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Emergency Management Plan October 2023

Members of the W&L Community:

Washington and Lee University ("W&L" or "the University") is committed to developing and administering a comprehensive emergency management program to encompass the University community. The Emergency Management Plan ("the Plan") supports W&L's ongoing risk and threat assessment operations, emergency preparedness provisions, and business continuity and recovery plans to provide prompt and effective response for the protection of W&L students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors in an emergency situation. The Plan establishes procedures and an organized structure to guide the University in responding to significant foreseeable emergencies on the W&L campus or property owned or operated by W&L. While no plan can absolutely prevent any damage during an emergency, this Plan has been developed to coordinate the resources, facilities, and personnel of W&L, and other external agencies as appropriate, for an effective response to any foreseeable emergency. All personnel assigned specific emergency responsibilities under this Plan (including departmental plans) should have a working knowledge of assigned roles, responsibilities, and applicable procedures.

I encourage all W&L students, faculty, and staff to familiarize themselves with this Plan, particularly the guidance in Section I ("What You Should Do in an Emergency and How to Prepare") and to be vigilant and responsive to actual or threatened emergency situations.

Sincerely,
William C. Dudley

I. What You Should do in an Emergency and How to Prepare

Washington and Lee University ("W&L" or "the University") has developed this Plan to help prepare our campus community to respond to and recover from a range of emergency situations.

Creating a culture of preparedness is a team effort involving staff, faculty, and students. The first step in being prepared for an emergency is to learn how you would be notified of and updated about a significant emergency, and then to learn and remember key actions you may be directed to take by University officials.

Emergency Communications Systems and Methods

W&L uses several different systems and methods of communication to alert students, faculty, staff, and others of a significant emergency. It is important that you become familiar with these communication tools and ensure that your contact information is kept current so that the University can stay in touch with you. These include, as appropriate to the type and scope of emergency:

• Mass emails to wlu.edu accounts
• Text alerts to mobile phones through the "Generals Alerts" system (be sure to log in at http://go.wlu.edu/general-alerts at least annually to check that your contact information is accurate, and to update your account when any of your contact information changes)
• Posting information to the W&L Emergency Website (http://emergency.wlu.edu) and main W&L Website (www.wlu.edu)
• Social media: Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/washingtonandlee) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/wlunews)
• LiveSafe App (http://go.wlu.edu/livesafe)
• Broadcast media: TV stations (WDBJ-7, WSLS-10, WSET-13), Radio stations (WREL- 1450 AM, WWZW- 96.7 FM, WMRA- 89.9 FM, WKDW- 900 AM, WLUR- 91.5 FM)
• Other possible alternative methods (bullhorns, flyers, building runners, personal emails, phone calls)

In case of a significant emergency, some or all of these systems will provide information about the nature of the emergency, what to do, and where to get additional details. Emergency updates and further information will be provided by postings to the listed websites, emails or texts to the campus community, and other methods as needed. Also, be sure to develop an emergency communications plan with your family, roommates and friends to keep them informed of your situation during an emergency.

Actions to Take

When a significant emergency occurs, there are typically two immediate strategies that are used to protect people: Evacuate and Shelter in Place.

• Evacuate means to immediately leave a potentially hazardous location (building, area of campus, entire campus, City of Lexington, etc.) due to an imminent or impending threat to life or health.
• Shelter in Place generally means to go and/or stay indoors when a situation occurs that may be a threat to life or health. In most cases, this means you will be instructed to go and/or stay indoors, lock doors/windows, and stay away from doors and windows. Remain there until you are notified by Public Safety or University emergency communications systems that it is safe to leave.

This Plan provides more details on these strategies in Appendices B and C. In the event of an emergency, further details will be provided at the time by University officials, including specific instructions on what Evacuate or Shelter in Place means for individuals in particular locations and situations.

