April 2012 University of South Carolina Lancaster, Division of Law Enforcement and Security T3: Tools, Tips and Techniques on Crime Prevention and Disaster Preparedness Greetings, We are entering the season when severe thunderstorms and tornados need to be a part of both our personal awareness and institutional awareness. Awareness of potential threats and what to do is fundamental to safety. I have provided as a part of this document an extract from our USC Lancaster Emergency Response Guide. Where weather alerts are concerned, any staff or faculty who becomes aware of a threat should take steps to notify the entire campus. This is especially true with tornado warnings. The complete guide is found at, http://usclancaster.sc.edu/facilities/EmergencyResponseGuide.pdf. I have also provided information on our emergency notification system. Thank you, John Rutledge 7.7.3 Tornado
Tornado Watch: A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornado formation. Remain alert and do the following:
• Review actions to take should a Tornado Warning be issued. Know where the severe weather shelter
areas are in your building.
• Ensure that no physical conditions exits that would prevent your free movement to shelter areas. Clear
any blocked doors, aisles, etc.
• Continue normal activities but be alert to the weather. Monitor a radio, television or internet website or
watch the sky for worsening weather conditions.
• Do not call University officials for weather information. Keep telephone circuits open for emergency
messages.
Tornado Warning: A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted. Do the following:
• Take cover. Proceed to the nearest Severe Weather Shelter are in your building. Because of possible
electrical failure, do not use elevators. Stay away from windows and other glass. Avoid auditoriums
and gymnasiums with large ceiling and roof areas.
• In multi-story buildings, Severe Weather Shelter areas on the USCL campus are on the basement or
ground level. In some instances, interior stairwells and restrooms are designated shelter areas. Look
for the signs indicating Shelter.
• If you are in a frame or sheet metal building and conditions permit, move to a brick or stone building for
added protection.
• Do not phone University officials for weather information. Keep telephone circuits open for emergency
messages.
All students, faculty and staff should register to receive text messages
During an emergency, the University may send a text message to your mobile phone.
Every incident is unique; therefore, different communication media will be activated based on their reach, effectiveness, and location.
Text messages will only be used if a situation exists that poses an immediate risk to life safety and requires persons to change their
behavior (i.e. seek shelter, evacuate, etc.).
To sign up to receive texts:
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Go to VIP (vip.sc.edu) and login. You will be presented with a series of screens to update your information.
Do not skip these messages.
Complete all applicable fields and ensure your information is correct.
For more information about the Carolina Alert system and other emergency procedures, please visit http://www.sc.edu/carolinaalert.
For questions about entering your information on VIP, please contact the UTS Help Desk at (803) 777-1800, M-F, 8a - 6p.
*Please note that the University will only send text messages in the event of a true emergency. For other safetyrelated information, monitor this site and follow Carolina Alert on Facebook and Twitter.