Emergency Operations Plan
to address all hazards
As of: November 2016
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Table of Contents
Purpose
Scope
Objectives
Assumptions
Maintenance of This Plan
Authority for Assistance During Incidents
DCCCD Board
Interlocal Agreements
Within-District Resources
Incident Command
Reporting Relationships
Resource & Logistics
Recovery and Business Continuity
Reporting a Crime or Suspicious Persons
Reporting Safety Issues
Inclement Weather, Emergencies & Class Cancellations
Training
Exercises
Annexes
1 Campus Contact Numbers
2 Incident Command Structure
3 Fire Warden Duties
4 Maps
5 Fire
6 Evacuation
7 Active Shooter
8 Tornado/Extreme Weather
9 Bomb Threat
10 Medical Emergencies
11 Toxic Chemicals
12 Radiological, Biological, External Chemical threat
13 Power Outage / Utility Failure
14 Flood
15 Terrorism
Incident Checklists
Forms
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Purpose
This plan provides guidance to prepare for and meet any disruption, emergency, or event that
may threaten students, staff, visitors, College facilities, or the continuity of operations.
Scope
This El Centro Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is a college-level plan that guides the
emergency response of all College personnel and resources during a major incident. To the
maximum extent practical, the Plan provides an emergency response organization which is
consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command
System (ICS). The Plan also recognizes and encompasses standards of the City of Dallas where
they apply. Use of this plan facilitates coordinated action between workgroups at all College
locations and with other entities of the Dallas County Community College District during an
incident, and ensures that the College and the District are eligible for State funding of responserelated personnel, materials, and equipment costs during declared disasters.
This Plan supersedes previous plans and precludes employee actions not in concert with the
intent of this Plan, or the emergency organization created by it. Nothing in this Plan shall be
construed in a manner that limits the use of good judgment and common sense in matters not
foreseen or covered by the elements of the Plan or any appendices hereto.
The Plan and organization shall be subordinate to County, State, or Federal plans during a
disaster declaration by those authorities.
Objectives
In an emergency the College responds to events by observing the following priorities:
• Priority I: Protection of Life Safety;
• Priority II: Maintenance of Life Support and Assessment of Damages; and
• Priority III: Restoration of General District Operations
As operations address these priorities, the administrative control of the College will transition
from the emergency operation plan structure back to the normal organizational structure.
Assumptions
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The College will strive to maintain a cadre of trained staff to provide security, building
system functions and all hazards response.
The Plan is intended to provide general guidance of emergency services and recovery
efforts.
Each incident is unique and should be treated as such. The Plan is not a substitute for
sound judgment, nor is it a rigid set of rules to be followed at any cost. The need to
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evacuate may be the best decision in one set of circumstances, while locking-down in
place may be more effective in another set of circumstances.
The emergency and/or disruption will occur at the worst possible time.
Maintenance of This Plan
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This plan is the responsibility of the Campus Safety Committee as appointed by the
College President.
The plan must be posted to the College Web Pages.
Each year comprising an odd number, for example 2017, the Campus Safety Committee
must review the plan and update
Authority for Assistance During Incidents
DCCCD Board
ALL COLLEGE AGREEMENTS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
Interlocal Agreements
Any external contact or communication with an outside organization regarding
homeland security resource or support request(s) or issue(s) needs to be coordinated
through the DCCCD Risk Management Office. This does not affect emergency liaison
with other locally situated responder agencies in addressing a College emergency.
Current District Interlocal Agreements:
 Dallas County Health and Human Services (Health Dept.) with all seven main
college campuses for use of the location’s facilities during a county health
emergency.
 County of Dallas with the all of DCCCD regarding Emergency Management
Mutual Aid.
Within-District Resources: When District Locations are in need of District resources
and/or District authorization (authorization for emergency expenditures of funds over
$1,000) the one contact point for the District will be the Risk Management Office.
Coordination with the Risk Management Office is needed for the following actions:
 To request authorization of emergency expenditures
 To contact the Director of Purchasing for emergency purchases
 For Facilities support from other colleges and/or external contractors
 To obtain assistance from a restoration vendor
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Incident Command
“Who is in charge” very much depends upon the moment that an incident commences,
whether in the day or night and whether the College is open for business or closed.
During normal College opening hours the Incident Commander is the ranking College
administrator on campus. When criminal, weapon-related, or terrorism events are
involved the ranking Campus Police officer is the Incident Commander. In other types of
events the ranking Facilities member or ranking Campus Police officer will be assigned
as the Operations Chief.
