Emergency Procedures
Severe Weather
Severe weather is defined as any aspect of the weather which can pose a threat to life and property. For detailed procedures for the most common severe weather threats, see:
The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) experiences very hot summers, and sometimes reaches dangerously high temperatures. During a Heat Advisory and/or Excessive Heat Warning, knowing how to recognize heat-related illnesses and how to prevent the, can help save you or someone else.
Excessive Heat Warning—Take Action!
An Excessive Heat Warning is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. The general rule of thumb for this Warning is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105° or higher for at least 2 days and night time air temperatures will not drop below 75°; however, these criteria vary across the country, especially for areas not used to extreme heat conditions. If you don't take precautions immediately when conditions are extreme, you may become seriously ill or even die.
Excessive Heat Watches—Be Prepared!
Heat watches are issued when conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event in the next 24 to 72 hours. A Watch is used when the risk of a heat wave has increased but its occurrence and timing is still uncertain.
Heat Advisory—Take Action!
A Heat Advisory is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. The general rule of thumb for this Advisory is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 100° or higher for at least 2 days, and night time air temperatures will not drop below 75°; however, these criteria vary across the country, especially for areas that are not used to dangerous heat conditions. Take precautions to avoid heat illness. If you don't take precautions, you may become seriously ill or even die.
The following groups are particularly vulnerable to heat:
- Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than are adults.
- Older adults, particularly those with pre existing diseases, take certain medications, are living alone or with limited mobility who are exposed to extreme heat can experience multiple adverse effects.
- People with chronic medical conditions are more likely to have a serious health problem during a heat wave than healthy people.
- Pregnant women are also at higher risk. Extreme heat events have been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality, as well as congenital cataracts.
Below are some preventative actions everyone should take to help mitigate extreme heat and humidity:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Stay in an air-conditioned room.
- Stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.
- NEVER leave children and pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.
If you work or spend time outside:
- Reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening (if possible)
- Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (see attached graphic for details)
- Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible.
- Schedule frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments, as recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
- Move anyone overcome by heat to a cool and shaded location and call 9-1-1 if you believe they are suffering from Heat Stroke.
Heat Related Illnesses:
Exhaustion
Faint or dizzy
Excessive sweating
Cool, pale, clammy skin
Nausea or vomiting
Rapid, weak pulse
Muscle cramps
Stroke
Throbbing headache
No sweating
Body temperature above 103°
Red, hot, dry skin
Nausea or vomiting
Rapid, strong pulse
May lose conciousness
- Get to a cooler, air conditioned place.
- Drink water if fully conscious.
- Take a cool shower or use cold compresses.
Call 9-1-1
Take immediate action to cool the person until help arrives.
debido al calor
Mareos
Sudor excesivo
Piel pegajosa, fresca y pálida
Náuseas y vómitos
Latidos del corazón rápidos y débiles
Calambres
Insolación
Dolor de cabeza
Piel no sudorosa
Temperatura corporal por encima de 103°
Piel caliente, roja, y seca
Nauseas y vómitos
Latidos del corazón rápidos y fuertes
Pérdida del conocimiento
- Descanse en un lugar fresco y sombreado.
- Tome mucha agua y otros líquidos.
- Báñese con agua fría o utilice compresas frías.
llame al 9-1-1
Tome acción inmediatamente para enfriar su temperatura corporal hasta que llegue la ayuda necesaria.
Resources:
Hail
Hail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice. It forms on condensation nuclei such as dust, insects, or ice crystals, when super-cooled water freezes on contact.
Once a hailstone is too heavy to be supported by the storm's updraft, it falls out of the cloud. These hailstones can range from pea-sized to softball-sized clusters of ice, with large stones falling at speeds faster than 100 mph.
Before the hail storm:
- Learn to recognize the weather conditions that cause hail storms.
- Listen to your NOAA Weather Radio, local news, and radio stations for hail storm watches or warnings.
- If weather conditions are prime for hail storms, consider pulling property under covered areas.
- As hail is usually paired with severe thunderstorms and/or tornadoes, follow the safety procedures specified for the most severe threat.
If a severe thunderstorm has been predicted to produce hail, you should:
- Seek shelter immediately. Any size hail can be dangerous in high winds.
