Emergency Management Program Policy

The University at Buffalo (UB, university) is committed to:

• Protecting people, research animals and plants, intellectual property, equipment, and facilities
• Minimizing the impact of emergencies
• Maximizing the effectiveness of the campus community in responding to and recovering from emergencies

The UB Emergency Management Program defines the authority, organization, and plan required to protect life and critical facilities and restore campus operations.

This policy meets the requirements of State University of New York (SUNY) Procedure 5606 – Emergency Response Plan Requirements. All plans and procedures meet the requirements for consistency with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS).

This policy applies to all members of the university community.  

Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)

Establishes and outlines the university response to protect life and property during and after an emergency and sets minimum standards for the creation of department emergency plans.

Department Emergency Plan

Outlines the unit-specific response to an emergency; must be designed to promulgate strategies for protecting people and programs and for coordinating recovery efforts to continue operations.    

Emergency

An event or set of circumstances which:

(1) requires responsive action to protect life and/or property, or to provide relief to any part of the university or community overtaken by such occurrences; or
(2) reaches such a dimension or degree of disruptiveness or destructiveness to warrant a comprehensive organizational response.

Emergency Planning Oversight Committee

Serves as a clearing house for all matters related to emergency management. The Emergency Planning Oversight Committee members include, but are not limited to, representatives from:

• Office of the President
• Media Relations and Stakeholder Communications
• Issues Management and Stakeholder Communications
• Division of Student Life
• Provost
• Finance and Administration
• Human Resources
• Research and Economic Development
• Network and Classroom Services
• University Facilities
• Information Security
• University Police
• Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S)
• Athletics
• Internal Audit
• Emergency Planning
• Special Events
• Center for the Arts

Emergency Planning Policy Group

Reviews the overall organization of resources and content of the CEMP to assure continuity of university operations. The Emergency Planning Policy Group includes the president, provost, and vice presidents.

• Commit necessary university resources before, during, and after emergencies.

• Ensure the coordination of efforts between essential university departments and community partners as described in the CEMP, laws and regulations, and any related memoranda of understanding.
• Delegate the lead coordination for emergency planning to the Senior Emergency Planning Coordinator.

• Consider budget requests for institutional resources to allow the university to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies.
• Take necessary action to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency in a timely manner using the CEMP as a guideline.
• Require the Emergency Planning Oversight Committee, in their respective areas, to participate in regular internal plan reviews, training and exercises, strategic and operational coordination of actual emergencies, and committing recommended resources to the extent practical.
• Ensure the university’s response is designed to be consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
  • Coordinate and plan responses and integrate with external stakeholders. (These processes are detailed in the CEMP.)

• Review and revise the CEMP.    
• Facilitate development of departmental emergency response and plans.
• Ensure campus personnel are appropriately trained and participate in regular emergency training and exercises.

• Develop plans for preventing, responding to, and recovering from emergencies within their organizations and facilities. Periodically, review the plans with UB Emergency Management to ensure consistency with the CEMP.

• Be familiar with the resources and recommendations outlined in departmental emergency plans as related to employee emergency preparedness and response guidelines.
• Participate in university training and exercises, as appropriate to individual situations and contingent upon supervisor approval.

• Subscribe to UB Alert, monitor other methods of official university emergency communications, and follow instructions issued during emergencies, as recommended by UB Emergency Management.
• Be informed about the importance of emergency preparedness. Take steps to prepare for an emergency and minimize risks.
• Ensure family members are kept informed and notified when safe during emergencies.
• Be aware of applicable emergency plans and information.