Shelter in Place

Definition: seeking cover indoors due to an ongoing or imminent emergency situation related to environmental or human caused disasters.

Hazards that may warrant shelter in place

Find a safe location indoors and stay there until you are given an all clear OR told to evacuate.
Exterior doors to publicly accessible buildings remain unlocked so that community members can get to safety.
Every shelter in place order will include specific information about appropriate response steps for that hazard (actions for a tornado are different than a hazmat scenario).
Pay close attention to instructions distributed via alert.vcu.edu/.

Definition: restricting access to specific areas/facilities in the interest of public safety to keep external threats out.

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

Anyone outside of a facility that is under lockdown will not be allowed inside.
Academic Facilities: equipped exterior and interior doors will lock electronically.
VCU Health Facilities: exterior doors on electronic access control will lock automatically. Security officers will manually lock all other exterior doors, per protocol.
If feasible and practical, lock doors without electronic mechanisms.
Do not allow access to anyone who is outside of the locked down area.
Only security personnel are permitted to deviate from this during active emergencies at VCU Health facilities (i.e. arriving trauma patients, helipad activation, etc.).
Move away from any exterior doors or windows.
Stay calm and listen for instructions from authorities.
If a community member is outside of a locked down facility, do not try to enter, pay close attention to VCU and VCU Health Alert information, leave the area as quickly/safely as possible, seek shelter away from the threat and do not return until advised.

Definition: safety protocol utilized by VCU and VCU Health to instruct community members on how to respond to active threats.

RUN/AVOID: If you can safely escape the threat without putting yourself or others at risk, do so immediately. At VCU Health Facilities, pause all non-life saving medical care and move patients out of sight, if safe to do so.
HIDE/BARRICADE: Lock and/or barricade doors by any means possible (including Anchorman devices at VCU Health facilities). If you are in a room that cannot be secured or feels unsafe, consider seeking refuge somewhere else that is more secure.
FIGHT: As a last resort, act with aggression and speed, attacking the shooter at close range until the threat is stopped.
Follow instructions given by first responders.
When there is no longer a threat to public safety, community members will be notified via VCU Alert.
For more detailed instructions, watch this video.