- Listen to your NOAA Weather Radio, local news, and radio stations for updates on weather conditions and emergency instructions.
Resources:
Lightning
An average of 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year by lightning in the United States.
Avoid:
- Open areas, places near water, trees, metal fences, overhead wires or power lines, as well as elevated ground or open vehicles.
- Use of radios or cellular phones.
Remember:
- The best source of information during a thunderstorm is your local news, radio stations, and any NOAA Weather Radio.
- The 30/30 lightning safety rule: go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
Resources:
Severe Thunderstorms
The typical thunderstorm is relatively small in size and affects a limited geographic area. Every thunderstorm produces lightning and severe thunderstorms can produce high winds, hail, and/or tornadoes. Heavy rains associated with these storms can also cause flooding. All thunderstorms are potentially dangerous.
Resources
Severe Winter Weather
Winter storms are known as deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm, such as vehicle accidents caused by winter road conditions, improper use of heaters, and exposure / hypothermia. Severe winter weather includes freezing temperatures, freezing rain, ice, heavy snow, and blizzards. Accumulation of ice or snow can knock down trees, power lines, and structures causing power outages, utility disruptions, and communication interruptions.
What to do during a winter storm:
- Monitor local weather broadcasts and weather conditions.
- Stay indoors and minimize travel. If you must travel, drive slowly, and increase distance required for stopping.
- Watch for downed trees and power lines.
- Keep a full tank to prevent ice in the tank and fuel lines.
- Never use a portable generator or operate unvented fuel-burning appliances in an enclosed space.
Resources:
Personal Safety
While UTRGV has done much to make our campus safe, safety ultimately becomes a personal matter. How safe you are depends on your preparation and how much attention you pay to your surroundings.
Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE)
Active shooter situations are very dynamic, rapidly evolve, and often are over before emergency responders arrive at the scene. If you find yourself in an active shooter situation, try to remain as calm as possible and use these suggested actions as a guide to help you strategize a course of action.
Keep in mind that how you personally choose to respond to an active shooter will be greatly dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter.
AVOID. DENY. DEFEND.
Should you ever find yourself in an active shooter situation, your survival may depend on how you respond.
There are three things you could do that make a difference: AVOID. DENY. DEFEND.
AVOID
Starts with your state of mind:
- Pay attention to your surroundings.
- Have an exit plan.
- Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
- The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better.
- Call University Police at 956-882-4911 when you are safe.
DENY
When getting away is difficult or maybe impossible:
- Keep distance between you and the threat.
- Create barriers to prevent or slow down a threat from getting to you.
- Lock doors.
- Turn the lights off.
- Remain out of sight and quiet by hiding behind large objects and silence your phone.
Your hiding place should:
- Be out of the shooter's view.
- Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
- Not restrict your options for movement.
DEFEND
As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger:
- If you cannot Avoid or Deny, be prepared to defend yourself.
- Be aggressive and committed to your actions.
- If you can, separate the attacker from their weapon.
- Do not fight fairly, consider items that you can use as an improvised weapon. THIS IS ABOUT SURVIVAL.
Arriving law enforcement's first priority is to stop and engage the shooter as soon as possible. Once the shooter has been stopped, first responders can tend to any wounded.
When law enforcement arrives:
- Remain calm and follow instructions.
- Keep your hands visible and empty at all times.
- Avoid pointing or yelling.
- Know that help for the injured is on its way.
When safe, call University Police at 956-882-4911 and provide the following:
- Location of the shooter (campus/building/floor/room).
- Direction of travel.
- Number of shooters, if more than one.
- Physical description of shooter/s.
- Type of weapons held by the shooter/s.
- Location and injuries of potential victims (campus/building/floor/room).
For information on the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Training offered by the UTRGV Police Department, visit their C.R.A.S.E training site.
Related link:
- CRASE (flyer)
Bomb Threat
A bomb threat could be written, emailed, communicated verbally, or received by phone or social media sites. The majority of bomb threats are delivered by telephone. Generally, a bomb threat call is made for one of two reasons:
- The caller has definite knowledge about the explosive device and wants to minimize personal injury.
- The caller wants to disrupt normal activities by creating anxiety and panic.
