Emergency Management

Preparing for at least three days will help you make it through most of the disasters you’ll face in the Puget Sound region, such as major storms and even small earthquakes. Identify a storage container such as a backpack or key location to place your emergency kit.

Supplies include:

• Water and food
• Items for shelter and warmth
• Items for communication
  • Battery Powered radio
  • Whistle
  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
• Personal hygiene and sanitation
  • Garbage bags and zip ties
  • Moist towlettes
  • Hand sanitizer

Imagine if resources aren’t available for seven or more days. You might have to take care of minor injuries and access to resources will likely be limited. Once you have the basics, think about items you could use to help yourself and others, or simply improve your comfort!

Save important documents and records!

Identify critical documents that are important to keep safe. These may include items such as:

• Birth certificate
• Social security card
• Insurance contracts
• Passport/identification

Tip: Make copies and save them with your kit. If possible, save files on a USB drive.

www.Ready.gov/make-a-plan is a good resource for finding information about how to make an emergency plan. The site has information on how to prepare for all types of emergencies, and below there are some direct links to resources that may specifically help Seattle University community members develop their plans:

• Info on natural disasters. 
• Planning for hazards and risks, paying attention to warning signs and finding shelter. 
• Planning and taking care of everybody's needs (PDF). 
• In many emergencies, a shelter is important. To plan ahead and be ready wherever you are, this page has a lot of helpful information. 

It is important that you stay informed about emergencies. Please sign up for emergency text messages and follow news sources that provide up to date information.

Emergency Messaging

Sign up for SeattleUAlert emergency text messaging by texting SeattleUAlert to 79516. By signing up, you will receive time-sensitive emergency notifications. To learn more, please visit Emergency Alerts.

Resources

• Seattle Office of Emergency Management
• National Weather Services
• FEMA

Local News

• King5 News
• KOMO News
• KIRO7 News
• FOX13 News

The Building Marshal program serves as an important emergency safety initiative for the university and allows our community members to engage and collaborate with Public Safety. Collectively, we work towards the shared goals of safety, security, and preparedness for our campus community, while upholding the values of inclusivity, professional development, community education, and a commitment to service.

Building Marshals serve as a liaison between a designated building or zone and Public Safety in an emergency.  They have the primary role of assisting with the safe and orderly evacuation of buildings or zones during emergencies and providing timely and accurate information to Public Safety. Building Marshals also ensure safety and emergency information is available to employees who work in the building and that safety issues are reported to Public Safety.

If you work on campus and would like to participate in the Building Marshal Program, please contact Chris Wilcoxen at (206) 220-8291 or at cbw@seattleu.edu.

We will be able to dispatch a Public Safety officer to your location immediately. Since every building on the campus has its own address, the Public Safety dispatcher will contact Seattle Fire or Police departments and direct them to the exact location. Public Safety officers are then able to assist emergency services in getting to your location as quickly as possible.

In addition to obvious criminal activity or emergencies such as an explosion, examples of suspicious activity can include:

• A package of bag left unattended.
• Overhearing someone use or threaten to use a gun or other weapon, place a bomb, or release a poisonous substance into the air.
• Someone you don’t recognize is in a non-public area of a building.

In general, trust your intuition. If you have a gut reaction, nagging suspicion or general concern, don’t discount your feelings. Contact Public Safety who can then investigate the situation.

The following websites have excellent information on preparing for emergencies:

• seattle.gov/emergency
• ready.gov
• recross.org
• dhs.gov
• fema.gov