During hours the College is closed the initial Incident Commander is the first staff
member to respond, to be superseded by staff of higher rank as they arrive. In all cases
the staff member relieved of command will brief the successor of all known life safety
issues and threats and response actions in progress. Incident Commander will initiate
contact with Campus Police, Facilities, and the College President.
Reporting Relationships
Given the proximity of the College to a number of “first responder” agencies, there is a
strong probability that another agency may assume leadership of an incident almost
immediately.
NOTE: When the scope of an incident is sufficient that it would suggest that first
responders may be overwhelmed, the Incident Commander should use available
communications to contact key administrators who will contact essential personnel
needed in response to the incident. The College Police Chief may activate the CERT
Team to assist with the incident.
Resource & Logistics
The Vice President of Business Services will insure that budgetary support is
available to provide the material resources needed to support operations as outlined
in this plan.
The Director of Facilities Services will insure that all life safety systems in campus
buildings are maintained, either by in-house staff or contractors, including:
Fire alarm system
Automatic fires extinguishing systems (sprinklers)
Elevator recall system
HVAC system
Fire pumps
Emergency generators and emergency lighting systems
Resource need should be coordinated through the Risk Management Office at the
following numbers: Voice: 972-860-4048 or 972-860-4029, Fax: 972-860-4039
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Recovery and Business Continuity
The College Incident Commander will determine when any emergency event has reached a
stage that life and property are no longer substantially at risk and will then return responsibility
to the the President who may convene an Academic Recovery Team composed of selected
members of the President’s Cabinet and others to address continuity of operations.
 Academic recovery planning may proceed side-by-side with some components of
emergency response such as communicating with staff and students, controlling a crime
scene, or demobilizing responders as ongoing processes.
 Operations of the Academic Recovery Team must be coordinated with security
operations
 The President or senior academic officer in charge must appoint one person to insure
that safety is monitored as long as any element of emergency response continues
 Academic, facility, and business operations recovery may be assisted by checklists in a
later section of this plan.
Reporting a Crime or Suspicious Persons
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From an On-campus phone – call 911
Off campus or Cell phone – dial 972-860-4290
Reporting Safety Issues
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Safety Issues that are not immediately life threatening should be reported through the
Facilities repair system along with notifying a member of the Campus Safety Committee
which are listed on the Web Page (http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/safety-committee).
Issues that threaten the immediate safety of students and staff should be reported right
away to both the Campus Police (972-860-4290) and Facilities (214-860-2057).
Inclement Weather, Emergencies & Class Cancellations
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In the event of severe weather conditions or a stated emergency, please listen to local radio or
television stations for information concerning official closing of El Centro College.
You can also call El Centro’s Weather Hotline at 214-860-2701 and check for updates on the
web site. Decisions for evening classes will be made by 4:00 pm. Please be advised that this
information also applies to both weekday and weekend classes.
Training
Drills
 Fire drills must be conducted in each major instructional building of the College at least
twice each year. Drills of the same type should not conducted in succession.
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Fire Wardens
 Fire wardens must be advised of their basic duties for building clearing and sheltering in
emergencies to supplement the awareness levels of part time staff and instructors.
 Training in use of fire extinguishers and other emergency equipment should be offered
at least annually to fire wardens, CERT team members, and other key staff identified by
the Safety Committee.
Exercises
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Exercises for shelter in place must be conducted in each major building once annually.
Shelter in place exercises may be conducted as “active shooter”, “terrorism”,
“biological, chemical or radiological”, “public disturbance”, or “police action” at the
discretion of the Safety Committee, taking into account the prevalence of recent
incidents reported in the media and statutory requirements.
Incident Checklists
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Incident Command Center Location and Setup
Incident Commander Checklist
Documentation Officer (Scribe) Checklist
Public Information (Marketing) Checklist
Operations (Facilities/CERT/Police/Evening Office) Checklist
Logistics Support (VP of Business) Checklist
Finance Section Chief (Business Office Director) Checklist
Recovery Checklist
Forms
Incident Briefing (ICS 201) – 6 pages
Blank Staff Assignment Charts – 2 each
Public Information (ICS 209) – 3 pages
General Message Form (ICS 213) – 6 copies
Sign-In & Sign-Out Sheet – 6 copies
Assignment Status Sheet – 2 copies
Victim Treatment Sheet – 2 copies
(Incident Checklists & Forms are issued to College Staff separately)
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Annexes
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Annex 1.
Campus Contact Numbers
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Police Dispatch: 214-860-4290
Weather Hotline: 214-860-2701
Current Directory: http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/directory
Administrator Call List: (confidential – issued to administrators individually)
Downtown Campus Reception Desk: 214-860-2000
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Annex 2.
