Emergency Situation Checklist
Would you know what to do in the event of a police emergency on campus?
The University of Pittsburgh Police Department has prepared a checklist of steps you should immediately take if you think you’re in danger.
Download a copy today. (PDF reader required)
Get Notified, Be Prepared
The University’s new Emergency Notification Service will be used to communicate though voice and text messages as deemed appropriate in the event of an emergency.
Additionally, the University is able to send emergency e-mail simultaneously to all faculty, staff, and students and can make announcements over the public address systems in campus buildings.
Campus Resources and Response
The University of Pittsburgh Police Department, in conjunction with Facilities Management, Computing Services and Systems Development, and other departments, works proactively to prepare for and deal with emergencies.
If necessary, the University can electronically lock down 80 percent of the buildings on the Pittsburgh campus from the Communications Center at the new Public Safety Building.
University police also have access to nearly 300 electronic surveillance cameras and 500 emergency phones, which are monitored 24 hours per day.
The City Is Our Campus
The University of Pittsburgh Police Department is the third-largest law enforcement agency in Allegheny County, providing 24-hour protection for more than 40,000 students, faculty, and staff on our 132-acre Pittsburgh campus.
The department has 74 commissioned officers, including a Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) which is fully equipped to immediately respond to life-threatening events, and which has the ability to breach the doors of a building if they are blocked by an actor.
All University police officers are certified under state law and receive mandatory training in the technique known as “rapid response, active shooter.”
In addition, the City of Pittsburgh has fire and emergency medical service personnel stationed throughout the neighborhoods we call home.
Avian Flu: Learning and Preparing
The University is preparing to respond to an avian flu pandemic, should one occur.
A virulent strain of this flu has killed wild birds and domestic poultry in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Some human cases, caused by contact with the birds, have also occurred, resulting in deaths for half the victims.
If the disease mutates to a form that allows easy human transmission, the respiratory disease could become a worldwide pandemic.
Staying Alert
Tragic events have made all of us more aware of the danger that terrorism poses both in the U.S. and abroad.
Though the University has not learned of any specific threats against our campuses, you should know how to protect yourself at work, home, and school, and when you travel.
