Emergency Guide

Medical Emergency

Remain calm and call for assistance.

• Contact the Department of Security (and call 911), provide as much information as possible about the situation and conditions of the injured or ill person.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
  • Police/Fire/EMT - 911

Do not move the injured or ill person.

• If it is SAFE to do so, comfort them and reassure them that help is on the way.
• Do not touch the person if you are not certified in first aid and/or do not have personal protection gear, due to potential danger of encountering bodily fluids.

If you are certified in first aid and it is SAFE to do so, provide care to the person to the extent you are capable.

• Follow all directions given to you by the Department of Security and/or authorized personnel.

Person in Emotional Crisis

Remain calm and call for assistance.

• Contact the Department of Security and provide as much information as possible about the situation.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111

Help keep the person calm.

• Do not put yourself in danger.
• Do not block the person’s exit route.

Fire

• Evacuate the building immediately when alarm is activated or there is evidence of fire.
• Manually activate the nearest fire alarm system if alarm isn’t already sounding.
• Close doors and windows behind you.
• DO NOT use elevators.
• Call the Department of Security to report the location of the smoke/fire.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
• Notify fire personnel if you suspect someone is trapped in the building.
• If trapped in a room/building, close as many doors and windows as possible between you and the fire.
  • Place cloth material (wet, if possible) around/under the door.
  • Attempt to signal someone outside the building.

Hazardous Material Spill

Remain calm and evacuate the area.

• In the event there is a hazardous material spill, remain calm, immediately evacuate if it is safe to do so.

Call for assistance.

• As soon as you or another person can, contact the Department of Security or local emergency service.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
  • Police/Fire/EMT - 911
• Provide as much information as possible, including:
  • The location and identity of hazardous material(s) involved.
  • How many people are affected.
• Follow all instructions given to you by the Department of Security and/or emergency response personnel.

Evacuation

Remain calm and evacuate the area.

• Gather personal belongings ONLY if it is safe to do so. DO NOT delay evacuation.
• Evacuate the building using the nearest safely accessible exit, closing doors and windows behind you.
• DO NOT use elevators.
• Assist persons with special needs as able.
• Meet outside at the area specified by the instructor and await further instructions (assemble in the designated areas as instructed by the Department of Security and/or emergency personnel).
• DO NOT attempt to re-enter the building until instructed to do so.

Suspicious Package / Object

Remain calm and evacuate the area.

• DO NOT touch or disturb the item.
• DO NOT use a cell phone near the item.
• Evacuate immediately.

Call for assistance.

• When you are a safe distance from the package/object, call the Department of Security.
  
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
• Provide as much information as possible, including:
  
  • Location of item
  • Description of package/object
  • Size
• Follow instructions given to you by the Department of Security and/or authorized personnel.

Intruder on campus

Remain calm and call for assistance.

• If you come across or learn of an intruder—or someone who is threatening the safety of individuals on campus—contact the Department of Security as soon as it is safe for you to do so.
  
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
• Be prepared to give the full description of the individual, as well as their location.

Remove yourself from danger.

• DO NOT approach the person.
• If safe to do so, get to a SAFE AREA.

Active Shooter 

An active shooter is an event in which one or more persons are actively engaging in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.

In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no apparent pattern or method to their selection of victims.

These situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, with immediate deployment of law enforcement officers to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to innocent people.

If you hear gunfire or see a person with a gun, take immediate steps to protect yourself. The steps outlined below are a guide, but you need to use good judgment and common sense based on the incident at hand.

Always be aware of your surroundings. Think about what if and how. Don’t wait for an incident to occur before you think about these things—think and plan in advance.

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

If faced with an active shooter incident, there are THREE things you can do that make a difference.

RUN when an active shooter is in your vicinity.

• If there is a way out, and you can get out, GET OUT! This is your best option.
• Get out whether others agree or not.
• Leave your belongings behind.
• Stop others from entering the danger zone.
• Call 911 or utilize a campus phone or any blue light phone as soon as it is safe to do so.

HIDE if evacuation is not possible.

• Lock and/or barricade the door, find a place to hide.
• Turn off the lights.
• Silence your cell phone.
• Spread out.
• Hide behind large objects, if possible.
• Remain very quiet and do not leave until directed by law enforcement officers.
• Your hiding place should:
  • Be out of the shooter’s view.
  • Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
  • Do NOT trap or restrict your options for movement (if possible).

FIGHT AS A LAST RESORT and only if your life is in danger.

• Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
• Act with physical aggression.
• Improvise weapons.
• Commit to your actions.
• Once the shooter is incapacitated, contact the police or Department of Security.
  • Police/Fire/EMT - 911
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111

Sanctuary

• Gleason Performing Arts Center
• Officer(s) will be there.
• If you go there, you will be searched.
• If you leave before the event is over, you may return, but you will need to be searched again.

Police Response

When law enforcement arrives:

• Keep your EMPTY hands raised and visible, with your fingers spread apart.
• Remain calm and follow instructions.
• Avoid pointing or yelling.
• The first police officers to arrive will not respond to, or aid those who are injured. They will go directly to the shooter.
• Know that help for the injured is on its way. Rescue team officers and emergency personnel will care for the injured as soon as possible.
• The area is a crime scene. Police officers may secure all witnesses until identified and questioned.

Lockdown

In the event that an emergency situation requires it, the Department of Security will lock down some or all of the buildings on campus.

You will be notified of a lockdown by RAVE’s mass notification system, which includes a variety of modalities to provide swift and accurate information to the campus community.

In the event of a lockdown, remain calm.

• Lock your doors, close your windows and shut blinds.
• Put cell phones on silent.
• If you are in an area that does not lock, use all available items (desks, tables, chairs, etc.) to barricade doors.
• If you can do so SAFELY, inform others in your area of the lockdown.
• If someone needs assistance and you can do so SAFELY, help get them to the lockdown area.
• Stay low on the floor away from windows and doors and under desks, if possible.
• DO NOT leave the area until you are told to do so by the Department of Security and/or law enforcement personnel.

Weather

In the event of severe weather, the National Weather Service, as well as the Brevard County Emergency Management Office, will issue a warning or advisory.

• If you hear of a weather alert, stay inside your building away from windows and other areas with glass, and contact the Department of Security.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
• DO NOT use your cell phone or any type of portable phone during a thunderstorm.
• If you are outside, immediately go into a building to avoid potential injury.
• Stay inside your building and await further instructions from the Department of Security/emergency services personnel.

Natural Disasters

Hurricane / Tornado

If there is a possibility of a hurricane or tornado, remain calm and immediately take cover in the lower sections of a building—including basements and lower covered stairwells.

Flood

Remain calm and immediately get to a safe area that is above the flooding

• If outside, seek higher ground.
• If inside a building, go to the upper levels.
• Contact the Department of Security or local emergency service and inform them of the situation.
  • Department of Security (Emergencies) - 321-674-8111 | On Campus Ext. 8111
  • Police/Fire/EMT - 911
• If there are others who need assistance getting to the safer areas, and you can do so SAFELY, please assist them.
• DO NOT leave the safe area until you are instructed by the Department of Security and/or emergency services personnel.

The Student Counseling Center supports the university’s mission of student success by providing a variety of mental health and wellness services to assist students with their overall health, so they can successfully reach their own personal, academic and career goals.

Services include:

• Counseling
• Crisis Intervention and Management
• Education and Training
• Outreach and Consultation
• Self-Help Resources and Referral Services

For more information:

• Website: floridatech.edu/student-counseling-center
• Phone: 321-674-8050 | On Campus Ext.8050
• Email: counselingcenter@fit.edu
• Location: Second floor of the Sunrise Center