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Emergency Management

Find out how you can be prepared in case of emergency, and what to do in the event of one.

Know How to Send an Alert

The Juneau campus has a system for immediate emergency notifications. You can use this system to leave a very brief message that will be broadcast campus-wide. Example: "A delivery truck crashed in the courtyard outside Mourant and is leaking gas." Before using this system, make sure that you — or someone with you — calls 911 to call for help. Using this system allows you to send an immediate message, campus-wide. Use of this system is appropriate for situations in which there is an immediate danger to people on campus.

Calling in a false alarm on this system is treated the same as pulling a fire alarm in a building. Nobody likes that guy; don't be that guy.

Notify the Incident Management Team

UAS emergency preparedness activities are led by the Incident Management Team (IMT). The IMT is a team comprised of campus leadership and diverse, dedicated employees trained to prepare for and respond to emergencies on or near our Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan campuses. The IMT provides immediate assessment and response to emergencies that affect the safety and security of the UAS campus community. Notifying campus leadership of an emergency is as easy as notifying the IMT by:

  • Notifying faculty
  • Notifying your superior (for faculty and staff)
  • Notifying the UAS Emergency Management Planner by sending an email to uas.emergency@alaska.edu

Can We Reach You?

Sign up for UAS Emergency Management Alerts

In an emergency, UAS has the ability to notify our campus community to provide important information and timely updates. We can send you a message from email, telephone, and text (Facebook and Twitter coming soon) all at once so no matter what device you’re using, you can stay safely informed. Students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled in our system but other members of our campus community such as parents and frequent visitors can enroll as well.

Students, faculty, & staff

You’re automatically enrolled to receive emergency messages. To make sure your contact information is up to date, just make sure to update your contact information regularly by signing into UAOnline.

Friends and neighbors of UAS

You can sign up to receive our emergency messages too! Just go to the University of Alaska Alert website to read about the program and then and to sign up.

I’m getting these messages and I want them to STOP!

We know that some people have limited text and data plans, so we try not to overuse our emergency messaging system for every little thing. Still, sometimes it’s important to send out a timely warning to our campus community when there is an unsafe situation, such as a building fire or a bear on campus. We appreciate the patience of students, faculty, and staff when you get a message that you may find unnecessary. Keep in mind that we are obligated to send timely warnings to our community when we are aware of an unsafe situation.

Ryan Sand, M.S.L.

Ryan Sand, M.S.L.

Director of EHS, Emergency & Risk Management Services

View profile and contact info

Get Prepared

Being prepared in an emergency means you've taken the time beforehand to make decisions about what your plans are, what supplies you may need, and how you'll communicate with the people who matter most to you.

Are you prepared?

Take a look at the resources below to find out.

Having a household disaster plan can make a big difference following a disaster. It can mean the difference between being comfortable and confident or miserable and anxious. The most prepared people are able to make sure their basic needs are met, communicate with their friends and family, and assist their friends and neighbors through a rough situation. Here are some of the basics for making your emergency plan:

  • Make a plan with your loved ones on how you can reunite if you can't reach one another by phone. You can identify a couple places to meet up: one near your home and another farther away in case your area needs to be evacuated.
  • Know your routes; identify more than one safe evacuation route away from your home. Evacuations can be stressful. Knowing a route ahead of time can speed your evacuation.

Do you have a Go Bag? Go Bags are your collections of things that you may need to evacuate on a moment's notice. Think of the things you'd need if you had to leave immediately and not come back for a week. Your Go Bag should be easy to transport - like a backpack or wheeled suitcase - and tailored to your specific needs. What does your neighbor's Go Bag have yours doesn't?"

  • Copies of important documents such as your driver license, passport, insurance documents and prescriptions
  • Extra phone charger
  • Batteries
  • Flashlight
  • Whistle
  • Warm clothing
  • First-aid kit
  • Toiletries
  • Lightweight rain gear
  • Emergency water
  • Nonperishable food like energy bars or granola
  • Do you have a pet? Then you better have pet food, copies of your pet's prescriptions, and a leash (dogs) or a portable kennel (cats)
  • Have a printed picture of you and your pet together, this can help reunite you if you get separated

In the event that you are sheltering in place instead of evacuating, having an Emergency Supply Kit that will get you through 72 hours will make your stay a lot more comfortable. Take a look at the list below and see what you can put together for your household emergency supply kit.

  • Water (one gallon of water, per person, per day)
  • Nonperishable food (ready to eat) and anything that you may need to eat it…like a can opener
  • First-aid kit
  • Flashlight
  • Battery operated radio or crank radio
  • Whistle
  • Water purification tables or bleach for disinfecting water (ONLY if directed to do so by health officials and ONLY after
  • learning how to disinfect water safely)
  • Child care supplies
  • Medications
  • Warm clothing

These are just a few of the items you should consider having in your Go Bag and Emergency Supply Kit. For more ideas check out these links:

What to do in an emergency

First things first; get to a safe location. This could mean moving to a different room, building or outdoor area. It could mean staying where you are. You will need to use your own judgement and the input of people around you to decide on the safest course of action. Make sure to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and always know how to get out of a building.

Call 911 and give the following information:

  • Your name and phone number (in case you get disconnected)
  • Your location
  • What the emergency is
  • Whatever information you can provide about the number of people involved and their injuries (if any)

Important note!

Answer any questions the dispatcher has and stay on the line if asked to, unless staying on the line interferes with your safety. Call 911 even if you don't have all the information above. Don't let not knowing your address stop you from calling 911.

Knowing whether to evacuate or stay where you are is very important to your safety in an emergency. This decision should be made using all the information available to you such as:

  • What is the nature of the emergency?
  • Am I unsafe where I am right now?
  • Is my exit path safe?
  • Is my evacuation destination safe?

You should evacuate if you are in danger where you are. Keep in mind that evacuations can sometimes be very stressful, and the human brain does not always function as expected while it is under stress. To help offset the risk of making bad decisions during times of stress, familiarize yourself with the following tips:

  • Know your evacuation routes ahead of time
  • Remember where to go if you evacuate: where is your emergency assembly point?
  • Remember to use stairs, not elevators in an emergency
  • When you are safe, make sure to notify the people who will be concerned about your safety
  • Do you have a Go Bag?

Sheltering in place is done when evacuation is unsafe or when a dangerous situaticn arises in which you are safer where you are than you would be if you left. Even though you aren't going anywere yet, sheltering in place requires you to continue making decisions about your safety.

  • Send a notification to let people know where you are. Use your cell phone or a campus phone located in most classrooms/offices. Call 911 to let a dispatcher know where you are.
  • Make a decision about whether you need to secure the door to the room you are in.
  • Classrooms have an "Emergency Action Plan" binder on the wall. Inside this binder are colored signs for you to put in the window to notify responders that you are in that room. Place appropriate color in the window. Do you have a household Emergency Supply Kit?