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FAQ: What happens during a lockdown at VCU/VCU Health

1. What is a lockdown? Who is in charge of issuing them?

A lockdown is defined as restricting access to specific areas/facilities in the interest of public safety to keep external threats out. 

Here’s a list of potential hazards that would warrant a lockdown at a VCU facility:

      • Police/criminal activity nearby
      • Dangerous activity within a different part of a facility
      • Any external activity that potentially poses a safety threat to community members or security of a facility

Leadership from VCU Police, VCU and VCU Health Emergency Management, the university and health system coordinate on when a lockdown is appropriate to protect the health and safety of community members. A lockdown is ONLY issued when VCU Police have confirmed there is an active threat.

2. How does a lockdown work? Are all doors locked automatically? 

Every building across campus is designed a bit differently.  In academic buildings, any door equipped with electronic locking mechanisms will automatically lock during a campus lockdown, to include some interior doors.  In healthcare facilities, locking is automatic on exterior doors equipped with electronic locking mechanisms.

Entrance into a building under a lockdown will not be permitted until the lockdown order has been lifted. Community members are free to exit facilities at any time during a lockdown. However, public safety officials only activate this procedure at VCU and VCU Health facilities if there is a confirmed threat to life and safety, so it is strongly encouraged everyone adheres to all lockdown advisories and remain indoors until the lockdown has been lifted.

3. Which buildings are equipped with automatic locking systems?

Most publicly accessible buildings across both campuses and at VCU Health are equipped with automatic locking systems.  

4. Should I lock my interior door if I have to do it manually?

No. The purpose of a lockdown is to restrict building access from potential threats outside of a facility. Movement inside a facility can continue during a lockdown; however, community members should follow instructions from public safety professionals and VCU Alerts.

In the event the threat is inside your facility, additional messaging will be provided (i.e. Run, Avoid/Hide,Barricade/Fight).

5. At VCU Health, will the emergency department be part of this lockdown drill?

No. During this drill the emergency department will not be locked down. VCU Health has protocols in place to the emergency department should a situation warrant.

6. What am I supposed to do if I’m inside a VCU or a VCU Health facility when a lockdown is issued?

  • Stay calm and listen for any additional instructions from authorities
  • Move away for any exterior doors and windows
  • Remain indoors until the lockdown is lifted
  • Do not open exterior doors for anyone
  • First responders will continue to have access to the facility

7. What happens if I’m outside when a lockdown is issued?

Full facility lockdowns on both campuses are extremely rare, but if you are outside while working and all buildings that you normally access are locked:

  • Do not attempt to enter a locked facility and do not knock/bang on the doors
  • Leave the immediate area as quickly and safely as possible
  • VCU Alert and VCU Alert Health messaging will inform you of the threat and the specific location of the threat
  • Consider retreating to an area away from the threat where you can isolate yourself (parked car, public garage, convenience store)
  • Seek shelter wherever practical and pay close attention to frequent emergency communications
  • Use your best judgment based on the situation and await further information.

8. Can anyone get inside a building under lockdown?

First responders are the only individuals with building access during a lockdown.  

9. What happens if there is an emergency inside a facility that is under lockdown?

Building exits are not restricted during a lockdown, which allows anyone to exit in the event of an emergency.  If you do exit the building for any reason, you should make every effort to ensure no one enters the door as it is open.

10. Who is in charge of lifting a lockdown order?

VCU Police will lift the lockdown order once it is deemed safe and there is no longer an immediate threat to public safety.  During a lockdown, police may release the interior locks to allow increased freedom of movement around the building.  Once the lockdown has been lifted, VCU Alert text messaging will be sent to inform the community.

11. Can VCU lockdown specific buildings or do you have to lockdown everything every time?

VCU and VCU Health have the capability to lockdown buildings campus-wide (both academic and medical buildings), individual campus lockdowns (one or the other in its entirety), specific buildings or clusters of buildings at each campus separately. Depending on the type of threat, VCU Police can deploy any of these options to keep the community safe.

12. Why is VCU holding a lockdown drill during the day? Why not hold the drill overnight or during the weekend?

VCU Police are conducting the lockdown drill at noon on Feb. 5 as part of a wider test of VCU’s emergency communications system, including sirens, text messaging and more.  While the lockdown test may be briefly disruptive during the day, the exercise is meant to test the system and also educate the VCU and VCU Health community about public safety capabilities and what to do in a real-world scenario.