When an individual sees or believes that they have observed or heard a potential threat on or near the Whittier College campus, they should treat the threat as real, until it can be determined to be otherwise. In case of emergency, contact the Whittier Police Department (WPD) by calling 911. Once WPD has been notified, call Campus Safety at 562.907.4211 to report what you have observed or heard.
Move to a safe location that is securable and offers protection from potential threat. If available, refer to the Active Shooter Procedure posted in all classrooms and most other buildings on campus. This procedure will provide the following information:
An individual who receives a bomb threat should ask the notifying person:
If possible, tape the phone call. Write down any noises or sounds from the phone call and any answers to the above questions. Faculty/Staff should then notify a supervisor as quickly as possible and follow departmental protocol for response; students should immediately contact Campus Safety at 562.907.4911. Campus Safety will then follow these procedures:
Local authorities and/or Campus Safety will guide the investigation and determine whether the building is safe for re-entry if evacuated. The incident will be reviewed and operations will return to normal once the threat has been cleared.
In the event of an earthquake, the following guidelines should be followed:
While on campus, students, faculty, and staff should look to building captains and Campus Safety for direction after the event. Residential students should expect additional communication from their Area Director and/or Community Advisor regarding specific evacuation locations and protocol for the residence halls.
In the event of smoke or fire:
Initially, local authorities will assume authority of the scene and work with the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) leader in a unified command. Zone/Building Captains are responsible for following procedures to the extent possible, as trained, including directing occupants to:
First responders who are appropriately trained may try to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers if they feel comfortable doing so; however, when in doubt, evacuate.
Once local authorities (fire department, police department) have returned the site to CIRT, internal investigations must be completed prior to returning to the department for the resumption and recovery phase. In addition to investigating and mitigating further damages, the College contacts appropriate insurance personnel to report damages.
In the case of an emergency—big or small – the College will communicate with the campus community in the following ways: