Emergency Action Guides
Man behind clear screen pointing to various emergency preparedness-related icons

Emergency Phone Numbers

To report any emergency, call or text 911.
University Police: (814) 863-1111 (University Park)
Police Non-Emergency: (814) 865-1864

When calling, be prepared to:

  • Provide the address of the emergency and your location.

  • Provide a thorough description of the incident to ensure that proper resources are dispatched.

  • Do not hang up until you are told to do so.

If you witness a crime or become the victim of a crime, call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 to report the incident to University Police. Crimes may also be reported online and anonymously.

Behavioral Threat Management Team (BTMT): 814-863-2868
Environmental Health and Safety: (814) 865-6391
Information Technology Help Desk: 814-865-4357
Office of the Physical Plant: (814) 865-4731
Penn State Employee Assistance Program (EAP): 1-866-749-1735
University Counseling Center: 814-863-0395
University Health Services: (814) 865-6556
University Police Emergency Management: (814) 863-1344
University Health Services: 814-865-6556

Emergency Preparedness

PSUAlert

PSUAlert is the University-wide emergency messaging system used to notify our campus communities of emergency situations.

All Penn State students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to add contact information to PSUAlert, the University's emergency alerts system. By default, students, faculty and staff will receive alerts at their Penn State email address. To add personal contact information to PSUAlert, including cellphone and land line information, visit the PSUAlert website.

Build an Emergency Kit

  • Water—one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

  • Food—at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

  • Battery-powered radio and extra batteries

  • Flashlight and extra batteries

  • First aid kit

  • Whistle to signal for help

  • Medications and items for unique needs

  • Moist towelettes

Make A Plan

  • Know exit routes and assembly areas (near and far)

  • Identify safe locations to shelter

  • Consider a variety of ways to keep in contact with family, friends, roommates, and co-workers

Personal Safety Tips

  • Always keep the door to your room locked,

  • Do not let people into a locked building or office unless you work with them or they have been properly identified. If the person becomes difficult, call University Police by texting or calling 911 or calling (814) 863-1111.

  • In the event that a suspicious person is seen roaming around or if you receive suspicious calls, contact University Police.

  • Don’t investigate a suspicious person or noise outside by yourself.

  • Keep a list of emergency numbers with you.

  • Never walk alone at night if possible. Choose the best lit, most traveled paths when walking. Walk in an alert confident manner and actively pay attention to your surroundings. Familiarize yourself with University Police's Safe Walk service.

  • Take a self-defense course or request a personal safety program for your work unit or student group through the department's Community Oriented Policing Unit.

Assisting Persons with Functional Disabilities

Blind or Visually Impaired:

  • Clearly announce the emergency.

  • Offer your arm for guidance.

  • Lead the person and alert them to obstacles.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing:

  • Turn lights on and off to gain the person’s attention.

  • Indicate directions with gestures or a written note.

Mobility-Impaired:

  • Guide the person to the nearest exit stairwell or designated safe area.

  • Never use elevators.

  • Call or text 911 to report your location.

Emergency Action Guides

University Police and Public Safety's Emergency Management Unit has developed the following guidance for community members should they be faced with an emergency situation. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this guidance.

Active Attacker/Workplace Violence

Based upon the Run, Hide, Fight model developed by the City of Houston, Penn State’s Active Attacker Response Program offers the same three action steps if confronted with an active assailant, making it easy to remember and act in an emergency: RUN if you can, HIDE if you can’t, and FIGHT if you have to. (Please note that the Run, Hide, and Fight action steps may not always occur in this order, so memorizing them all as possible options regardless of order is a key to quick response.) See University Policy PS08. 

University Police urges all students, faculty, and staff familiarize themselves the Run, Hide, Fight protocol. with Training on Run, Hide, Fight is required for all students and encouraged for all faculty and staff and is accessible here: Penn State Run, Hide, Fight Active Attacker Program. Complementary in-person training is provided by the department's Community Oriented Policing Unit free of charge for student groups and work units by request.

Bomb Threat

If you receive a bomb threat, stay calm and obtain as much information as possible from the caller and report the threat immediately to 911 or (814) 863-1111.

Be sure to note:

  • Precise time of the call
  • Caller’s exact words
  • Noticeable characteristics of the caller (gender, age, calm/angry, excited/slow, etc.)
  • Information regarding the device and possible location
  • Background sounds (machine, voices, street noises, music, etc.)
  • Threat language (well spoken, taped, irrational, foul, incoherent, etc.)

If possible, ask the caller the following questions:

  • Where is the bomb located?
  • When will the bomb explode?
  • What does the bomb look like?
  • What kind of bomb is it?
  • What will cause the bomb to explode?

Earthquake

The following are helpful action items that should be practiced daily to help prepare for an earthquake:

  • Identify what equipment you should shut down if time permits.

