Emergency Preparedness

From an emergency preparedness perspective, the best-case scenario is to be prepared at the department level to respond quickly and effectively in order to mitigate an emergency on our campus. The Department of Campus Public Safety is well trained to respond to any sort of emergency, and can call upon the resources of local and state law enforcement agencies when needed.

Just as the university will be taking stock of how best to be prepared, there are steps individuals can take to help prevent a worst-case scenario. Always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If something does not look right, if it does not feel right, let someone know. Trust your internal instinct.

AU needs your eyes and ears; it takes an entire campus community to make it safe. These precautions may prove invaluable during an actual crisis and are good habits to ensure your personal safety.

In a best-case scenario, we will learn new ways to prepare, protect and safeguard our campus for a day all of us hope will never come.

General Safety Suggestions

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Learn where fire extinguishers are located.
• Know where building exits are located.
• Know where building tornado shelters are.
• Be aware of Emergency Text Alerts.
• Know emergency numbers.
• In an emergency, call Campus Public Safety at 5-5-5 from a university phone or 9-1-1 when it’s safe to do so. For non-emergency situations, call Campus Public Safety at 630-844-6140.

Fire Safety

• In the event of a fire, explosion or heavy smoke, locate and activate the nearest fire alarm.
• Call Campus Public Safety at 5-5-5 from a university phone or 9-1-1.
• Treat all fire alarms as a bonafide.
• Follow the posted evacuation route.
• Proceed to a safe distance away from the building upon evacuating.
• Do not return to the building until Campus Public Safety or the fire department give the “all-clear.”

Weather Emergencies

• In the event of an impending tornado/lightning storm, the City of Aurora will activate the Civil Defense siren.
• Be aware of an Emergency Text alert.
• Students, faculty and staff should move to safe location.
  • Away from windows and stairwells.
  • The lowest level of the building possible.
  • Move toward the building interior.
  • Do not leave the area of shelter until the storm has passed.
  • Campus Public Safety will verify the “all-clear” with the City of Aurora.

Please note: To update your contact information for the Emergency Notification Text Messaging System, log into Self-Service and access the user account section.