Responsible Executive |
Vice Chancellor-Administration |
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Responsible Office |
Office of Emergency Management |
Contact |
Policy Statement
This policy establishes the authorities to support the campus organizational structure for responding to and recovering from emergencies that overwhelm or threaten to overwhelm campus resources. Emergencies may include earthquakes, fires, civil disorders, utility disruptions, or any significantly disruptive event that threatens public safety and property.
Scope of Policy
This policy is applicable to the entire campus.
Why We Have This Policy
The University of California, Berkeley has an obligation to safeguard the welfare of students, faculty, staff, and visitors and to protect the University’s mission of teaching, research, and public service during and after emergencies. The campus has a responsibility to respond to emergencies in a prompt and proactive way to minimize impacts on life safety, property, and the environment, as well as the impacts and consequences on the stability and reputation of the University of California system. All campus resources may be made available for response and recovery during an emergency including campus employees and physical assets.
Responding to a campus or regional emergency involves the coordination of multiple campus units. Units designated with an emergency response function include, but are not limited to: Office of Emergency Management (OEM); University of California Police Department (UCPD); Facilities Services; Information Services and Technology; Environment, Health & Safety; Residential Student Services Programs; Public Affairs; Office of Laboratory Animal Care; University Health Services; and Human Resources.
Procedures
Declaration of an Emergency
- The Chancellor or designee has the authority to proclaim a campus State of Emergency.
- The campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or Office of Emergency Management (if the EOC is not activated) is responsible for notifying the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), the City of Berkeley, and Alameda County Emergency Services of the campus state of emergency proclamation.
- The Vice Chancellor-Administration & Finance (VCAF) or designee has the authority to approve activation of the campus EOC. For large-scale incidents that severely affect communications, the activation of the EOC will be assumed and will not require formal approval.
Response Operations during an Emergency
Detailed procedures for campus emergency response can be found in the Campus Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and Crisis Management Plan. This policy describes the authorities of key campus response entities.
- The Crisis Management Team (CMT) provides overall policy guidance for response and recovery activities. The CMT has the authority to temporarily override existing campus policies, procedures, resource assignments, and schedule commitments in support of response and recovery efforts. The CMT will consult with and receive approval from UCOP when making decisions that affect systemwide policies.
- The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is the central location for coordinating and managing emergency response operations. The EOC has the authority to coordinate response operations with the City of Berkeley, Alameda County, California Office of Emergency Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and others as needed. The campus EOC is activated based on procedures outlined in the EOP.
- The EOC Director has the authority to direct EOC operations and determine response priorities and objectives. When the EOC is activated, the EOC Director is responsible for the overall management of all emergency response activities, including the development and implementation of operational response decisions.
- The Incident Commander has overall responsibility for on-scene operations and reports to the EOC Director via the EOC Operations Section Chief. An Incident Command Post (ICP), staffed by Police Department personnel and other agency personnel as needed will provide a standardized process for the incident command of emergency field operations. If appropriate, a Unified Command will be established with outside agencies and organizations.
- Campus Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) are led by units that have a key operational role in campus emergency response. ESFs have the authority to coordinate and manage response actions within their area of responsibility as defined in the campus EOP. When the EOC is activated, the ESFs take general direction from the EOC.
- During a campus or regional emergency, UC Berkeley Employees may be assigned work within an organizational structure and reporting line that does not resemble the routine organizational structure of the campus.
Recovery Operations after an Emergency
- The CMT is responsible for assigning a Recovery Coordinating Unit and/or Recovery Manager following a major campus or regional emergency.
- High Impact Campus Units (as defined in the UC Ready Continuity Planning Tool) are responsible for maintaining and/or restoring department essential functions in support of campuswide essential functions.
Public Information
Detailed procedures for crisis communications can be found in the UC Berkeley Crisis Communications Plan, written and maintained by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. This policy describes the authorities related to public messaging.
- The Public Information Officer (PIO) has the authority to speak for the campus and to inform the campus community, general public, and media of campus emergency response operations and required actions. The PIO, in coordination with the Public Affairs ESF, is responsible for disseminating timely and accurate information to the public.
