Department Plans

The university has an All Hazards Emergency Plan (pdf) which 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:

  • Continuity of Operations (CoOP) Plans

  • Lines of Succession

  • Contact and Communications Plans

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. Emergency procedures for your work area are in the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) developed by your department.

Unit Emergency Actions Plans should include

  • Escape routes and procedures

  • Coordinators and emergency contacts

  • Evacuation assembly sites

  • Reporting method and evacuation verification

  • Disabled assistance and shutdown procedures for hazardous materials areas and processes

EAP Templates and Guides

 Unit-level 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. Each unit must determine the job duties and functions that would be critical to continuity of operations and recovery. Each NMSU unit should maintain a list of current contact information for all employees and volunteers, to facilitate communications in the event any type of emergency.

A unit Continuity of Operation Plan should include

  • Lines of Succession

  • Intra-unit Communications

  • Designations of Essential, Alternate Essential and Standby Personnel

Continuity of Operations Plan Guide and Template

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. The CoOP identifies the mechanisms 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.