People Requiring Additional/Special Assistance

People who have certain disabilities or impairments (specifically including, but not limited to, those limiting hearing, visual, and mobility functions) may require special or additional assistance during an emergency. These individuals are encouraged to inform University administrators designated to respond to requests for disability accommodations, and/or Resident Advisers/Assistants, roommates, classmates, co-workers, friends, faculty, and supervisors, of what special assistance they may require to receive effective emergency communications notices and to respond to emergency situations, so that interactive, advance planning can be done to see that such individuals receive emergency communications and to provide special or additional assistance in an emergency. University administrators designated to address disability accommodations requests by those individuals who self-identify should include consideration of effective emergency communications and emergency response assistance in the accommodations process as relevant to the disability.

In an emergency situation, all members of the University community should help those around them who may need additional assistance, whether by virtue of a disability, impairment, or otherwise. Members of the University community should report to University personnel or emergency responders the condition and location of any person unable to leave a building or area being evacuated. More specific guidance on evacuation and other emergency responses for persons needing special assistance can be found in Appendices B and C.

II. Plan Overview

Purpose

The purpose of this Plan is to establish general operational guidance, assign roles and responsibilities, and promote campus awareness for responding to emergencies that may affect the W&L community. Additionally, the Plan includes specific guidance for responding to particular types of emergency situations.

Scope

The guidance in this Plan applies to all members of the University community, visitors to the campus at the time of an emergency, and to the buildings and grounds that are owned and operated by W&L. It is intended to help protect life and property, minimize damage caused by emergency situations, minimize disruptions to University operations, and move promptly to resume operations following emergency situations.

Assumptions

An emergency or a disaster may occur at any time of the day or night, during a weekend, or on a holiday, with little or no warning. The events in an emergency cannot be predicted. Consequently, a plan of this type serves only as a general guide and checklist and will undoubtedly require modification, and more specific guidance and direction, as an emergency unfolds.

In certain emergency situations, W&L may need to coordinate its response to the situation with one or more outside agencies, including but not limited to local, state, and federal government agencies, and disaster relief organizations. The specific role for any outside agency(ies) will depend on the emergency situation; however, W&L will retain ultimate authority for decisions involving its facilities, campus, and community.

Phases of Emergency Management

Generally, an emergency will have three basic phases.

• Preparation: This includes developing readiness for emergencies based on education, organization, and communication. Ongoing threat assessment is a major factor in effective preparation and is designed to reduce risk either by mitigation (reducing the seriousness of an event) or prevention (eliminating the risk of an event). W&L engages in ongoing threat assessment and risk reduction measures and processes that are part of the University's regular campus operations and risk management programs.
• Response: This involves procedures for responding to situations in a prompt and effective manner, including immediate actions to try and save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs. Response also includes the implementation of mitigation activities designed to limit adverse health effects, personal injury, loss of life, property damage, system disruptions, etc. Guidance on specific responses to a variety of potential emergencies is set forth in Appendix A to this document. This Plan document primarily addresses the Response phase of campus emergencies.
• Recovery (including Business Continuity): This phase includes the development, coordination, and execution of service, operations, and site restoration plans, as well as other short-term and long-term plans for recovery. Recovery also includes a thorough review of the emergency and a careful discussion of plans for future events, including initiatives to mitigate the effects of future similar emergencies.

Some emergency situations may cause the campus to shut down some or all University operations. In such a case, the first step to recovery is to see that the campus is safe and secure. The second step will be to restore critical infrastructures and campus facilities/grounds to a level that will support critical functions. The third step will be to determine if and how to return to normal campus operations.

Business continuity begins shortly after an emergency has occurred (or, in some cases, while an emergency is occurring). After an assessment of damage or impact of the emergency has been completed, efforts will be taken to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. Business continuity is carried out at the University, departmental, building, or function level, as appropriate to the particular emergency. Department specific plans for W&L, which are in the process of being updated as of the date of adoption of this Plan, will separately address business continuity measures. In the case of a large, area-wide disaster, business continuity will be carried out on a community level, as such a disaster will likely involve damages to infrastructure, utilities, access to campus, etc.

III. Range and Scope of Covered Emergency Situations

An emergency addressed by this Plan includes any significant, unplanned event with the real potential to cause death or significant injury to students, faculty, staff, or visitors, or that can significantly disrupt University operations, causing physical or environmental damage or presenting other threats to University's facilities.

