Boating Emergency Procedures
In
the event of and emergency or accident involving the use of a campus boat(s) by
students, Faculty and staff, the campus will enact the following procedures:
ü
Emergency
personnel should be notified immediately.
ü
For ON CAMPUS EMERGENCIES, DIAL 911.
ü
Off Campus Emergencies, Dial 9-911.
ü
Provide
Dispatcher with:
§
Location of emergency,
§
Type of injury, if known,
§ Brief description of injured person (gender, age, etc.),
§ Render First Aid, if trained,
§
Make injured as comfortable as possible
ü
The
accident scene will be secured by responding emergency personnel
ü
If the
accident requires immediate response by TAMUG personnel, the Administration
will be notified and the appropriate action taken
ü
Boating
Responsibility
o
It is the responsibility of all
individuals using, or planning to use, small boats to familiarize themselves
with small boat operations methods and safe boating practices
o No small boat operations should be
conducted at night unless running lights and a white light have been installed
and approved by the responsible department.
o Within the TAMUG Small Boat basin
one can not use a vessel until successfully completing the Small Boat Orientation
and Check Procedure
o
Any boat accessed by a student,
Faculty or staff member should be signed out by the department responsible for
the boat using a Vessel Request Form.
Boats will be issued according to availability
o
An accurate crew and passenger list
of all occupants on the boat(s) and emergency contact numbers should be
provided to the responsible department prior to leaving the dock.
o
A standard Waiver of Liability Form/Emergency Info form must
also be completed prior to departure.
o
If occupants are not a member of
TAMUG, a liability release must be signed and on file with the department
responsible for the boat
o
The use of
o
A weather report should be obtained well before the
planned boating activity
ü
Communications
o
Coast Guard and Local Law Enforcement
§
The campus response to a boating emergency
will be coordinated by the Incident Command Team with the U.S. Coast Guard and
local law enforcement officials
o
Parent Notification of On-Campus Students
§ Parents of students on campus will be
notified immediately following a report from Campus Police that the emergency
has been addressed and all parties involved are accounted for
§
Students with cell phones will be asked to refrain
from contacting family members until the full nature of the emergency has been
assessed and the security of the campus ensured.
§
Notification will be conducted by the Office of
Student Affairs
o
Initial Notification Of Family Members
§
Family members of students involved in the emergency
will be notified by the Office of Student Affairs as soon as information is
available.
·
A list of students and personnel on board will be
obtained from the responsible department or Small Boat Operations by Campus
Police.
§
In the event of a death or
hospitalization, notification will be made to the family/families affected, by
the Vice President and CEO or designee
§
Family members will be kept informed by the Incident
Command Team as much as possible
§
If the family/families of the individuals involved in
the
§
Emergency reside
out of town, notification is appropriate by law enforcement agency with
jurisdiction. Simultaneous telephone contact by the Incident Command Team
should coincide with the notification
§ Information concerning the emergency will
be posted on the TAMUG website and local media sources as information becomes
available:
·
Radio/Television Station Contacts:
o
KHOU -TV Channel 11
o
KTRK -TV
Channel 13
o
KTRH – Radio 740 AM
o
Immediate Support Services
§ The second floor of Classroom Laboratory Building 3007 will be used for a private
area for families to gather following initial notification and upon arrival to
campus. Access to the second floor will
be maintained by Campus Police.
ü
Crisis Counseling for Students, Faculty and Staff
o In the event of an emergency, UTMB’s Employee Assistance Personnel will
be asked to respond to campus
o
A support group should be established for the
families for food and household preparation, screening of telephone calls,
childcare, etc.
o The Office of Student Affairs will provide counseling
to students.
ü
Media Management
o
A media center will be established in Sea Aggie Center
601, PE 107 to
accommodate the electronic and data outlet needs of the responding media
§
If the accident occurs at the
§
Campus Police will secure the area
§ No-campus and non-emergency personnel will not be
permitted in the area of the emergency.
o Only members of the Incident Command Team will be
allowed to talk to the media. The Vice
President and CEO or designee will serve as the chief spokesperson for the
campus.
o
If employees are
called by outsiders or members of the media, they should refrain from comment
and refer the individual to
o Employees should
be weary of video cameras and their coverage of the incident at the scene.
o
Family members affected should be discouraged from
agreeing to provide media with an interview, but, if not, questions should be
prescreened. A member of the Incident
Command Team should be present during interviews with family members to insure
that ground rules are followed and inappropriate questions are not addressed.