Emergency Management

UMBC must have a comprehensive Emergency Management program to remain resilient.  Regardless of the hazard, we must take unified action to support our community of students, staff, faculty, and visitors.  UMBC supports individual and organizational readiness.  We encourage our community to uphold the University’s core values during even the most difficult of times.

The University’s Emergency Manager oversees planning and supports each College, Division, and affiliate with tools, training, and services.  This includes prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and continuity of operations.  For any Emergency Management assistance, please contact:

John Schaible
Emergency Manager, University Police Department
Administration Building, 9th floor, Room 915
Email:  schaible@umbc.edu
Office:  (410) 455-2572
Cell:  (443) 981-9028

Base Emergency Operations Plan

Our Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) describes our framework for coordinating all emergency management activities for the UMBC community.  The Base EOP is reviewed at least annually and illustrates our response structure.  Detailed operational procedures are found in EOP appendices and strategic planning activities are described in EOP annexes.

Active Assailant Awareness

The threat of an attack on college campuses continues to be a serious concern.  UMBC provides training on active assailant awareness focusing on actions you can take to help escape and survive an attack on or off campus.  The objective of our awareness training is to help you condition yourself to be a SURVIVOR instead of a victim.

UMBC wants you to know the actions to take to help you escape and survive an attack on or off campus.  Training requires about 90 mins to include time for questions.  Email schaible@umbc.edu to schedule in-person training for your team.  Resources:

A readiness assessment is the next step in our active assailant preparedness planning.  Though it is heavily weighted toward identifying intruder vulnerabilities, we will also look at other potential hazards impacting occupant safety, to include fire, severe weather, and lab safety.  A readiness assessment is not an inspection; it is a conversation meant to identify vulnerabilities, engage in problem solving, and improve situational awareness.  We conduct a walkthrough of your physical space, review occupant behaviors, and identify ways to apply RUN-HIDE-FIGHT survivor actions in a real environment.  Email schaible@umbc.edu to schedule a readiness assessment for your facility.  Objectives:

  • Ensure your Department has the resources in place to deal with an emergency.
  • Learn how to use existing resources, take immediate action, and mitigate negative impacts of an actual incident.
  • Identify potential changes to the physical environment and to workplace behavior or procedure to promote safety, security, and overall situational awareness.
  • Document recommendations that your Department can implement to improve readiness.

Planning, Preparedness, and Response Resources

EOP Appendices:

EOP Annexes:

These operational procedures are detailed “how-to-guides.”  They state specific actions necessary to meet response objectives.

These are stand-alone program plans separate from the Base EOP.  They are coordinated agreements that fulfill strategic purposes.

These are management and leadership actions applicable to all our most likely hazards.  They help initiate response and stabilize an emergency as soon as possible.  Resources:

Emergency Management Response Guides are a printable one-page (front and back) pamphlets.  They are intended as planning tools and can supplement training.  Resources:

These are specific capabilities each division, office, or external partner possesses in support of response to our most likely hazards.

  • Functional Guide 1:  Emergency Preparedness Committee – Coming Soon
  • Functional Guide 2:  Executive Preparedness Group – Coming Soon
  • Functional Guide 3:  Emergency Management Advisory Group – Coming Soon

The Screening Team meets to review potentially negative events that may constitute a crisis and determine appropriate action.  Additional information coming soon.

The IMT activates to oversee UMBC response and recovery actions for physical safety and security incidents.  Additional information coming soon.

These are activities that reduce the severity of incident impacts.  Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) are detailed and focus on the primary hazards most likely to impact UMBC as determined by the HVRA.  EAPs list simplified and specific mitigation actions for all hazards.

An Emergency Action Procedures (EAP) is a short checklist that simplifies operational procedures for a specific threat or hazard.  These are the immediate actions taken during an incident or disruption to mitigate impacts on safety, security, or operations.  EAPs state no more than five immediate actions anyone can take to mitigate impacts: 1) detect; 2) verify; 3) notify; 4) act; and 5) end.  UMBC maintains an EAP detailing mitigation for each hazard listed in the Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment (HVRA).

Emergency Action Plans are longer and more detailed than EAPs.  They document critical institutional knowledge and provide situational awareness over time.  UMBC will maintain an Emergency Action Plan for each of the primary natural, accidental, and intentional hazards determined by the Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment (HVRA).

  • Primary Natural Hazard Plan:  Severe Storms – Coming Soon
  • Primary Accidental Hazard Plan:  Utility or Infrastructure Outage – Coming Soon
  • Primary Intentional Hazard Plan:  Crime Against Property – Coming Soon

The Facility Emergency Action Plan (FEAP) facilitates workplace, learning space, and living area readiness.  Each facility on campus will have a FEAP that centralizes emergency management information in one document.  While the FEAP is a long, comprehensive document, Facility Response Guides are printable, one-page (front and back) pamphlets that provide vital readiness information and immediate life safety instructions.  Contact your Facility Manager for to access to these tools.  Resources:

These are objectives we need to achieve to return to normal conditions.  Recovery actions involve restoring facilities, systems, and operations to normal.

The P3 Plan describes how UMBC integrates physical resources, situational awareness, and safety measures to improve UMBC community readiness.  Resources:

The Crisis Management Plan provides guidance to support the UMBC President when responding to a crisis.  The plan includes clear reporting and escalation protocols, response structures and team roles, and crisis communications procedures.  Resources:

The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) describes the process UMBC uses to identify essential functions and the actions we take to ensure their continuous performance during periods of disruption.  Resources:

The Outbreak Response Plan describes response to an outbreak of a contagious disease on our campus or at an affiliate location.  Resources:

Outbreak Response Plan – September 2022

 

 

Other Resources

Emergency Management Guidance

UMBC’s emergency preparedness strategy and planning is informed by USM and Federal guidance:

  • Emergency Management Strategic Plan – February 2023.  This plan provides strategic direction to build and enhance our capabilities.  Our goal is to empower leaders at all levels to ensure coordination, cooperation, and focused effort from the entire University and its many partners.
  • Emergency Management Concept of Operations – July 2022.  This presentation describes our model for proactive readiness and response.  It illustrates roles and responsibilities at the Executive, Strategic, and Tactical leadership levels to “manage the chaos.”
  • Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment (HVRA) – January 2023.  The HVRA examines three elements of natural, accidental, and intentional hazards: 1) our vulnerability to each; 2) the risk of an actual incident; and 3) the impacts of an actual incident.  Results indicate how UMBC can prioritize readiness actions towards the hazards that possess the greatest likelihood and impact.
  • Testing, Training, and Exercise (TT&E) Plan – Coming Soon
  • Corrective Action & Improvement Plan – Coming Soon