Examples (list not exhaustive):

• Active shooter
• Bomb threat
• Civil Disturbance
• Death of a Student, Faculty or Staff Member
• Earthquake/Aftershock
• Explosion
• Fire
• Floodings
• Food-borne Illness or Incidents
• Hazardous Materials Incident
• Infrastructure Failure
• Pandemics and Infectious Diseases
• Snow or Ice Storm
• Suspicious Packages/Mail
• Tornado/Derecho/High Winds
• Violent campus intruder

Range of Severity and Scope of Emergencies

Emergencies can range from those impacting a single office or building to a large-scale catastrophe impacting the entire campus and surrounding communities. The larger the scale and scope of the emergency, the more campus and community resources required to manage it.

On the low end of the scale are department or building incidents that can be resolved with existing University resources or limited outside help. These typically are of limited duration and have little impact on the campus community beyond those people using the space/building at the time of the incident. A few illustrative examples are minor chemical or fuel spills, a minor fire confined to a single room not involving hazardous chemicals, or loss of heat or electricity to a building for a few hours not jeopardizing health or safety.

Other more serious emergencies are those which impact a significant portion of the campus and/or outside community, including events that may develop into major campus or community disasters. These often require coordination with local and state authorities. A few illustrative examples would be an extended power outage, a severe storm or other weather event, a major fire, an active shooter, or contamination of the water supply.

Some emergencies may be catastrophic, involving the entire campus and surrounding community. These are often multi-hazard events beyond the emergency-response capabilities of campus and local resources. They likely will call for coordination with multiple state or federal agencies. A few illustrative examples include a flood, earthquake, major hazardous chemical spill, or act of terrorism.

Emergencies may not unfold all at once. There can be situations that primarily involve people, rather than infrastructure, which begin with a single incident but have the potential to quickly evolve into a multi-faceted campus crisis. A few illustrative examples of this could include a communicable disease, a death on campus, an off-campus accident impacting multiple members of the campus community, a civil disturbance or riot, a hazing incident, or a hate crime.

IV. Emergency Management Authority

During an emergency, the President (or in his absence, by designation specifically for purposes of this Emergency Management Plan, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and thereafter, the Provost, and thereafter, the Vice President for Finance/Treasurer, and thereafter, the next most-senior available administrator on the Emergency Management Executive Team) has ultimate emergency responsibility and authority under this Plan, to the extent activation is deemed necessary under Section V, and is responsible for designating a single appropriate Incident Commander to oversee the management of all emergency activities, including development, implementation, and review of strategic decisions, and post-event review. The President (or surrogate/designee) is assisted and advised by the Emergency Management Executive Team (EMET).  When designated, the Incident Commander will assemble and direct an Emergency Operations Group (EOG) to manage that specific emergency situation, some or all of the members of which may be drawn from the EMET.

Emergency Management Executive Team (EMET)

The Emergency Management Executive Team provides executive leadership, advice and counsel to the President or his surrogate/designee on high level emergency management and recovery decisions for the University. Depending on the nature and scope of a particular emergency situation, some or all of the members of the EMET (or their designees) may be involved in tactical management of the response and recovery under the leadership of the designated Incident Commander, and may be designated as the Emergency Operations Group (EOG) for that emergency situation.

• President
• Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
• Vice President for Finance/Treasurer
• Provost
• Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
• Assistant Dean for Finance & Administration (Law)
• Director of Public Safety
• Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives
• Executive Director of University Facilities
• Chief Information Officer
• University Physician and Director of Student Health
• Director of Student Counseling
• Director of Environmental Health and Safety
• Executive Director of Human Resources

V. Activation of the Plan

Initial Notification

Any member of the W&L community who witnesses or receives information regarding an emergency or impending emergency situation should contact the Office of Public Safety at extension 8999, (540) 458-8999 from off-campus or by using the LiveSafe App, or dial 911. The University may receive initial notification of an emergency or impending emergency from a number of sources, including campus constituents, the National Weather Service, and/or local/state/federal emergency officials.

If the incident is a low-level office or building incident that can be readily resolved, Public Safety or the appropriate department will take steps to remedy the situation and advise the appropriate member(s) of the EMET.

