New Mexico State University’s All Hazards Emergency Operations Plan is an overview of the approach to emergency management utilized at NMSU. It is not intended to be a step-by-step, detailed plan that lists every possible action that can be taken. Instead, it is designed to be a guiding document for campus administrators and emergency response personnel to the handling of major incidents and disasters. It establishes a framework within which these administrators and responders work in order to ensure coordination, communication, and cooperation in times of crisis. It also establishes the relationships between and responsibilities of the various entities involved.
The All Hazards Emergency Operation Plan is the highest level plan in the university, and it supersedes all other plans whenever there is a contradiction. In addition to this Plan, all major units (e.g., colleges, departments, and offices) are required to maintain the following to ensure life safety and protect university assets. These should be updated annually or when critical information changes:
Unit-Level Emergency Action Plans
These plans are intended to address response of unit-level personnel to hazards such as natural disasters, fires, hazardous material spills, and active shooters. The goal of these plans is to get unit-level personnel and those in the area (to include students and visitors) to safety as quickly as possible. They are not intended to address actual response to the threats presented by such hazards. A component of all these plans must be notification of emergency response personnel and communication within the unit.
Continuity of Operations (CoOP) Plans
These plans identify the key missions carried out by the unit, and identify mechanisms for continuing to meet/achieve them during or after a disaster. These plans should include information necessary to operate in a variety of circumstances, such as from a remote site, without electricity, without computer connections, etc. Paper forms, electronic forms, databases, spreadsheets, and similar information that support the plan should be maintained/stored off-site for use during a disaster. A number of possibilities exist for these purposes, such as “trading” space with other departments located in other parts of the campus.
Lines of Succession
All units shall maintain a listing of who is in charge, along with a line of succession of two additional people. Contact information for these individuals must be readily available, and the line of succession and contact information shall be communicated within each unit and to the next level of supervision.
Contact and Communications Plans
Communication during an emergency should be addressed within the Unit-Level Emergency Action Plan. These plans identify the mechanism to be used for contacting unit personnel in the event a disaster takes place outside of business hours. This may include use of telephone trees, email, personal visits to homes, etc.
Get Help with your plan
Assistance in developing these plans is available from Environmental Health Safety & Risk Management and from the NMSU Police Department. In addition, public safety entities at NMSU are expected to maintain policies, procedures, and guideline manuals for their personnel that provide proper guidance in both daily and emergency situations.