  • Identify the safe areas in your space: under sturdy tables, desks or against inside walls)

  • Identify danger areas within your space: near windows, hanging objects, tall unsecured furniture (bookcases, cabinets and appliances), and chemical sites.  

  • Store breakables and heavy objects on lower shelves whenever possible. Most casualties in earthquakes result from falling materials.

  • Store flammable and hazardous chemicals in proper and secured cabinets.

  • Ensure that latches on cabinets, closets, process tanks, and storage tanks are secured.

The following are safety tips for surviving an earthquake:

  • Stay indoors if already there. If you’re in a high-rise building, do not use elevators.

  • Drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy object, and hold on until shaking stops. If a sturdy object is not available, move to an inside corner of the room, crouch down, and cover your face and head with your arms.

  • Stay away from glass, outside walls, or anything that could fall.

  • If you’re outdoors, stay in the open, away from buildings, trees and power lines. Do not go near anything where there is a danger of falling debris.

After an earthquake, follow these guidelines:

  • Check for injuries and follow first-aid procedures. In the event of a fire or personal injury, use the nearest telephone to call for help.

  • Be prepared for aftershocks. Earthquakes sometimes occur in a series of tremors, which could last for a period of several days. Aftershocks are common after earthquakes and may last for a few seconds to perhaps as long as 5 minutes or more.

  • Do not re-enter damaged buildings. 

  • Be alert for water leaks, broken electrical wiring, downed electrical lines or ruptured sewer lines. Whenever possible, turn the utility off at the source.

  • If you do enter a building, use atmospheric testing equipment to check for leaking chemical or gas lines. If problems are detected, leave the building immediately and notify your supervisor, an emergency responder (fire or police) or incident command. If phones are working, call or text 911.

  • Practice proper shutdown procedures.

Elevator Entrapment

  • Press the Emergency Phone button to connect to Police. If unable to connect, call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111.

  • Push the Alarm button.

  • Remain in the elevator.

  • Wait for the Elevator Technician and/or Designated Public Safety Official(s).

Evacuation & Sheltering in Place

In advance of an emergency, determine the nearest exits to your location and the best route to get there.  Refer to building emergency evacuation plans and corresponding maps for further information.

In the case of an evacuation:

  • Walk, do not run.

  • Do not use elevators (assist persons with special needs).

  • Assemble at a designated meeting site.

  • Wait for instructions from the Designated Public Safety Official(s).

If there is fire or smoke and you cannot evacuate:

  • If it is safe to do so, go to the nearest stairwell and tell someone who is evacuating to notify emergency personnel of your location and that you are unable to evacuate the building.

  • Call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 and provide your name, location, state that you are unable to evacuate, and the reason why.

Sheltering in Place:

Procedures vary depending on the hazard.  Keep in mind that in some cases, authorities may direct you to shelter in place instead of evacuate a building (e.g. smoke or fire is immediately outside your room, live electrical wires obstruct access to the exit, individuals with mobility disabilities are above or below ground floors, or if the hazard causes the elevators to become inoperative.

Fire and Fire Extinguisher Use

  • Never assume an alarm is false.

  • Pull the fire alarm.

  • If you are trained, you may use a fire extinguisher but only if the fire is small and contained and room is not filled with smoke. Note: While portable fire extinguishers are provided, it is NOT the responsibility of building occupants to perform fire suppression activities. Only trained individuals should attempt to use an extinguisher. Those that choose to use an extinguisher do so at their own risk.

  • Leave the building immediately using the closest emergency exit.

  • Close doors behind you, but DO NOT LOCK them.

  • Do not use elevators.

  • If unable to exit the building, go to the nearest exit stairwell or assisted evacuation staging area and call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 to report your location.

  • Move to a safe location away from buildings or to your building's Designated Meeting Site.

  • Call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 when it is safe to do so.

  • Re-enter the building only when instructed to do so by Designated Public Safety Official(s).

Flooding & Water Line Breaks

Water may enter a building from any of the following sources:

  • Breaks or leaks in a water line

  • Rainwater/Flooding

  • Sewer leaks/Backs up

  • Condensation from uninsulated piping

Call the Office of the Physical Plan (OPP) at (814) 865-4731 to report any of the above situations.

Gas Leak

If you smell natural Gas:

  • Leave the building and go to an area where the gas is not present.

  • Call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 and provide necessary information.

  • Provide as much detail as possible.

For more information related to gas leaks please contact Environmental Health and Safety at (814) 865-6391.

Hazardous Materials

Explosions

  • Call or text 911 from a safe location.

  • If necessary or if directed, activate the fire alarm.

  • Exit the building via the nearest exit following Emergency Evacuation Plan Procedures and inform others to do the same.

Hazardous Materials Spill

  • Isolate the spill area and close doors to the room where the spill occurred if it is safe to do so.