If the incident involves a more serious emergency, Public Safety will notify one or more of the appropriate senior staff members of the EMET, usually the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. Senior staff will review the situation, consult with the President (or surrogate/designee) and other internal and external sources, as appropriate to the nature of the situation and the potential for threat to life and property, and designate a single Incident Commander, or implement other appropriate measures to address the situation. As emergency situations can be fluid and call for immediate action, senior staff members of the EMET may review a situation, decide on the appropriate course of action, and then notify the President (or surrogate/designee) of the planned course of action. However, in all cases, the President (or surrogate/designee) will be briefed and kept up to date.

Designation and Authority of Incident Commander; Convening Emergency Operations Group

If the Plan has been activated, a single Incident Commander will be designated as provided above and s/he will assemble an Emergency Operations Group (EOG). The Incident Commander will, in many cases, be the Director of Public Safety. In other cases, the Incident Commander may be another member of the EMET. Depending on the nature and circumstances of the emergency, the EOG may be made up of members of the EMET and/or may include other University administrators as appropriate. The Incident Commander will oversee the EOG and the management of all emergency activities, including development, implementation, and review of strategic decisions, and post-event review. The Incident Commander is the ultimate internal authority for all emergency response efforts involving the University in a particular emergency situation. S/he will lead a coordinated response effort, with members of the EOG charged with particular duties and leadership roles based on their areas of expertise.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

When needed in a particular emergency, a location for the initial meeting of the EOG will be designated and members of the EOG notified of the location. 

In the event of a widespread emergency that involves the broader community, law enforcement, and/or other external agencies, the location for the EOG to meet may be changed to coordinate with the other entities or agencies involved in the emergency response, as appropriate.

Emergency Response Priorities

General priorities for emergency response at W&L are as follows:

Protection of Life

• Humans
• Animals (service animals, animals used in research)

Stabilization of the Situation

• Prevent the situation from expanding
• Isolate the scene and control ingress/egress
• Determine course of action

Protect the Environment

• Confine, contain or neutralize hazardous materials

Protect University Property

• Facilities necessary for shelter and care of campus community
• Critical University records and collections
• Research
• Facilities used for education and operations

Restoration of Critical Services, Education, and Research Programs

• Services critical to the basic operating environment (power, water, communications, etc.)
• Services critical to the well-being of students
• Services critical to the integrity of research projects
• Services critical to educational programs
• Services critical to support infrastructure and operations

First-Aid Centers

The Student Health Center will be the primary first-aid center. However, in a widespread campus emergency, the decision of whether and where to set up another campus location for first response, triage, and stabilization will be made by the Incident Commander and the EOG in consultation with area emergency services providers. Serious injuries will be transported to Carilion Rockbridge Memorial Hospital.

Temporary Shelter

Should the emergency call for extensive temporary shelter, the Elrod Commons and/or Evans Dining Hall will be the facilities most likely designated to serve that purpose. The backup temporary shelter will likely be Doremus Gymnasium. If none of these sites is viable, the University will take steps to identify other available community resources for temporary shelter, including, but not limited to, coordinating with the City of Lexington, Rockbridge County, and/or other resources, as appropriate.

Emergency Communications

Upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate or impending threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus, or in any other situation deemed appropriate by the President (or surrogate/designee), the President (or surrogate/designee) or the Incident Commander will, without delay, and taking into account the safety of the community, work to determine the content of an emergency notification and will instruct the Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives to provide notice of the emergency using the Emergency Communications Systems, unless issuing the notification would compromise efforts to respond to the emergency. The University will take steps to see that Emergency Communications Systems provide information to individuals with disabilities, including vision or hearing disabilities, as effectively as they are provided to others.

The President (or surrogate/designee) or the Incident Commander will continue to work with the Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives to provide content of relevant directions and updates to the campus community throughout the emergency situation, using the best and most effective means possible under the circumstances.

In certain emergency situations, when time does not permit consultation, the Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives, upon notification from the Director of Public Safety or the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, may independently determine to issue a campus alert using one or more of the following components of the emergency communications systems and methods.

