Purdue Agriculture InFocus

Spring 2024 Safety Issue


With the 2024 Spring semester on its way, this special safety issue of Purdue Agriculture InFocus is being published to help all Purdue Agriculture faculty, staff and students be aware, informed and prepared for emergency situations on campus. Please take a few minutes to read these items and click on the links for more information.

Visit the Campus Safety Status page for timely information, including weather advisory updates.

The complete College of Agriculture Emergency Preparedness Plan is available to read on the Faculty & Staff Resources page of the Purdue Agriculture website.

A copy of Purdue University's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report 2023 is available online and contains a quick reference guide of campus and national resources, including phone numbers and websites. 

We publish the special safety issue of Purdue Agriculture InFocus each semester to help ensure that all our faculty, staff and students are informed. Thanks for your efforts to be informed and prepared, and your commitment to remaining vigilant and observant. Have a safe semester!

 Sign up for Emergency Text Alerts
Cell phone Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to sign up to receive emergency text alerts via the quick links section of the Campus Emergency Preparedness website. Take time to review other useful information on the Emergency Preparedness site regarding emergency preparedness on campus.

See Something? Say Something.
Call 911 Campus safety is important and is everyone's responsibility. If you see something that concerns you, please call the Purdue Police at 765-494-8221. 

For those in Extension offices across the state, contact your local police if you see or hear something that concerns you.

If it is an emergency, always call 911.

'Prepared at Purdue' Training Offered February 23

The Purdue University Police and Fire departments are offering free, in-person “Prepared at Purdue” training Feb. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The training consists of sessions for verbally de-escalating tense situations, responding to potential active threat and shooter events, and rendering aid to control the bleeding of injured persons. The training will be held at Winifred Parker Residence Hall, Conference Room 159.

The training may be attended in whole, or attendees may register for just one or two of the training sessions. To register, contact Lt. Sarah Clark at sclark32@purdue.edu and indicate which session(s) you wish to attend. Purdue affiliation is not required to register, but priority will be given to Purdue faculty, staff, students and alumni.

 Read Your Building Emergency Plan
Building Plan Faculty, staff and students should read and follow the emergency preparedness guidelines in their Building Emergency Plan (BEP). The BEPs are posted on the Emergency Preparedness website and/or are available from the building deputy.

 Know about Sirens and Alarms
Fire Alarm Know what to do when you hear a siren or an alarm. When an alarm sounds inside (e.g., fire alarm), go outside. When an alarm sounds outside, go into the closest facility/building immediately and seek shelter in a safe location (Shelter-In-Place).

It is important to know that different emergencies require different actions within a building during a Shelter-In-Place alarm. You can obtain information regarding the type of emergency by Purdue text alert, on the Purdue Emergency page, from the X (formerly Twitter) account (@purdueemergency), Purdue email alert, television, etc.

Some points to remember:

Tornado: Go to the lowest floor of the building, away from windows and doors.

Release of hazardous materials: Go to higher floors of the building with few or no windows or vents. Close all windows and doors. Do not use elevators.

Active Shooter in the Building: Escape the building if this can be done safely. If escape is not possible, seek a secure place in which to hide, preferably behind a locked door. Note that this location may not necessarily be your office. Try not to restrict your options for movement. If a class is underway when news is received of a shooter nearby and escape is not possible, faculty should lock or barricade classroom doors. Situational awareness is important when considering what action to take. The Get Ready, Get Set, Go poster linked to the Emergency Preparedness website emphasizes that faculty, staff and students should adjust their actions based on the situation.

Think about where you generally spend your time on campus and develop individual emergency plans for these locations so you know where to go in the event of an emergency.

While we cannot force students to shelter in place, we should strongly encourage them to do so.

Because people are to go inside buildings during a Shelter-In-Place emergency, outside doors of buildings should NOT be locked.

 Know the Policies and Plans
Call 911 Purdue policy requires immediate evacuation when a fire alarm sounds inside a building. Follow your Building Emergency Plan (BEP). The university requires that each department/unit have an evacuation plan that identifies their Emergency Assembly Area (EAA). In the event of a building evacuation, individual faculty and staff are accounted for in their EAA.

For questions regarding campus emergency preparedness, visit the Emergency Preparedness and Planning Office website.