In the event of an emergency, students must be familiar of two common practices that they may be asked to perform: Shelter-In-Place and Building Evacuation. Information on those two practices follows below, after a short discussion of what individual preparedness precautions you should take. Please read this information carefully, as it asks you to take specific steps to promote safety and security.

Individual Preparation

Below are common-sense steps you can take that will promote both your safety and that of the larger community:

• Learn about and enroll in HOYAlert, the emergency notification system, via Access+ to receive information via text message, non-GU voicemail, and non-GU email.
  
  
• In the event of a need to stay on campus, be sure to have access to items essential to your health and comfort. If you do not live on or very near campus, you should keep certain essentials with you when you visit campus. These may include medicines, glasses or contact lenses, and important phone numbers.
  
  
• Carry your GOCard with you at all times.
  
  
• Be aware of your environment and report suspicious activities such as unattended packages or suspicious behavior to the Department of Public Safety at (202) 687-4343 or (202) 687-HELP.
  
  
• Be sure to have the Department of Public Safety numbers memorized and programmed into your cell phones. You can call the DPS Communications Center at any time for any emergency, including fire or health emergencies, and they can connect you to the necessary university or D.C. departments.
  
  
• Learn the building evacuation routes for your residence hall and academic buildings. The routes are posted in all common areas, stairwells and exits.
  
  
• Always keep your doors locked in your residence hall, apartment, or house. Please do not prop doors or windows open. Contribute to campus safety by closing any doors or windows that you see propped open.
  
  
• If you live off campus or in an apartment, you should consult D.C.'s Family Preparedness Guide (PDF). This guide contains helpful information on how to prepare for an emergency and lists important D.C. telephone numbers.

Students should also familiarize themselves with the additional content on this website relating to both everyday safety and to the various services and precautions undertaken by the university relating to student safety and emergency preparedness.

Shelter-In-Place

When will Shelter-In-Place go into effect?
In emergency situations, where it is important to minimize exposure to outside risks and to deliver information to the university community quickly and efficiently.

What type of incident causes the need for a Shelter-In-Place order?
Situations may include extreme weather, violent or criminal behavior in the area, or dangerous air quality due to the accidental or intentional release of hazardous materials.

How will I know that Shelter-In-Place is in effect?
Shelter-In-Place will be signaled by sounding the campus alert system, a loud steam whistle that can be heard in any outdoor areas on campus. The horn will sound in a series of intermittent blasts, for a total of 15 minutes. Additionally, Hall Directors and Resident Assistants (RAs) positioned throughout the residence and in the lobby will alert their residents of the need to stay inside as the horn may not be audible inside of some buildings. Broadcast e-mails and voicemails will be used to relay the same message. HOYAlert may also be used to send immediate and updated information.

What should I do?
If you hear the campus alert horn, you should calmly enter the nearest building and wait for further information. Once inside, close all doors and windows, turn off air conditioning or heating units, and wait for further instruction.

How will information about the situation be communicated to me?
If you seek shelter inside a residence hall, Hall Directors and Resident Assistants, identifiable by neon vests and red or yellow hats, will provide assistance and information. Building and Floor Marshals serve the same purpose in academic and administration buildings. These individuals are equipped with radios that will allow them to maintain contact with the Emergency Response Team. The University will also disseminate information, as soon as it is available, via broadcast e-mail, broadcast voicemail, the hotline at (202) 687-SNOW (687-7669), and this website. The most up-to-date information for the D.C. Metropolitan Area will be available through local television and radio.

What am I supposed to do if I am off campus?
If you are Sheltering-In-Place in a campus apartment complex or townhouse, the same information applies. Each apartment complex has a Hall Director, who may be available to you by phone. Hall Directors will also distribute Shelter-In-Place kits to all apartment residents. If you do not live in campus housing, you should still remain inside, and prepare in advance by making sure you have adequate food and water supplies for a period of several days. Keep in touch with friends on campus, and you may also call the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at (202) 784-9008 for more information during a Shelter-In-Place situation.

What about if I am really far off campus?
If you are outside of the Georgetown area in the event of a regional or citywide Shelter-In-Place recommendation, you should seek shelter, and then follow city or local jurisdiction directives.

What if I am in class?
Faculty members and students should remain in place until directed by Building and Floor Marshals. These Marshals perform the same functions as Hall Directors and Resident Assistants.

What if I am required to remain in place for an extended period of time?
The University has made preparations to provide food and water to support those individuals who are on campus in the event of an emergency requiring Shelter-In-Place procedures. However, it is a good idea for you to have certain items readily available, such as medicines, eyeglasses or other essential items that you may need in the event of an emergency.

How will I be notified when the Shelter-In-Place command is over?
Information from Hall Directors and Resident Assistants, Building and Floor Marshals, DPS officers, and broadcast e-mail and voicemail will assist in notification of when Sheltering-In-Place ends.

Building Evacuation

When will Building Evacuation go into effect?
In case of a fire or other emergency that requires all occupants to immediately leave the building to ensure their safety.

How will I know?
Building Evacuation will be signaled by the internal building alarm.

What should I do?
When you hear the alarm, leave the building and proceed to the evacuation site specified in your Building Evacuation Plan (posted on the entry door of your residence hall, campus apartment complex or classroom building).

How should I prepare for a Building Evacuation?
Familiarize yourself with exit routes and the evacuation site for your residence hall or apartment complex as well as all buildings that you frequent.

How will I know when it is safe to return to the building, or what to do next?
Hall Directors, Resident Assistants, Building and Floor Marshals, and DPS officers will provide additional information at each evacuation site. You may only re-enter a building once authorized by these individuals. If a fire or other incident makes a building unsafe to enter for a significant period of time, students and other inhabitants of a building will be taken to a temporary shelter; examples may include ICC Auditorium, Gaston Hall, Sellinger Lounge, or McDonough Gymnasium.