Emergency Management

The text below has been provided by the University of Alberta's Office of Emergency Management.

If you are facing a fire or medical emergency right now, contact 911.

If you are dealing with a maintenance emergency, contact 780-492-5555.

If you are dealing with an international emergency, contact your Faculty, U of A International (780-492-3600), or Protective Services (780-492-5050) for guidance.

It is essential to understand that the framework of plans for the University of Alberta begins with municipal emergency plans. They form the basis for all emergency planning in Canadian municipalities, aka 'local authorities'. In Canada, we respond only in the context of local authority emergency response, which may be represented by Fire, Police, Ambulance, Disaster Social Services, or other responders. Though we are larger than most local authorities in terms of population, we are always IN a local authority.

Based on the responsibilities delegated in municipal plans, the University has developed an Integrated Emergency Master Plan (IEMP) to direct emergency response at the highest levels of the University's executive leadership. The IEMP is maintained by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and approved by the Provost's Executive Committee - Operations.

The IEMP is based on the Incident Command System, and delegates specific actions to various University personnel. It is based on the principle that it is easier to over-respond and scale down than it is to under-respond and attempt to scale up.

During an emergency, our institutional priorities are:

• the health, safety and security of students, faculty and staff on or off campus, including ensuring best possible medical care
• determination of injuries and the extent of injuries
• contain and control further damage. Provide support to get at the source of the problem
• well-being of contractors, renters, residents and visitors
• support to the families of seriously injured or dead, exhibiting care, compassion, responsiveness in a proactive manner
• the continuity of essential services on campus and essential support for remote locations including:
  • learning/teaching and related student services
  • patient care services
  • research programs and activities
  • essential administrative services (regulatory compliance, pay, benefits, leave, student financial aid, student records)
  • supply management
  • security and preservation of University facilities, equipment and sensitive areas such as collections, libraries, archives, and information technology
  • prevention of harm to the environment
• the capacity to communicate with internal and external audiences in a timely, accurate and comprehensive manner
• security of the site
• traffic plan
• the maintenance of effective partnerships with key external agencies contributing value to the community, in keeping with the University's vision mission and values and preservation of reputation.

We do not share the IEMP publicly, though we are happy to discuss it at any time.

The IEMP also has several sub-plans that direct specific parts of the response, or the response to specific hazards. They are:

• The Crisis Communications Plan
• The Public Health Response Plan
• The Off-campus Incident Plan
• The Data Loss Incident Plan

These plans are maintained by OEM and subject matter experts. They approved by the leadership in their respective subject matter areas.

The final and most tactical emergency plans are the ones for each University Unit. They are maintained by individual work units and approved by leaders of the individual units. Completing these plans is part of being compliant with policy at the U of A.

Emergency Management Resources

Alberta Health Services (AHS) Resources

Alberta Health Services - Emergency Response Codes Quick Reference Sheet

Alberta Health Services - Severe Weather Emergency Response Procedure

Alberta Health Services - Severe Weather Emergency Response (Practice Document)

Alberta Health Services - Royal Alexandra Hospital's Emergency Lockdown Procedure