Campus Closure/Shutdown
In the event of a large-scale emergency or serious risk to the health, safety, and security of the campus community, the Chancellor or designee, in consultation with the Crisis Management Team, has the authority to close the campus and suspend some or all campus activities.
- Once a decision is made to close the campus, notification will be made via WarnMe/Nixle, CalMessages, KALX 90.7, UC Berkeley homepage, social media, campus emergency hotline, and broader external media resources.
- During a campus closure, certain critical functions may receive priority status for continuation (e.g., maintenance of utilities, care and feeding of lab animals, etc.).
- The VCAF or designee will notify the unions and coordinate with campus leadership and UCOP on the response to union concerns.
Responsibilities
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost |
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Vice Chancellor-Administration & Finance: |
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Emergency Management Advisory Committee: |
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Office of Emergency Management: |
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UCPD: |
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Emergency Support Function Coordinating Units (ESFs; see Appendix A for a list): |
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High Impact Campus Units: |
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Building Coordinators: |
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All Employees: |
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Glossary
- Building Coordinator (BC): Individual responsible for leading preparedness, readiness, and response activities for buildings including developing and implementing a Building Emergency Plan; leading planning efforts with building occupants; and serving as an emergency communications liaison between building occupants and campus units in both emergencies and day‐to‐day operations.
- Building Emergency Plan (BEP): A written document required by Cal OSHA regulations related to emergency procedures and designed to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies.
- Continuity Plan: A written document that describes how an entity will recover or restore partially or completely interrupted essential functions within a predetermined time after a disruption.
- Crisis Management Team (CMT): Group providing executive-level oversight and decision- making during a crisis or emergency; co-chaired by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and Vice Chancellor-Administration & Finance.
- Emergency: A natural or human-caused event that requires rapid response to protect life, property, the environment, and the ability to fulfill the University’s mission.
- Emergency Management: An established system of planning and preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating consequences of emergencies and disasters.
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The central location for coordinating and managing emergency response operations on campus.
- Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): An all-hazards document that specifies actions to be taken in the event of an emergency or disaster; defines a flexible response framework that is in effect at all times.
- Emergency Support Function (ESF): A grouping of campus units with similar capabilities organized to manage the impacts of an emergency or disaster within a specific functional area.
- High Impact Campus Unit: A campus unit responsible for maintaining and/or restoring essential departmental functions in support of essential campuswide functions, as defined in the UC Ready continuity planning tool.
- Incident Command Post (ICP): The field location where tactical on-scene operations are planned and managed.
- UC Ready: Continuity planning software used to facilitate departmental continuity planning.
- Unified Command: An authority structure in which the role of Incident Commander is shared by two or more individuals, each already having authority in a different responding agency.
Appendix A: Emergency Support Function List
ESF # | ESF Name | Roles and Responsibilities | Coordinating Units |
1 | Transportation |
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Parking and Transportation (P&T) |
2 | Communications |
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Information Services and Technology (IST) |
3 | Infrastructure and Utilities |
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Real Estate (RE) |
4 | Fire-Fighting | Provided externally by Berkeley Fire Department, Oakland Fire, and other responding agencies | N/A |
5 | Emergency Management |
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Office of Emergency Management (OEM) |
6 | Mass Care and Sheltering |
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Residential and Student Service Programs (RSSP) |
7 | Resource Management |
Note: Resource Management is coordinated through the EOC Logistics and Finance/Administration Sections |
Procurement Services |
8 | Public Health and Medical |
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University Health Services (UHS) |
9 | Urban Search and Rescue | Provided externally by Berkeley Fire Department and other responding agencies. | N/A |
10 | Hazardous Materials |
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Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) |
11 | Animal Welfare |
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Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC) |
12 | Energy | Represented by ESF 3: Infrastructure and Utilities | N/A |
13 | Public Safety |
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University of California Police Department (UCPD) |
14 | Recovery |
Note: A Recovery Coordinating Unit will be assigned by the Crisis Management Team based on the nature of the emergency |
To be assigned by the CMT |
15 | Public Affairs |
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Public Affairs (PA) |