  • Evacuate all personnel from the immediate work and/or laboratory area; if the release or spill has the potential to impact a larger area, activate the building's fire alarm and follow evacuation procedures.

  • Secure the area and call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 from a safe location. Be specific about the nature of the spill material, if known, and the exact location.

  • If there is anyone who may have been contaminated by the spill, they should avoid any contact with others and remain in the immediate area so required first aid and decontamination can be done upon the arrival of emergency personnel. Use safety showers immediately if appropriate.

  • Do not attempt to clean the spill unless properly trained in managing chemical spills.

  • Report the incident to Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) by calling (814) 865-6391.

For more information about this subject please contact the Environment Health and Safety (EHS) at (814) 865-6391.

Medical Emergency

  • Call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111 immediately.

  • Provide the dispatcher with the incident location, the nature of the injury or illness, the current condition of the victim, and any other requested information.

  • Remain on the phone until directed to hang up.

  • Stay with the victim.

  • Do not move the victim unless he/she is in immediate danger.

If it appears an individual may cause harm to themselves or to others, call or text 911 or all (814) 863-1111 immediately.

Available campus resources for faculty, staff, and students include the following:

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 1-866-749-1735
  • Centre County CAN HELP 1-800-643-5432

Severe Weather

Thunderstorms are the most common type of severe weather in Pennsylvania. However, winter storms, extreme hot/cold temperatures, flooding, and tornadoes can occur. For up-to-date weather advisories and information, visit weather.gov/ctp/.

Shelter-in-place for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes:

  • Seek shelter indoors in a low part of the building. Move to a pre-designed shelter, such as a basement or the lowest level of a building.

  • Move to a windowless interior room away from hazardous materials.

  • Monitor campus advisories and local media.

  • Take cover under a sturdy object or against an interior wall. Stay away from the windows. Get under a sturdy piece of furniture. Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, or large hallways.

  • Wait for the All Clear before leaving your safe place.

Suicide Prevention

If it appears an individual may cause harm to themselves or to others, call or text 911 immediately.

Available Campus Resources for faculty, staff and students include the following:

Faculty/Staff Assistance Program Crisis Phone: The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential, consultative employee and family resource as a first line of defense for personal or work-related concerns for yourself or your family.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 1-866-749-1735

  • Available to all benefits-eligible employees, their dependents and household members

  • No charge to employee or family

  • Voluntary

  • CONFIDENTIAL

  • 24-hour assistance available, seven days a week

Crisis Services for Penn State Students: If you are afraid you will not be able to avoid hurting yourself or others, call for help immediately.

  • Call or text 911 or call University Police at (814) 863-1111.

  • Call the Centre County CAN HELP Line (1-800-643-5432) This is a 24-hour crisis hotline. Counselors who staff the hotline help individuals manage crisis situations and a mobile team is available when needed. 

Suspicious Packages

Mail and package can be used to deliver suspicious and potentially hazardous materials. Before opening, take care to examine the item for anything unusual. Examples of issues that might raise concern:

  • Oily or stained materials

  • Excessive tape or string

  • Stange odor

  • Misspelled words or names

  • Lopsided or uneven package

  • Excess postage

  • No return address

If a package is unusual or as stated above:

  • Handle the package with care.

  • Do not open, smell, touch, or taste any contents of the package.

  • Leave the area, isolate it by shutting doors behind you as you leave.

  • Do not use your cell phone within 300 feet of the package.

  • Treat the package as dangerous and call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111.

Visit the United States Postal Service website for more information.

Suspicious Persons

  • Call or text 911 or call (814) 863-1111.
  • Do not confront the person(s) or let the person(s) into a locked building or office.
  • Do not block the person's access to an exit.

Behavioral Concerns:

To report or share concerning behavior that is not an emergency, please contact the Behavioral Threat Management Team at (814) 863-BTMT(2868). You may also fill out an online report with the option to remain anonymous.

Utility Failure/Power Outage

Utility failures include power outages, gas leaks/unusual odors, flooding/plumbing problems, broken or malfunctioning life safety-equipment, or elevator entrapment.

  • Call or text 911 or call (914) 863-1111 to report issues.

  • Be prepared to provide information on the location and situation.

  • Note that University officials may evacuate a building due to utility failures.

To report a localized power outage, contact the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP) at (814) 865-4731.

Preparing for a power outage:

  • Keep a flashlight with spare batteries immediately accessible.

  • Identify the closest exit.

In the event of a large-scale power outage:

  • Remain calm.

  • Unplug computers and turn off light switches.

  • Do not light candles or any other types of flames for lighting.

  • If a building evacuation becomes necessary, follow guidance provided by emergency personnel.

For more information about this subject please contact the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP) at (814) 865-4731.

Stay with the person if it can be done without unreasonable personal risk.

  •  

For Emergencies, Call 911