The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, caused many businesses, organizations and schools across the country, including Carnegie Mellon, to review, revise and update their procedures and protocols in an emergency situation.

President Jared L. Cohon rolled out an overview of the university's comprehensive plan late last month via campus mail to all students, faculty and staff. The collaborative plan involves many areas and departments, including Environmental Health and Safety, University Advancement, Security, Computing Services and Telecommunications, Dining Services, Facilities Management Services, Housing Services, Medical Services and Student Affairs.

"The new plan represents an all-hazards approach that encompasses the multitude of possible crises—from natural disasters to acts of terrorism—that might face an organization," Cohon said in a campus memo. "The plan describes how the university will respond to emergencies that would suddenly and significantly affect our community."

Carnegie Mellon's Emergency Response Plan includes procedures to respond to, mitigate and recover from emergencies. It identifies a chain of command in an emergency situation and a communication protocol to ensure that accurate and up-to-date information is provided to members of the community on a timely basis.

The plan calls for news and announcements to be distributed via posted fliers, the official.cmu-news and cmu.misc.news bboards, the front door of Carnegie Mellon's Web site (www.cmu.edu), WRCT-Radio (88.3 FM) and Channel 99, the university's cable television network. Email and phone trees will also be used. The plan has also defined roles and responsibilities for certain individuals in an emergency. Those needing to act in an emergency situation have been briefed. Campus evacuation instructions and sites were also included with the emergency plan overview as were guidelines for preparing family emergency plans.

"I urge you to review and become familiar with the evacuation procedures and to use the guidelines to prepare your family in the event of an emergency," Cohon said.

For more details about the emergency response plan, visit the Web at www.cmu.edu/home/emergency/. Questions or concerns should be directed to Cheri Hays, director of the President's Office (chays@andrew.cmu.edu), Madelyn Miller, director of Environmental Health and Safety (mmiller@andrew.cmu.edu), or Creig Doyle, chief of University Police (cwd01@andrew.cmu.edu).

Campus Evacuation Instructions Should it become necessary to evacuate the campus, an announcement will be made by President Cohon and communicated through your organization's Communication Coordinator. Please follow these steps: Remain calm and evacuate immediately taking only necessary items with you. If you have access to a vehicle, use it to leave campus immediately. If you do not have a vehicle, or if you have no off-campus location to evacuate to, proceed to the designated evacuation center. Evacuation Centers: Rodef Shalom Temple (to be used unless affected by the emergency) Heinz Field PAT East Liberty Garage Mt. Lebanon School District If Rodef Shalom is available proceed to the temple. Access vans will be available on Margaret Morrison Street for disabled individuals. If the temple is not available proceed to either of the following bus pickup locations. Margaret Morrison Street at Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall Schenley Drive at Flagstaff Hill (across from Phipps Conservatory) PAT buses will transport you to one of the designated evacuation centers. Access vans will be available for disabled individuals.

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