
properties.
The University of Maryland Department of Public Safety Early Warning Siren will sound and indicate a life threatening weather emergency. Specific information on the alert can be obtained through the following resources:
www.umd.edu WMUC 88.1 1640 AM 301-405-SNOW
Residential Campus Cable Channel 76 Academic Cable Channel 40
UMUC EAT Leaders and Security Supervisors are also signed on to the UMD
Emergency Text Alert System. If not already done, UMUC will react to UMD Alerts and immediately follow up with a UMUC Alert.
Whenever severe weather is forecasted, Security and the EAT Leaders will monitor the weather via internet and television, in order to remain updated.
Communication:
Once a severe weather/tornado advisory has been made for a specific area, the security team will notify the Security Director and EAT Leaders and advise them of the situation. The Security Director and EAT Leaders will monitor the situation closely with Security. If the storm becomes a severe weather or tornado warning (indicates weather spotters have identified a tornado), the following systems will be activated to alert the affected community:
UMUC Emergency Text Alert System PA Announcement/s
Emergency Two-Way radio
Avaya phone system in those building with this system
Evacuation to Safe Area:
Emergency communication will direct people to safe areas. Generally, all personnel should evacuate to the lower levels or under a desk or table and away from windows.
Additional safety Precautions:
Remain calm in a protected area until the threat has ceased or the danger has passed.
If outdoors, try to seek shelter indoors. If you cannot; try to get to a protected safe area away from buildings, windows and glass, telephone or light poles or any place where there could be falling debris ( a low area such as a ditch or ravine or depression works well).
Lie face down and cover your face and head.
Be careful removing debris that has fallen around you.
Once cleared, the EAT will respond for instructions. If damage has occurred and deemed necessary by the EAT Leader will instruct the Team perform an assessment of the
damage.
Procedures:
Emergency Action Team Leaders will decide on course of action. Tornado Watch
When a tornado watch has been declared in the geographic area of UMUC all outside assets, which are mobile, should be moved inside and preparations should be made towards protection of the property from high winds.
Tornado Warning
Some initial precautions that should be made are:
• Advise employees, guests and students to stay away from windows via the PA systems.
• Prepare to close all windows.
• Send an Emergency Text Alert all staff.
When deemed necessary by the EAT Leaders, the following additional procedures and precautions should be implemented:
1. Evacuate all personnel to the lower levels.
2. Updated safety announcements should be made via PA announcement and Text Alerts.
Actual Tornado Involvement:
1. Emergency Response Team will be assigned to the damaged area.
2. Security will patrol and secure damaged areas and assist in any type of medical emergency. 3. EAT Leader should proceed with UMUC emergency notification procedures.
4. Engineering and Security will conduct a visual inspection of the structure and make preparation for property protection.
5. All medical emergencies and hazards will be given top priority.
6. Security and EAT members will perform a thorough patrol of all office suites to determine the status of employees.
7. Security and engineering will inspect and evaluate all building safety systems that may be in an alarm condition.
Severe Weather Procedures for UMUC Faculty, Staff and Students
When inclement weather strikes the area, UMUC often is faced with a decision as to whether to cancel classes, close the university, or both.Where to Get the Information
In all cases of inclement weather, the emergency text alert system will be utilized to notify it’s subscribers of the University’s plans. UMUC staff and students should also contact the UMUC homepage (where a special Weather link exists at the top of the page) or the UMUC weather line (301-985-SNOW, or 7669). Students, faculty and staff should not rely on the media for
closure/delay information. The media tends to confuse UMUC with other USM institution. If
you hear or see something, go to the weather line or the web page for accurate information.
UMUC Staff
When inclement weather strikes (or is forecast), the university has several options when
considering the status of university staff: late opening, early dismissal, liberal leave, or closure.
Late Opening/Early Dismissal – UMUC administration may determine that it is safest for
employees to open late or close early, depending on the weather. In either case, announcements – including specific opening/closing times – will be made to all UMUC staff via the snow line, web site and email (if possible). Non-essential regular and contingent II employees who have reported to work that day will then count the "closed time" as administrative leave. Please note that eligible staff that do not report to work that day (i.e., are out sick or take leave) will not receive administrative leave for the time when the office is closed that day.
Liberal Leave - When an announcement is made that UMUC will operate under a policy of
liberal leave, non-essential regular and contingent II employees may use available annual, personal and/or comp leave to cover late arrivals, early departures or absence from work for the entire day. If the employee does not have paid leave available, that employee may use approved Leave Without Pay. The employee shall make every effort to notify the supervisor of their absence. However, normal advance leave request procedures shall not be in effect during liberal leave.
Please note: Student workers and Contingent I employees do not earn leave. Therefore, their absences would simply mean they are not paid for hours when they don't work.
Closure/Administrative leave - When an announcement is made that UMUC will open late,
close early, or will be closed for an entire workday, non-essential employees will be given administrative leave for the hours the University is closed. Non-essential employees who do not report to work at all or who leave work prior to the announced time of closure are not eligible for administrative leave, and must use earned paid leave or leave without pay for all hours of their absence.
Essential employees are expected to work as usual and may be compensated by compensatory time or additional pay, in accordance with their eligibility and personnel policy concerning work hours and overtime.
Administrative leave is not available to employees who are in a prior approved leave status (annual, sick, advanced or extended sick, personal, accident leave or leave without pay). A prior approved leave status includes all leave approved before the announcement of the full or partial closure. Employees who are in this status shall have their leave charged accordingly and are not entitled to administrative leave.
Essential employee - An essential employee is a staff member of a facility who has been
designated as vital to the operation of the facility, whose presence is required regardless of the existence of an emergency condition, and whose absence from duty could endanger the safety and well being of the campus population and/or physical plant. Employees who are to be designated as essential shall be notified in writing of this designation prior to the declaration of an emergency condition.
UMUC Students
UMUC holds classes all across the Baltimore/Washington region, which sometime makes it difficult to address inclement weather situations, especially if such weather is localized. UMUC's Provost will determine class cancellations as follows:
< If the weather event takes place overnight, a determination will be made by approximately 6 a.m. for all classes (daytime and evening) for that day.
< If the weather event takes place over the course of the day, a determination on whether to cancel evening classes will be made at approximately 2 p.m.
