Disasters happen without warning and staying safe requires a quick, effective response. At LCC, our Emergency Management Department helps make sure the college is ready. But each individual person must also understand how to respond. Personal preparedness is a critical part of your job as a student.

You should know how to handle each of these five possible emergencies, whether you are attending classes on campus or online:

1. Medical emergency: Call 911. Tell the dispatcher who you are, who needs help, what happened and where you are.
2. Evacuation: If the evacuation is for a single campus building, stop what you are doing and leave the building quickly. Move to a safe distance, and do not re-enter until you receive an “all clear” message. If the evacuation is campus wide, calmly and quickly exit the campus by car, bus, foot or any means available. Please be patient when leaving the parking lots or ramp. In an evacuation, take your possessions that are easily accessible. If you are directed to evacuate your home or apartment for any reason, follow the directions of local emergency authorities. Similarly, if your home fire alarm sounds, leave your house immediately.
3. Tornado shelter: On campus, go to your current building’s shelter area, as posted on building maps. Do not return to your space until you receive an “all clear” message. At home, go to the basement or another interior area away from windows.
4. Utility emergency: Utility emergencies come in several varieties. For a power outage, please wait for a notification before leaving a building or campus. If you see or feel steam heat, or if you smell gas, call the Police Department at 517-483-1800. At home, leave your house and then call 911.
5. Active violence: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT. Get away, if at all possible, to put distance between you and the threat. If exiting is not possible, create barriers to slow down the threat, turn off the lights, silence your cell phone and hide quietly. If you are confronted, be prepared to defend yourself. Be aggressive and committed to your actions.

Please remember: If you are on campus and receive a notification about any of the above emergencies, you must follow LCC emergency protocols and the directions given to you via LCC Emergency Alert. It does not matter if you are taking a test or are in class. Follow emergency directions and tell others to do the same.
 
In an emergency, the LCC Police Department and our local first responder partners will be on site as soon as possible; however, in the critical first moments of an emergency, you are responsible for your safety. Understanding the five types of emergency actions explained above is the first step to keeping yourself safe.
  
Please review LCC’s Emergency Response Guide to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact LCC Emergency Manager Carol Wolfinger at wolfinc1@star.lcc.edu.