Emergency Communications Tools for On-Campus Constituents
(some or all of which may be used, as appropriate to the type and scope of emergency):

• Mass emails to wlu.edu accounts
• Text alerts to mobile phones through the "Generals Alerts" system (be sure to log in at http://go.wlu.edu/general-alerts at least annually to check that your contact information is accurate, and to update your account when any of your contact information changes)
• Posting information to the W&L Emergency Website (http://emergency.wlu.edu) and main W&L Website (www.wlu.edu)
• Social media: Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/washingtonandlee) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/wlunews)
• LiveSafe App (http://go.wlu.edu/livesafe)
• Broadcast media: TV stations (WDBJ-7, WSLS-10, WSET-13), Radio stations (WREL- 1450 AM, WWZW- 96.7 FM, WMRA- 89.9 FM, WKDW- 900 AM, WLUR- 91.5 FM)
• Other possible alternative methods (bullhorns, flyers, building runners, personal emails, phone calls)

Emergency Communications Tools for Families and the General Public

• Posting information to the W&L Emergency Website (http://emergency.wlu.edu) and main W&L Website (www.wlu.edu)
• Text alerts to mobile phones through the "Generals Alerts" system (family members may subscribe at http://go.wlu.edu/general-alerts and are responsible for keeping their contact information up to date)
• Social media: Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/washingtonandlee) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/wlunews)
• Broadcast media: TV stations (WDBJ-7, WSLS-10, WSET-13), Radio stations (WREL- 1450 AM, WWZW- 96.7 FM, WMRA- 89.9 FM, WKDW- 900 AM, WLUR- 91.5 FM)
• Personal emails and phone calls 

The Incident Commander and the EOG will communicate and coordinate with community partners (other institutions of higher education, K-12 school systems, transportation providers, health care providers, local law enforcement, and City of Lexington government officials) as well as local/regional/state/federal emergency response officials and networks as necessary and appropriate in a particular emergency situation. The University will work to develop information sharing agreements as needed with such community partners to facilitate a prompt response in an emergency.

The Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives or designee will be the principal media contact and University spokesperson with external audiences.

Search of Open Buildings for Individuals Sheltered, Entrapped, or Injured

If and when the Incident Commander believes it prudent and safe to do so, depending on the nature of a particular campus emergency, Public Safety, with the assistance of other designated individuals, as needed, shall conduct a search of all accessible University buildings to determine if any individuals are sheltered, entrapped, or injured inside.

Assessment of Campus Property and Facilities Damage

The Executive Director of University Facilities and his/her staff will assess campus property and facilities damage as soon as possible and communicate their findings to the Incident Commander. In an emergency involving multiple facilities, they and the Incident Commander should first evaluate medical facilities and student residences. University Facilities will work to mitigate any damage to facilities and grounds to restore them to a functional level. The Executive Director of University Facilities, working with the Engineer, has the temporary emergency authority to evacuate or close a site they deem an immediate threat to life or safety, with the assistance of Public Safety, as appropriate, and subject to review by the Incident Commander. The Executive Director of University Facilities will also coordinate a survey of gas, electric, steam, water and sewer utilities, and, together with Public Safety, will also assist law enforcement and/or other external agencies with creating a safety perimeter at the site of the emergency, in consultation with the Incident Commander as appropriate. The Chemical Hygiene Officer, Radiation Safety Officer, and/or Director of Environmental Health and Safety may assist in providing information and/or on-site response in emergencies involving hazardous substances, including assessing damage or vulnerability to supplies of such substances from emergencies impacting storage sites. If an emergency situation calls for water or utility rationing, the Incident Commander, in consultation with the Executive Director of University Facilities, Public Safety, and/or external agencies, will direct that the campus community be notified of the specifics of such rationing and will oversee compliance, as needed.

Order for Evacuation of Campus

If it is necessary to evacuate the campus because of extensive failure of any critical system (sewer, water, electricity, etc.) or other danger present on campus, the Incident Commander, in consultation with the EOG and the President (or surrogate/designee), may order an evacuation. In that case, the University will communicate all evacuation details through the Emergency Communications Systems. See Appendix B for detailed information on campus evacuations.

