Stay Safe in Emergencies
- Know how to evacuate your building and report to an Emergency Assembly Point.
- Keep your emergency information updated at StanfordYou so you can receive AlertSU messages.
- Keep an emergency supply kit at your office desk, in your car and at home.
- Make sure your emergency supplies include prescription medicines, extra eyeglasses or contacts and access to any other equipment necessary for your health and safety.
- Take actions to mitigate loss in your home. This may include earthquake retrofit, maintain smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and CO alarms.
- If you live in an urban-wildfire interface, contact your local fire department for guidance on keeping a cleared space around your property and safe evacuation routes.
- Keep your cell phone charged, your car charged or your gas tank at least ½ full and be able to access cash if ATMs are not operable.
- Make a plan to meet up with family members in an emergency.
- If you have children in school, be sure you understand the school’s emergency policies and provide all the information they need to safeguard your child in an emergency.
Your Responsibilities at Stanford in an Emergency
We all have busy lives and your job at Stanford is one of multiple responsibilities. For many of us, our daily work duties dovetail with emergency duties and we expect to be involved in helping the university respond and recover. For others, you may not feel that you would be needed on campus in an emergency. Talk with your supervisor to find out what is expected.
Regardless of your specific emergency roles and responsibilities, it is vital that you take time for personal and family preparedness. Preparedness directly contributes to your ability to do your job in an emergency.
Here is what you need to know about your responsibilities in an emergency affecting Stanford:
- Personal and family preparedness is vital to safety and directly contributes to your ability to do your job in an emergency.
- Stanford’s leaders know that the first priority is to manage whatever has impacted your home and family. After checking on your family, you may be asked to return to work to help in an emergency.
- You may not be working at your usual location, or, you may be working from home for a specified time period.
- Exempt employees may be assigned work that you do not usually do and may be asked to work longer hours or different shifts.
- Non-exempt employees should check with their supervisors regarding work assignments and work hours.
- If you are at home when an emergency occurs and you cannot return to campus, you are expected to contact your work supervisor. Even if you are unable to report in immediately, you must keep trying so that you are accounted for as safe and to determine if you are needed on campus to help with the response.
- Stanford Human Resources may issue guidelines and policies related to work, hours, pay and other matters. This information will be posted on the university emergency website https://emergency.stanford.edu or communicated using other means.
- Stanford Environmental Health & Safety may issue guidelines and policies related to safety during emergency response and recovery. This information will be posted on the university emergency website https://emergency.stanford.edu or communicated using other means.
Guidelines for Managers and Supervisors
The Stanford Administrative Guide, Chapter 7.2.1 Emergency/Accident Procedures includes guidelines for Managers and Supervisors:
- Supervisors have the specific responsibility to see that individuals for whom they are responsible are trained in proper emergency response procedures and that the work areas for which they are responsible are properly posted with emergency response procedures. Department administrators or building managers are responsible for working with the University Fire Marshall (at EH&S 723-0609) to designate an Emergency Assembly Point (EAP) for each department and for arranging departmental emergency response procedures and training.
- Department administrators or building managers should prepare disaster plans for their department or building. This includes posting evacuation maps, knowing the location of the Emergency Assembly Point (EAP), securing building contents, distributing emergency contact information, purchasing or preparing emergency kits, and creating a plan for emergency recovery. For help in writing these plans, contact the Environmental Health and Safety Department at 723-0448. Handouts can also be obtained from the Department of Public Safety at 723-0569.
Stanford Community Health Alerts
Go to Stanford Health Alerts for important updates about infectious diseases, travel warnings and other public health issues.