Emergency
Preparedness
Resources

Campus Communications During Emergencies

In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, another focus of our emergency planning efforts has been the ability to achieve mass notifications. On May 11, 2007, the “Chancellor’s Task Force on Critical Incident Management” issued a report which called for an analysis of the various modes of communication to the campus communities including active broadcasts, passive broadcasts and individual notifications. UB established a communications subgroup to the Oversight Committee to review our communication tools. The communications group will be issuing an Emergency Notification Plan. As an outcome of their analysis, UB is currently implementing a “text messaging system” which will send emergency broadcasts to the mobile phones of those students, faculty and staff who subscribe to the system.

The University will continue to use its emergency communications system to alert faculty, students, staff and visitors to changing campus conditions or operation issues. We ask our entire campus community to look to these places for updates and information in the event of an emergency:

• Email
  o To UB email (and forwarded) accounts
• Web:
  o www.myub.buffalo.edu (Primary UB portal for all UB faculty, staff and students; requires UB IT name and password)
  o www.buffalo.edu (UB’s home page on the web)
• Phone:
  o Call (716) 645-NEWS (6397) for the most up-to-date status of emergency events
  o Call University Police at (716) 645-2222 to report emergencies or (716) 645-2227 for general information.
  o In the event telephone lines are inoperable, temporary phone banks will be established to allow students and their families to connect
• Word of Mouth:
  o Talk to your residence hall and apartment staff
  o Visit the information counters at the Student Union (North Campus) and Harriman Student Center (South Campus)
• Broadcast:
  o Public address systems in University Police cars and in University libraries, Student Union, Alumni Arena and several residence halls currently reach most campus locations. UB will be adding public address systems to increase range.
  o Residence Hall/apartment cable television network: on all campus resident televisions, in public dining areas and lounges, Student Union, athletic facilities and many academic buildings
  o Campus radio: WBFO-FM 88.7
  o Campus advisory radio: 1620 AM
  o Local media
• Signage and Postering:
  o In Student Union, residence halls, apartments, bus stops, buses and shuttles, and all around both campuses