Incident Command Structure
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Annex 3.
Fire Warden Duties
The duties of Fire Wardens in a fire emergency are as follows:
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Treat all alarms not specifically warned to be a drill as "the real thing"
Clear the floor or area of responsibility
See that mobility impaired individuals are either evacuated using a descender chair or
positioned on a stairwell landing where there is a higher fire rating (do NOT do this in a drill)
Close all doors to limit spread of fire
Downtown - Direct students and staff to evacuate to Founder's Plaza and the Kennedy
Memorial across Market Street from the C Building
Other buildings – Direct students and staff to move 200 feet away and clear space for
emergency responders
Do not allow students to re-enter the building until an official clearance is given - only the Fire
Department can release the building for re-entry and that release will be communicated by
Campus Police and Facilities Staff.
All staff and students should become familiar with the basics of fire response:
 Learn the building layout – hallways, primary & alternate exits, extinguishers
 Prepare to follow the R.A.C.E. procedure:
o R – RESCUE – assist others and proceed to nearest best exit
o A - ALARM – pull a fire alarm or call 911 on a College phone or call 972-860-4290 on a
cell phone; identify the building and floor where the fire is located
o C - CONFINE – close doors to confine the fire and to keep smoke away from
evacuation pathways; do NOT break windows
o E – EXTINGUISH – without taking undue risk, use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire
using the PASS procedure:
 P-PULL Stand back from the fire and pull the pin.
 A-AIM Aim the nozzle at the base of the flame
 S-SQUEEZE Squeeze the handle
 S-SWEEP Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the flames until the
fire is completely extinguished.
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Annex 4.
Maps
DOWNTOWN CAMPUS
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DOWNTOWN CAMPUS - DETAIL
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WEST CAMPUS
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BJP CAMPUS
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Annex 5.
Fire
ALL STAFF: Remain calm and encourage those around you to do likewise.
Listen to the directions given through the emergency public address system.
•
Quickly secure materials and valuables, exit and secure all room doors
•
Check exit routes for smoke or flame, then choose a safe route
•
Walk in an orderly manner to the nearest exit
•
If there is smoke, stay low and cover your mouth and nose
•
If clothing catches fire – stop drop and roll
•
Move to the recovery area for your building:
•
Downtown – the Founder’s Plaza and the Kennedy memorial –
across Market Street from the C Building
•
Other buildings – parking lot at least 200 feet from the building
Do not use elevators!
•
Persons with mobility difficulties:
•
In a fire drill, do not evacuate persons with mobility impairments!
•
In the event of an actual fire alarm, check for a chair descender or
folding stretcher in your area – many areas have chair descenders in
hallways. The libraries have folding stretchers. As an alternative, place
mobility impaired individuals on a stair landing where walls have a higher
fire rating and report the location to an emergency responder.
•
responding emergency personnel have the means to override the
elevators to assist mobility impaired persons evacuate.
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
Police & Facilities Staff: The ranking Facilities Service Staff on-site is the onscene commander until the arrival of the Fire Department. The Director of
Facilities or his designee is the Operations Chief for the incident until the arrival
of the Fire Department.
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
o Evacuate: An immediate response to fire is to evacuate the area
close to the fire and quite likely the entire building that is affected.
Facilities and Campus Police must devote an initial response to
insuring life safety of building occupants.
o Sizeup: the Facilities and Police on-site should immediately ascertain
the location and extent of the fire either by direct observation or
debriefing evacuees as they exit from the building.
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o Follow-Up: Insure that the Dallas Fire Department at 911 has been
notified.
o Meet the Fire Department response and direct them to the “KnoxBox” and the location of the fire.
o Ensure that the fire pumps are operating correctly
o Ensure that the HVAC system has functioned properly. If AHU is off
on the affected floor, stairwells will pressurize
o Ensure that the elevator recall has functioned. If it has not, manually
recall all cars to the first floor.
o Check the emergency generator and be prepared to operate it if
requested
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Annex 6.
Evacuation
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All staff members are responsible for assisting an evacuation. At the Assembly Area
staff must report to the ranking school official and remain in place to assist evacuees
until dismissed or allowed to return to the building.
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The primary evacuation site for the Downtown Campus is to the Founders Plaza and
the Kennedy Memorial areas across Market Street from the C Building.
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Other buildings and campuses evacuate to nearby parking lots at least 200 feet from
the building to allow room for responders to address the emergency.
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Building Fire Wardens and CERT Team members are responsible for evacuating their
areas of responsibility.
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After evacuation fire wardens and CERT Team members are are responsible for
maintaining a safe perimeter around evacuees and assisting as needed and directed
by the Incident Command.
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After evacuation CERT Team members will respond to the Incident Commander for
directions.
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Notify the Campus Police and/or Incident Commander about casualties and persons
that need assistance or extrication
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Annex 7.
Active Shooter
Notify, as possible: Others in the area
Avoid drawing attention from perpetrators!
Secure the area: close, barricade and lock doors if possible
Secure Yourself:
• Remain silent: TURN OFF Pagers, Cell Phones & Computers
• Turn off lights
• Do not move or walk around
• Crouch down and remain motionless
• Put physical barriers between you and the entrance to your area
• If no barriers are available, lie on the floor away from high traffic areas and
remain motionless
When is it over?
Await an ‘All Clear’ message from police on the scene
CALL: If you perceive a threat or emergency situation:
Dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
Send text messages if possible – do not use voice
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Annex 8.
Tornado / Severe Weather
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In severe weather situations DO NOT EXIT THE BUILDING!
If danger is imminent, an announcement will be made over the Emergency Public
Address System, telephone override system and/or the blackboard notification
to cell phones advising the college community of any National Weather Service
Announcement.
Listen for instructions, then:
o Remain calm and encourage those around you to do likewise,
o Move to offices and classrooms near the center of each floor,
o Move away from windows, doors and other glass!
o Move to “Tornado Safer” areas,
o At Downtown - as time permits, use stairwells to move to the basements
in A Building and C Building
DO NOT USE ELEVATORS!
BE AWARE IF YOU HEAR A SIREN: City sirens are used to alert the whole city, they do
not necessarily mean an event is localized to the College, but you should move indoors
and consult information sources to determine what threat may exist.
ACTION PLAN
The College will phase into a severe weather mode when conditions appear threatening.
During such events, staff will begin monitoring information sources and will advise the
College as far in advance of any hazard at the situation permits. Members of the
Facilities staff, Police staff and CERT team will be alerted and should be prepared to take
action on a “take shelter” order.
Resources:
 On the web: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/?n=observations
 On the web: http://www.weather.gov/view/national.php?map=on
 On the web: http://www.dallasalert.org/
 On the radio: tune to a local channel such as WBAP 820 AM, FM 90.1 (public
radio) or 1680 AM – the voice of the Downtown Dallas Improvement District.
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
Dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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Annex 9.
Bomb Threat
During a bomb threat DO NOT use cell phones!
1. Remain calm – do NOT interrupt the caller
2. Check caller ID _________________________
3. Assess the caller:
a. Sex _____________________
b. Age _________________
c. Race __________________
d. Accent _______________________
4. Determine, if possible:
a. Time bomb is scheduled to explode: ______________________
b. Location of the bomb: ______________________
c. Reason for the threat:
____________________________________________
5. Also note:
a. Time call was received: ________________
b. Background noises:
i. Voices ____
ii. Street traffic ____
iii. Music ______
iv. Other _______________________________
c. Actual words used:
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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Annex 10.
Medical Emergencies
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Make every effort to remain calm and encourage those around you to do likewise
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Ask if anyone at the scene has First Aid or CPR training -- get them involved
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Call campus security -- 911 from a campus phone; 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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If the person is not breathing, administer CPR and send someone or call for an AED;
apply pressure to wounds to stop bleeding
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Stay with injured persons and be prepared to direct emergency responders to the
location of the emergency
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Annex 11.
Toxic Chemicals
SMALL SPILLS
• Immediately alert others working in the area
• Notify a supervisor or responsible faculty
• Notify Facilities Services 214-860-2057 from a cell phone or call Campus Police
at 911 from a campus phone or 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
• If the spill involves a flammable material, immediately turn off all potential
sources of ignition such as Bunsen burners and any other equipment that uses
heat/open flame, or has electrical current.
• Ventilate the area by turning on fume hoods
• Assist anyone contacted by the chemicals
LARGE SPILLS
• Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from further
exposure.
• Alert other persons in the area to evacuate, closing doors as you exit.
• If it can be done safely, prior to evacuation, take defensive measures such as
covering drains, or extinguishing sources of ignition, and opening fume hood
sashes to ventilate the room
• From a safe location, notify Campus Safety by calling 911 on a College phone or
972-860-4290 on a cell phone.
 Give your name,
 information on the material spilled (name, quantity, etc),
 injuries, and
 the exact location of the spill (room, floor, etc.).
• Be sure to stay on the phone until released by the police or other first
responders.