Although many bomb threats turn out to be pranks, they must be taken seriously to ensure the safety of campus community.
If you receive a bomb threat by phone, DO NOT hang up on the caller. Stay on the line as long as possible, speak calmly and keep the caller talking, and take the following steps:
- If another person is close by, discreetly notify them and tell them to call University Police at 956-882-4911.
- Write down the incoming phone number from the Caller ID.
- Write down what the caller is saying.
- Ask questions, such as:
- Where is the bomb located? (building, floor, room, etc.)
- When will it go off?
- What does it look like?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What will make it explode?
- Did you place the bomb?
- Why?
- What is your name?
- Attempt to identify any characteristics of the caller and their location, such as age, gender, voice, background noise, etc.
If the caller hangs up, DO NOT HANG UP YOUR RECEIVER, call University Police at 956-882-4911 from a different phone to provide information and await instructions.
Related links:
- Bomb Threat (flyer)
If you receive a suspicious letter or package:
- Do NOT handle.
- Don't shake or bump.
- Isolate immediately.
- Don't open, smell, or taste.
- Treat it as threat.
- University police at 956-882-4911.
Common features of suspicious packages:
https://about.usps.com/posters/pos84.pdf
- Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
- Have no return address or a return address that can't be verified as legitimate.
- Are marked with restrictive endorsements such as "Personal," "Confidential," or "Do Not X-ray."
- Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors or stains.
- Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn't match the return address.
- Are of unusual weight given their size or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
- Are marked with threatening language.
- Have inappropriate or unusual labeling.
- Have excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string.
- Have misspellings of common words.
- Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
- Have incorrect titles or titles without a name.
- Are not addressed to a specific person.
- Have handwritten or poorly typed addresses.
If a package or letter is open and/or a threat is identified:
For a bomb:
- Evacuate immediately.
- Call University Police at 956-882-4911.
For radiological:
- Shield yourself from the object.
- Limit exposure - don't handle.
- Evacuate area and call University Police at 956-882-4911.
To reduce radiation exposure:
Limit time
Increase distance
Use shielding
For biological or chemical:
- Isolate - don't handle.
- Call University Police at 956-882-4911.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
Suspicious substance in a campus building:
- Clear and isolate the contaminated area. Do not touch or disturb anything.
- Call University Police at 956-882-4911.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Do not leave premises until dismissed by authorities.
Medical
A medical emergency may be an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate threat to a person's life or long-term health.
In the event of a medical emergency, it is important to notify first responders as soon as possible, call University Police at: 956-882-4911.
Provide the following information:
- Type of Injury
- Location of the injured person (campus / building / floor / room)
- Description of the injured person (name if known)
Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in danger of further injury.
If you are trained to provide medical care, do so only with consent from the injured and only to the level that your training allows.
Related links:
- ReadyUTRGV Emergency Kit (flyer)
Fire Emergencies
A fire occurring on any of UTRGV’s campuses or facilities could involve areas where multiple residences and/or offices are clustered closely together, increasing the possibility of a rapidly spreading fire.
It is very important that our campus community recognize fire hazards, practice building evacuations, and know what to do when the fire alarm sounds.
If there is a fire/smoke inside a building:
- Activate the fire alarm by pull station.
- Sound the verbal alarm, "Fire! Fire! Everyone exit the building!"
- Call the University Police department at 956-882-4911.
Provide the following information:
- Location of the fire/smoke (campus/building/floor/room)
- Location of any injured or persons that need help evacuating.
- The cause of fire/smoke, if known.
Fire Extinguishers:
You can use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire if:
- You are properly trained (you have had hands-on training).
- It is a small, contained fire (e.g. wastebasket).
- The proper extinguisher is at hand.
Evacuation:
When a fire alarm sounds, it is required that you immediately evacuate the building.
- Walk to safest nearest exit/stairwell (close doors behind you).
- Do not use the elevators.
- Gather at least 150 ft. away from the building (50 paces).
- Leave walkways and driveways open for arriving First Responders.
- Notify First Responders if people are still inside and/or of any persons that need help evacuating.
- Do not re-enter the building until cleared by University Police or Fire Department.
Training:
To sign-up for the Evacuation Assistant / Fire Extinguisher training, visit www.utrgv.edu/ehsrm/training.