Emergency Procedures

Reporting Emergencies

When dialing from an ON-CAMPUS telephone, dial 291-4911. In an emergency where the Campus Police Department cannot be reached, dial 911. When reporting an emergency, stay calm and carefully explain the problem and the location. Stay on the line until you are directed to disconnect.

After 5:00 p.m., contact 334-214-4850 or 334-291-4911 and/or the Phenix City Police Department at 334-448-2800 or 911.

Emergency Notification System

In the event of a campus lockdown, evacuation, shelter, weather emergency, or any other emergency that warrants immediate notification, the College will notify students and employees through SchoolCast, an emergency notification system. Employees and students are automatically placed on the notification list upon being hired or enrolled at the College. Students may log into SchoolCast and update their information as needed with the information provided by the College.

Fire Evacuation

In the event of a campus fire, there will be a loud, continuous horn blast. Walk quickly to the nearest marked exit and alert others to do the same. Do not use building elevators in the event of fire. If you discover the fire, evacuate the area, close the doors, activate the fire alarm, and call 911. Assist persons with disabilities in exiting the building.

Once outside, move to a clear area at least 500 feet away from the affected building. Keep streets, fire lanes, hydrants, and walkways clear for emergency vehicles and crews. Campus officials will respond and issue verbal directives. Do not return to an evacuated building unless told to do so by a College official.

NOTE: If you become trapped in a building during a fire and a window is available, place an article of clothing (shirt, coat, etc.) outside the window to notify rescue crews. If there are no windows, stay near the floor where the air will be less toxic. Shout at regular intervals to alert emergency crews of your location.

Tornado Watch

A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes. Under this situation, pay close attention to changing weather conditions and listen for additional weather statements. When a tornado watch is posted, the National Weather Service will notify Chattahoochee Valley Community College via weather radio.

Tornado Warning

A warning is issued when an actual tornado has been observed visually or on radar. A warning is issued for a particular area, and immediate action is required. A tornado generally moves at 20 to 60 miles per hour forward speed, so warning time is critical. When a Tornado Warning is received for the Phenix City area, the same notification procedures as listed above should be followed, and the local EMA will sound a weather siren. However, under a warning condition, students should take the following actions:

• Move to the designated protective area for the facility you are in;
• Stay clear of windows and exterior doors;
• Leave vehicles and seek shelter in a building;
• Cease outdoor activities and move inside a building.

Students will be notified when a warning is canceled. If a tornado or damaging winds cause damages or injuries, notify the Student Information Clerk (334-291-4900), Campus Police (334-291-4911), or the Phenix City Police Department (dial 911).

Severe Weather at Weekend Athletic Events

Suppose a tornado warning is issued for the Phenix City area during weekend athletic events. In that case, all Head Coaches and the Athletic Clerk will receive notification from the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), and the local EMA will sound a weather siren. Under a warning condition, the following actions should be taken:

• All basketball players, coaches, and spectators should move in an orderly fashion to the locker rooms located in the basement of Key Hall. The Game Announcer will dismiss each side of the gym separately through different entrances to the gym to expedite the exit.
• All CVCC baseball and/or softball players, as well as officiating staff, will move in an orderly fashion to the locker rooms in the basement of Key Hall. Spectators, visiting team players, and coaches will move in an orderly fashion to the safe rooms on the first floor of the IPAC. The Game Announcer will dismiss everyone, announcing the locations each group should travel to.
• Once in the shelter location:
  1. Stay clear of windows and exterior doors;
  2. Leave vehicles and seek shelter in a building;
  3. The Game Day Administrator working at the event at which the warning takes place should notify the Dean of Students and Campus Services and the Chief of Police of the shelter in place.

Student Injury 

If a student is injured on campus, no matter how minor, the following procedures apply:

• If a serious injury or illness occurs on campus, immediately call 911, then dial 334-2914911. Give your name, describe the nature and severity of the medical problem, and give the campus location of the victim. Only certified personnel should provide first aid treatment (i.e., first aid, CPR);
• Perform the following steps:
  1. DO NOT MOVE THE VICTIM. Keep the victim still and comfortable.
  2. Ask the victim, “Are you okay?” and “What is wrong?”
  3. Control serious bleeding by applying direct pressure on the wound;
  4. Continue to assist the victim until help arrives;
  5. Look for an emergency medical I.D., question witness(es), and share all information with the paramedics.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are located throughout the campus at the Campus Safety Kiosk, Wilson Hall, Owen Hall Learning Resource Center, the Key Hall Gymnasium and Phenix City Room, IPAC 1st floor near ladies restroom, IPAC 3rd floor Health Sciences Office, and the baseball field.

Building Evacuation

If it becomes necessary to evacuate a building, vacate the facility as directed by the signage in each building. The emergency evacuation warning will identify a rallying point in the event of a building evacuation.

Lock Down

In the event of a campus lockdown, you will receive a campus emergency notification and/or face-to-face directive from a campus official. In the absence of a verbal directive from a campus official, we ask that you remain where you are and secure the door until an all-clear is delivered via the e-notification system and/or campus official.

All-Clear

In the event the campus officials call for action to lock down, evacuate, or shelter, they will also deliver a message of all-clear. This message can be delivered verbally through face-to-face communication, email, voicemail, e-notification, and/or all of the above.

Active Shooter Response Protocol

RUN and escape, if possible. Getting away from the shooter or shooters is the top priority;

• Leave your belongings behind and get away.
• Help others escape, if possible, but evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow.
• Warn and prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be.
• Call 911 when you are safe, and describe the shooter, location, and weapons.

HIDE, if escape is not possible:

• Get out of the shooter’s view and remain quiet;
• Silence all electronic devices and place them on vibrate;
• Lock and block doors and close blinds.
• Don’t hide in groups- spread out along walls or hide separately to make it more difficult for the shooter.
• Try to communicate with the police silently. Use text messaging services or social media platform(s) to tag your location or put a sign in a window.
• Stay in place until law enforcement gives you the all-clear.
• Your hiding place should be out of the shooter’s view and provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.

FIGHT as an absolute last resort:

• Commit to your actions and act as aggressively as possible against the shooter.
• Recruit others to ambush the shooter with makeshift weapons, such as chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors,  or books.
• Be prepared to cause severe or lethal injury to the shooter.
• Throw items and improvise weapons to distract and disarm the shooter.

AFTER:

• Keep hands visible and empty.
• Know that law enforcement’s first task is to end the incident, and they may be unable to assist the injured immediately.
• Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, and/or handguns and may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation.
• Officers will shout commands and may push individuals to the ground for their safety.
• Follow law enforcement instructions and evacuate in the direction they come from unless otherwise instructed.
• Take care of yourself first. Then, you may be able to help the wounded before first responders arrive.
• If the injured are in immediate danger, help them to safety.
• While you wait for first responders to arrive, provide first aid. Apply direct pressure to wounded areas.

Automobile Accident

In the event a student is involved in or is witness to an automobile accident on campus, he/she should proceed as follows:

1. Assess the accident for needed medical assistance. Call 911.
2. Notify Campus Police, an administrator, instructor, or other CVCC staff who will follow up with emergency services and law enforcement as needed.

Campus Safety and COVID-19

The College follows the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control, the Alabama Department of Public Health, and the Alabama Community College System. Information about COVID-19 and a link to the CDC website may be found here.