CONTAMINATED INDIVIDUALS
• Identify the chemical and obtain advice about treatment if at all possible (ask
first responders to consult the ERG – Emergency Response Guide)
• Remove contaminated clothing.
• Flood exposed area with running water from a faucet or safety shower for at
least 15 minutes.
• If chemical is splashed in the face/eyes, immediately rinse eyeball and inner
surface of eyelid with water continuously for 15 minutes. Forcibly hold eye lid(s)
open to ensure effective wash behind eyelids.
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
Dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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Annex 12.
Radiological, Biological, External Chemical threat
RISKS for these conditions come from many directions, both internal and external.
Response to the threat may require either an evacuation or shelter in place.
Once notified of the appropriate course of action, move quickly.
• Remain calm and encourage those around you to do likewise
• Listen for instructions from the Emergency Public Address System
• Stay in place until directed to move
• Elevators and the air handling (HVAC) system will be shut down
Evacuation
• quickly secure materials and valuables, exit and secure office and classroom doors.
• check exit routes for smoke or flame, then choose a safe route
• walk in an orderly manner to the nearest exit
• move to the recovery area for your building
O downtown – Founders plaza across Market Street near the Kennedy Memorial
O others – parking lot at least 200 feet from the building
Shelter in place
• move to interior rooms where possible
• close doors and windows
• use tape, clothing or other material to seal doors and vents
• turn off vent hoods and any open flames
• notify campus police of any risk areas in your vicinity
Chemical or Biological Attack: go to an interior room on the highest floor available
Not the Basement !!
Radiological Attack: go to the Basement
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
Dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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Annex 13.
Power Outage / Utility Failure
When power is off most systems we use are inoperable and response becomes a matter
of determining how long restoration of service will take.
Short Term Response
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Wait a short time – typically brownouts, blown breakers, and other minor
problems will be resolved within less than an hour
Listen to announcements – College staff will be investigating any outage and will
advise everyone of estimated resolution once they have an idea of the problem
Choose relatively quiet activities to pass the time
Long Term Response
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If a service restoration is not expected within the work day it is likely that some
advice will be announced for changing schedules for classes – listen for official
announcements; verify information that seems to be a rumor
If a short term problem transitions to a long term problem communication of
that change will depend on available methods:
o Within the campuses the emergency system, phone alert systems or
runners may announce information about the incident
o If you are off campus, please check media outlets for official advisories
Continuation of academic activities will likely be very detailed and
communicated through electronic systems if at all possible:
o Check the College web site: www.elcentrocollege.edu
o Check individual class information through eCampus
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Annex 14.
Flood
INTERNAL FLOODING
If any DCCCD properties are flooded due to a water main break or severe weather,
directions will be provided through the Emergency Public Address System.
In some situations an internal flood may result in an evacuation. Be prepared:
• If at all possible, carry car keys and office keys with you at all times
• Know your priority evacuation route and have walked through it at least once
• Move to the recovery area for your building
O downtown – Founders Plaza across Market Street near the Kennedy Memorial
O others – parking lot at least 200 feet from the building
EXTERNAL FLOODING
Parts of downtown Dallas are within the flood plain if a leak or overtop situation should
occur at a levee. Spring river levels pose a low threat level but not one that can be
dismissed. The principal issues that may arise from any large scale flooding would be
interruption of transportation. In the event of such an event during school hours,
please follow directions provided through school information sources.
• Obtain the best information possible from official sources – avoid rumors
• Contact family and friends to assist with care of young children and the aged
• Volunteer with civic agencies to assist with containment – sandbagging, etc.
CALL: If you perceive or witness a threat or emergency situation,
Dial 911 from a campus phone or call 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
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Annex 15.
Terrorism
External threats
Threats of terror make it impossible to have a planned response. General guidelines in
all such situations follow:
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Maintain personal situation awareness
o Check weather information before leaving home each day
o Check news before leaving home each day
o Be alert to unusual activities or persons in areas you frequent and
communicate any concerns to Campus Police by dialing 911 from a
campus phone or 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
Work with others to remain calm and prepare to follow directions
Listen to official information sources on campus and through the media
Stay away from incident scenes and move a safe distance away from the area if
you observe an incident in progress
Avoid starting rumors that may mislead others into making dangerous choices
If appraised of an incident or potential incident, be prepared to move quickly
Internal threats
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If you perceive individual behavior that appears threatening or that may escalate
to violence, contact:
 A Campus Police officer via Dispatch:
911 from a campus phone
or 972-860-4290 from a cell phone
 The Care Team
Web: http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/faculty-staff/care-team
If there is immediate threat – CALL THE POLICE 972-860-4290
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