Emergency Plan
Emergency Plan
The Department of Homeland Security recommends everyone have a plan in place to contact your family and friends in an emergency. In a campus or area evacuation, you will need to plan ahead to notify others where you are and where you are going. In an emergency, communication lines may be damaged or overloaded so plan ahead to know how you will get in contact with friends and family.
The Department of Homeland Security recommends:
- Identify an Out of Town Contact. Local communication may be cut off so an out of town friend or family member may be better situated for you to contact, and have them pass along the information.
- Make sure your family and friends know who your out of town contact is and has their phone number.
- Cell phones may not work in an emergency. Have a prepaid phone card or other back up means of communication.
- Use text messaging in an emergency. Cell phone communication may be out, but sometimes text messaging will still work. Teach family and friends to use text messaging and to expect a text message in an emergency.
- Program your emergency contact person and their phone number into your cell phone under “In Case of Emergency” (I.C.E.). In an emergency, rescuers may look on your cell phone, under I.C.E., to find out who to contact.
- Subscribe to MU Alert or other community/regional emergency alert systems.
In case of evacuation - plan ahead:
- In the unlikely event of an evacuation - have two places to evacuate too, going in different directions from the Millersville University campus. For example, make plans to have an evacuation site near Philadelphia, and State College Pennsylvania. Although there is no firm guidance on how far away to plan your emergency evacuation sites, a good rule of thumb is to make the evacuation sites at least 20-30 miles from campus.
- Make sure your family and friends know your emergency evacuation location.
- Make plans to get there. If you do not have a car, make plans to travel with a friend.
- Know alternate routes from the Millersville and Lancaster County area. In an evacuation, the local road system will be clogged and congested.
- For those who cannot self-evacuate from the Millersville University campus/Millersville Borough area, the University and the Borough will attempt to provide basic bus/shuttle service at Gordinier and Lyle Dining Halls. Buses/shuttles may or may not be available at these sites so plan to evacuate on your own.
- Have your emergency kit ready to "grad-and go" when you evacuate.