Coordination with Local Officials

The Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives will distribute this Plan to local officials (see Record of Distribution on page two of this Plan document). During a campus emergency with impact beyond the campus and requiring coordination/assistance from outside agencies, the Incident Commander, assisted by the Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives and other members of the EOG as necessary, will coordinate with government officials and external agencies as appropriate to the emergency situation. W&L will conduct an integrated response to such emergencies using a joint or unified command structure. Decisions directly impacting W&L will be made by the Incident Commander, in consultation with the EOG and the President (or surrogate/designee). Contact information for all essential Lexington and Rockbridge emergency personnel, and key state and federal agencies likely to be involved with large-scale emergencies, is in Appendix F.

Key Roles

The Incident Commander and the EOG may request the following University offices to assume various roles during an emergency, sometimes outside the normal scope of their duties. If a department does not have specific emergency roles for its personnel, those personnel will become part of a pool of reserve personnel to assist as assigned by the Incident Commander and the EOG coordinating the specific emergency.

University Office	Role
Academic Deans and Chairs	Identify and address instructional and research issues, including feasibility of continuing class schedule. Coordinate necessary faculty resources.
Athletics	Coordinate use of the Doremus Gymnasium as a possible staging area, backup first-aid center, open bay temporary shelter, and/or temporary morgue.
Student Health Center	Provide medical support and mental health counseling. Assist in providing services to those with minor injuries and provide trauma support. Coordinate with first-aid services, community emergency services providers, and local medical providers. May be asked to assist/provide onsite medical triage.
Print & Mail Center	Provide courier services as directed. Provide printed material as directed (letters to parents, posters, temporary procedures, signage, etc.)
University Facilities	Mitigate facility and grounds damages and work to restore functionality. Set up temporary quarters for displaced units. Evaluate structures and estimate repairs. Have temporary emergency authority to evacuate or close a site deemed to present a threat to life or well-being. Provide site and building information to the Incident Commander. Coordinate a survey of gas, electric, steam, water, and sewer utilities, as appropriate. Assist Public Safety and law enforcement with creating a safety perimeter at the site of the emergency.
Director of Public Safety	Provide site security, crowd control, evacuation, mobile communications, and investigation of incidents, as appropriate. Serve as liaison with on-site law enforcement, fire, and medical command personnel. Oversee periodic inventory and necessary testing of emergency supplies and equipment.
Chemical Hygiene Officer, Radiation Safety Officer, and/or Director of Environmental Health and Safety	Assist in providing information and/or on-site response in emergencies involving hazardous substances. Assess damage or vulnerability to supplies of such substances from emergencies impacting storage sites.
University Veterinarian and/or Chair of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)	Provide for pre-emergency care/transport of laboratory animals when practical. Provide post-emergency response to assess and address health and safety threats to laboratory animals and/or take appropriate measures to dispose of deceased animals.
Center for International Education	Serve as resource for Student Affairs Division and Provost in emergencies involving international students or scholars. Serve as primary contact with State Department and embassies, immigration authorities, and overseas resources. Assist as needed in liaison with overseas family members and/or local providers in emergencies calling for special religious or cultural customs (such as death of an international student or scholar).
Student Affairs Division	Coordination of non-academic needs of students, including shelter, food, health care, and transportation services. Serve as liaison with families. Coordinate Resident Assistants/Resident Advisors and other staff or student resources as building runners for communication with students in on- and off-campus housing, when other means of communication are unavailable.
Information Technology	Assure availability of key/critical systems (onsite restoration if required or offsite/disaster recovery options). Facilitate and support emergency technology offerings (devices and connectivity as possible, including laptops, tablets, telephones [plus phone bank and 800 number if feasible and beneficial], cellular broadband, etc.) at Emergency Operations Center.
Transportation (Public Safety)	Provide or arrange for transportation services, as required.
Communications and Public Affairs	Media coordination, campus communications, community liaison, and spokesperson.
Secretary of the University	Staff the President's office, communicate with trustees, and gather EMET and other personnel on call of the President.
University Dining Services	Provide dining services for students, displaced personnel, and emergency workers. Oversee procurement and stockpiling of emergency food and water supplies.
Human Resources	Coordination of emergency needs of employees on campus, including shelter, food, health care, and transportation services, as appropriate. Serve as liaison with families.

