Ohio Admin. Code 3356-4-20 - Emergency response

(A) Policy statement. In the event of an emergency, the president or designee are authorized to declare that an emergency situation exists and to invoke the university's comprehensive emergency management plan.

(B) Definitions.

(1) "Emergency." An " - an event or condition that presents an imminent risk of death, serious injury, or illness to the university community, suspension or significant disruption of university operations, significant physical or environmental damage, or significantly affects the university's financial well-being. Specific emergencies or classes of emergencies are listed in the university's comprehensive emergency management plan.

(2) "Comprehensive emergency management plan." A " - a statement of policy and procedures regarding emergency management. It assigns tasks and responsibilities to university officials specifying, and in some cases redefining, their roles during specific emergency situations. The comprehensive emergency management plan ("plan") is also the university's published authoritative strategies and directives to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from actual or potential emergencies university-wide. The plan references second-level "departmental emergency operations plans" that prescribe changes in functional responsibilities and operations by and/or within that specific department during an emergency.

(C) Authorities and responsibilities.

(1) Reacting to reported or predicted campus or environmental situations, the president or designee is authorized to declare that an emergency exists and to direct the implementation of the plan.

(2) The president or designee has the authority to invoke the full force of state and local laws and to exercise all necessary emergency authority to respond to any threat to lives and property and to restore normal university operations with minimal interruption.

(3) The plan may, depending upon the type of emergency, redefine authorities within the university during a specific emergency.

(4) With the declaration of a university emergency, all officers and essential personnel of the university are directed to undertake appropriate and rapid response to exercise the utmost diligence in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency and to comply with all university emergency procedures, applicable regulations, as well as state and local laws. Work rules and associated compensation will be governed by applicable labor contracts and university policy.

(5) All members of the university community (including faculty, students, staff, and visitors) are required to comply with emergency procedures, to cooperate with university response personnel as well as with public officials and emergency service operatives in executing emergency plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

(6) In response to a specific emergency, and depending on the circumstances, the president may direct each executive officer where to report.

(7) The university will plan and implement an annual emergency management training program for identified members of the university community.

(D) Implementation.

(1) The president directs that the university, led by the chief of university police and the director of environmental and occupational health and safety, shall create, maintain, and annually update the university's comprehensive emergency management plan. The plan shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(a) The common goal to maximize human safety and survival, minimize danger, preserve and protect property and critical infrastructure, provide for responsible communication with the university community and the general public during and after an emergency, and restore normal activities;

(b) Plans, and the associated use of university resources, to prevent or otherwise mitigate potential emergencies;

(c) The establishment of a university emergency planning and response team;

(d) Collaboration with local emergency management partners;

(e) An effective means of public emergency notification;

(f) Departmental level emergency operations planning, education, and training;

(g) Adoption of the national incident management system; and

(h) A university communication and education plan for emergency response.

(2) The president will direct each executive officer to ensure their awareness of, and compliance with, this policy and with the plan and to further ensure that such awareness and compliance is promulgated throughout each of their respective divisions.

Notes

Ohio Admin. Code 3356-4-20

Effective: 4/4/2024
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3356.03
Rule Amplifies: 3356.03
Prior Effective Dates: 03/31/2015, 04/04/2019