The Central Penn College Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is intended to establish policies, procedures, and organizational structure for response to emergencies that may cause a significant disruption of the functioning of all or portions of the College. The EOP describes the roles and responsibilities of divisions, departments, offices, units, and personnel during emergency situations.

The EOP is designed to:

• Present a proactive response designed to protect students, staff, and faculty, as well as the community and the environment in case of a major emergency or disaster.
• Serve as a guide for managing any emergency that may result from a single violent act and/or disaster either natural or technology based.
• Outline and assign responsibilities for coping with emergencies affecting the safety and well-being of people and/or facilities on campus.
• Facilitate compliance with certain regulatory requirements of federal, state, and local agencies and enhance the College’s ability to quickly return to normal operations following an emergency or disaster.

The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) allows the College to preserve, maintain, and/or reconstitute its capability to perform essential functions in the event of any disaster or emergency that disrupts operations and services.   It is not an emergency response plan; the purpose of a COOP is to facilitate the recovery and resumption of critical or essential functions through the development of plans, procedures, and provisions for alternate sites, personnel, resources, interoperable communications, and vital records/databases.

Building Emergency Plans (BEP) provide additional procedures for preparedness and response for emergency incidents. The BEP provides critical information that each individual needs to be familiar with when there is an emergency in a specific building. All building occupants need to review, understand, and practice their Building Emergency Plan information and procedures, including emergency alerting, notification, evacuation, and shelter-in-place procedures.

If a fire alarm sounds or if asked to evacuate, leave the building immediately.   The purpose of evacuating a building is to remove the occupants from dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions presented by:

• A fire
• A suspected explosive device
• A hazardous material releases
• Air contamination
• Active aggressor incident
• Other life-threatening situations

When evacuating a building:

• Remain calm
• Proceed to the nearest safe exit
• Do not use the elevators
• Assist disabled persons; if the person cannot be moved to the exit, ask the person to go to the nearest stairwell at their location, leave the building and advise a firefighter or police officer of the person’s location
• Once outside, do not return until directed by a public safety official

An emergency requiring the evacuation of campus is likely to be part of a larger evacuation. It is important to follow evacuation instructions.   If an emergency evacuation is declared on campus, all Central Penn College members and visitors will exit the campus utilizing College Hill Road or Valley Road.

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) a portable defibrillator designed to be automated such that it can be used by persons without substantial medical training who are responding to a cardiac emergency.

Click here to view the Public Access Defibrillation Plan

The College has AEDs located in the following area: Click here to view the map.

• Video instruction: https://youtu.be/BLjoWjCrDqg
• Evaluate whether the fire can be put out using a portable extinguisher.
• Know what types of materials are burning and ensure that you are using the correct type of extinguisher for that fire.
• Consider the possible danger posed by hazardous or highly flammable materials.
• Always have an unobstructed route away from the fire. Use proper techniques for extinguishing small fires, such as the PASS method. To extinguish a small fire using the PASS method.

What exactly are emergency phones?

Emergency phones are deployed as a reliable means of direct communication to the 24/7 Public Safety and Health Department. At Central Penn College, there are 4 public emergency phone towers, which are sometimes referred to as “blue light phones.” All emergency phones are tested regularly for proper operation.

As the College constructs new facilities or completes major renovation on existing facilities, the College evaluates plans for additional public emergency phone towers and revises as necessary.

Who manages emergency phones?

The Public Safety and Health Department, in cooperation with Information Technology Services, manage the emergency phone system.

Where are the public emergency phone towers (sometimes called “blue light phones” located at Central Penn College?

View map here.

Describe the features of the public emergency phone towers.

The public emergency phone towers are connected via analog phone lines making them immune to the types of call failures and reliability issues associated with cellular phones.

How often are public emergency phone towers used?

While calls from Central Penn College public emergency towers are not tracked separately from other emergency calls, we know that the phones are used infrequently. The infrequent use can be compared to that of a building fire alarm, which is rarely used; however, it is a critical tool for a true emergency. While use is limited, public emergency phones are an important resource should anyone need to utilize the tool during an emergency.

How are the public emergency towers maintained?

Public Safety and Health Department tests emergency phones using Public Safety Officers. Information Technology Services performs or coordinates any necessary corrective maintenance.

How are the locations for public emergency phone towers determined?

Locations for public emergency towers are determined through individual assessments associated with major construction projects.

How do the public emergency phone towers help support campus safety?

The public emergency tower system can offer some reassurance to the Central Penn College community simply by knowing the system exists and that it is available in an emergency. A system is also a critical tool during a true emergency as it alerts public safety officers to the location of an emergency so that public safety officers can respond.

Are all public emergency phone towers currently property functioning at Central Penn College?

If a phone is found to be non-functional during testing, it will be repaired. Non-functioning units will be placarded as “Out of Service” until the repair is complete.