Emergency Equipment and Supplies

The University will stock emergency supplies and equipment in a location centrally available to the campus and inform key campus emergency personnel of the location.

Termination of State of Emergency

The President (or surrogate/designee), in consultation with the Incident Commander and the EOG, has the sole authority to declare an end to any state of emergency. The Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives will send follow-up information to the campus community via Emergency Communications Systems as necessary.

Departmental Emergency Management Plans

At the time of publication of this Plan document, the offices listed above that have particular roles under this Plan are currently preparing or updating departmental emergency management plans to provide for carrying out those roles and responsibilities, and such departmental plans will be appended to this Plan document when finalized. In addition, certain other departments, in order to protect invaluable and irreplaceable University assets, have or are developing emergency management plans to provide for their particular and unique university records and/or assets:

• Athletics
• Business and Treasurer's Office
• Chemical Hygiene Officer
• Communications
• Development Office
• Human Resources
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Law School
• Libraries (Leyburn, Law, and Science)
• Registrar's Office
• Special Collections
• Undergraduate Admissions Office
• Museums at W&L

Training and Tests

The EMET or a subgroup of that team, as directed by the President, will annually review this Plan. Members of the EMET and departments having particular roles and responsibilities under this Plan will receive training on their roles and responsibilities. The Plan will be tested at least annually using tabletop and/or other tests/exercises, including local government and emergency response officials, and other resources, as appropriate. The University, through the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, will document tests and exercises of the Plan, including date, time, and specifics of each test/exercise, and whether it was announced or unannounced. In conjunction with such annual tests of the Plan, and otherwise as required by applicable law, the University will publicize the Plan and emergency guidance and resources.

VI. Adoption, History of Prior Plan Documents, and Record of Distribution

Adoption

The Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan ("the Plan" or "this Plan") is adopted effective October 4, 2023. It replaces the prior Emergency Management Plan, which was adopted April 8, 2021.

Approved by: William C. Dudley, President

A formal review of this Plan will occur annually by the Emergency Management Executive Team, or a subgroup of that Team, as designated by the President. In addition, the Plan will be revisited, and updated as necessary, based on issues or concerns identified by drills, exercises, actual emergency situations, and/or changes necessitated by regulatory developments, agency guidance, organizational structure, technological changes, etc. As changes are made to the Plan, they will be approved by the President of the University and recorded by date and description below to provide a record of the Plan's modification.

History of Prior Plan Documents and Amendments

• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted April 2021, updated October 2023
• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted October 2019, updated April 2021
• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted September 2017
• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted September 2016
• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted April 2015
• Washington and Lee University Emergency Management Plan, adopted August 2011
• Campus Crisis Management Plan, adopted January 2007, updated February 2008
• Campus Crisis Communications Plan, adopted September 2004, updated February 2007

Record of Distribution

Copies of this Plan document have been distributed by the University's Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives to the Commandant of the Virginia Military Institute, the Chiefs of the Fire and Police Departments of the City of Lexington, the Emergency Manager for the City of Lexington, the Sheriff of Rockbridge County, the Coordinator for Emergency Management for Rockbridge County, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Carilion Rockbridge Memorial Hospital. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee has provided a copy of this Plan document to each member of the Emergency Management Executive Team and has placed a copy with materials to be onsite in each location designated as an Emergency Operations Center. Notice of the adoption of this Plan has been provided to the Washington and Lee University campus community by mass email, and postings in Campus Notices and the Human Resources Newsletter. This Plan has also been made available to the campus community and the general public by posting on the University's main website (www.wlu.edu) and emergency website (http://emergency.wlu.edu).

VII. Acknowledgements

The following institutional plan documents and guidance information served as valuable resources in the development of this Plan document:

• Boston College Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
• Kenyon College Emergency Operations Plan
• Randolph Macon College Emergency Response Overview
• Stanford University Guide for Assisting Individuals with Disabilities in an Emergency
• University of Miami Emergency Preparedness Information