In Case of an Emergency

The following are 5 things to know if you are involved in an emergency situation at Northern Michigan University:

• Safety first.

  Remain calm, but act quickly to get everyone out of harm’s way. If an alarm sounds, do not spend time trying to verify that there is an emergency. Just grab your coat, backpack, briefcase and purse and GET OUT OF THE BUILDING.

• Call 911.

  If you are the closest person to an emergency situation, your first action (once you’ve removed yourself from danger) is to call Public Safety, which you can do by dialing 911. A public safety official will phone the Office of the President.

• Help is the on the way.

  Look for NMU Public Safety officers; they are on their way to the crisis site. Do not re-enter the building until they tell you to do so. Do not attempt to intervene in a crisis situation unless the only way for you and others to be out danger is to do so.

• Do not leave the safe gathering area.

  Public Safety or other university officials may need to ask you questions or give you information about the crisis situation. This is particularly important when health officials need to record names and addresses for follow-up purposes.

• Do not become the NMU spokesperson.

  It is unwise to even guess at the ramifications of a crisis situation and provide unverified information to media, parents or others. Doing so may have legal implications for the university. Let President Wong or his designee do the talking.