Texas A&M University at Galveston
Pandemic Response Plan

In the event TAMUG experiences a wave of pandemic influenza to the point where essential campus operations can no longer be sustained, the campus will default to the Campus Emergency Preparedness Plan for severe weather (hurricane) which states “Campus occupants may be ordered to evacuate the campus in the event conditions…are deemed by the campus leadership to be a clear and present danger to the students, faculty and staff of TAMUG.”

The order to evacuate the campus will be given by the Office of the Vice President and CEO at which time the following procedures will be implemented.

General Evacuation Procedures and Guidelines (Campus):

Evacuation of the campus will be conducted in a calm and coordinated manner which will be overseen by the Incident Command Coordinator or the administrator in charge.

Announcements will be communicated through department heads to their personnel and students, E2 campus, campus AggNews, voice mail and the campus close circuit television channel.

All employees are essential in the Campus Evacuation process and will be required to remain at their duty stations until allowed to vacate the campus by their supervisor.

General Evacuation procedures and guidelines:

•     Incident Command team members shall insure that all students, faculty and staff have evacuated the campus

•     Employees and students shall report to the Incident Command Center any special requests for utilities to remain on during the evacuation. 

•     Building Proctors shall report through the chain of command to the Incident Command Center after buildings have been cleared of all personnel

•     Campus Police shall inspect all accessible areas to insure that all personnel have evacuated.  All personnel that have not left the buildings will be escorted out by the Police Officers

•     Police Officers shall report to the Police Chief following an inspection of each building.  The Police Chief will then notify Incident Command Center

•     The Mechanical Maintenance Crew in the Physical Plant staff shall turn off all non-essential utilities within each building after evacuations are complete. 

•     Before departing campus, all students and employees must complete go online to the Evacuation and Emergency Information website and submit emergency contact data

•     Employees should notify family members that the campus is being evacuated before departing

•     Employees with vehicles are asked to share a ride with those who do not have vehicles

            Student Evacuation Procedures:

•     Students may be asked to evacuate the campus at which time the order to evacuate will be disseminated by the Student Affairs Office

•     Before departing campus, all students must go on the Evacuation and Emergency Information website and submit emergency contact data.  No student will be permitted to leave campus without having completed and turned in this form

•     Off-Campus students are encouraged to go on-line and complete the Evacuation and Emergency Information form as well.

•     Students should notify family members that the campus is being evacuated before departing

•     Students with vehicles are asked to share a ride with those who have no vehicles.  If a student can ride with fellow students, please notify Student Affairs of the destination of all vehicle occupants.

•     If a student cannot arrange for transportation, TAMUG will provide transportation to the main campus in College Station or other selected evacuation destination

•     Students needing transportation should notify Student Affairs immediately so that arrangements can be made

•     Food and shelter will be provided in College Station for the duration of the evacuation period

•     Transportation will be by campus van or vehicle and will be driven by a campus employee

Relocation to TAMU in College Station

The severity and projected duration of the outbreak will determine if TAMUG students, faculty, and available staff will relocate to TAMU for remaining semester.  The Office of the Vice President and CEO in conjunction with the Office of the Provost will make this determination.  If the decision is made to relocate to main campus, TAMUG and TAMU faculty, staff, and services will work in tandem to educate students, provide housing and food, and maintain faculty research as long as necessary.  Behind the scenes operations, such as student record management and billing for services, appear seamless to Galveston students.

TAMUG Campus Emergency Short-Term and Long Term Recovery and Business Continuity Plan

If the severity of the outbreak requires the closing of the TAMUG campus for an extended period of time, the TAMUG Campus Emergency Short-Term and Long Term Recovery and Business Continuity Plan will be implemented.

www.tamug.edu/emergency/Continuity.htm

Shelter-In-Place at TAMUG

If a quarantine of the campus is ordered by local, state or federal officials thus preventing the evacuation of campus, the safest method to protect campus occupants will be to shelter inside a campus building and await further instructions.

The order to shelter in place will be given by the Office of the Vice President and CEO at which time the following procedures will be implemented. 

Employees and Students: 

•   Move indoors or remain there – avoid windows and areas with glass

•   Keep telephone lines free for emergency responders; do not call 911 for information

•   Turn off all ventilation systems and close all inlets from the outside

•   Select a room(s) which is easy to seal and, if possible, has a water supply and access to restrooms

•     Campus Police will secure the area

The Incident Command Team will coordinate all on-campus associated with the shelter-in-place as a result of the quarantine.  Off-campus coordination of emergency services will be facilitated by the Campus Police and Safety Officer in conjunction with the Counseling Services and the Incident Command Team.

Media Relations Protocols

In the event of and emergency or accident involving the TAMUG students, faculty and/or staff the campus will immediately enact the Campus Emergency Communication Response Plan.

www.tamug.edu/emergency/CampusEmergencyCommunicationsRepsonsePlan.htm

Shelter-In-Place Response by Department

Counseling Services (Counseling & Career Planning & Placement)

•     The Department of Student Service’s primary responsibility during a flu outbreak will be to insure delivery of health services though the contracted provider, UTMB, and to provide psychological and counseling services to students and staff via a disaster mental health delivery mode.

•     Counseling services will serve as a primary communication link between students and their families in conjunction with the efforts of the Incident Command Team. Priority during a pandemic will be to continue the delivery of essential behavioral health services while providing for the emergency behavioral health needs of the population. Individuals psychologically impacted include those involved in treating the physical casualties.

•     Disaster responders, including medical personnel, are a high risk group for developing trauma-related disorders. Attention will be directed to mitigating stress-related psychological effects of disaster response on these individuals. Campus counselors will also address the sensitivity to personal concerns and obligations when individuals may be separated from their families and loved ones for extended periods of time.

•     Essential personnel include all professional counseling staff, and available counselors in training. Additionally, dependent upon the length of time that individuals remain on campus, medical staff, will be needed to provide services and medications to the TAMUG campus community to include providing psychotropic medications to those students, staff and faculty who have been taking medications to be able to function in the school or the workplace environment. Without those medications, the number of individuals placing an otherwise preventable demand on the infrastructure would increase. 

•     In a flu pandemic crisis situation, limited communications could take place from home, however, there would have to be adequate support infrastructure on campus, i.e. police, residence life staff, other counselors etc.  All available counseling staff would have a presence on campus during such a crisis.  Communication with counseling service staff and supporting departments/agencies will most likely occur over land-line and cellular phone. 

•     Contract staff from UTMB or other health/mental health service provider will be contacted for assistance.  If extended time on campus without access to medications occurs, a triage area will need to be established for those individuals experiencing health and mental health complications.

•  Departments and entities critical to student services operations include UTMB (health and behavioral health services), Residence Life, Dining Services, Campus Police, American Red Cross, FEMA, Galveston County Health District, Family Service Center, Salvation Army, local churches and charities.

•     In the event the director of counseling services is unavailable the director of career planning and placement and/or the assistant director of counseling will serve as the primary point of contact.  Counseling services personnel could cross train other personnel to a degree in the event of an emergency shortage, but on a very limited basis.

Student Life/Residential Services

•     During a shelter-in-place, all extracurricular activities will be suspended to prevent further spread of the influenza virus.

•     Students will be required to remain in their rooms within their respective residence halls.  Travel between resident halls and the Student Life Center will be restricted to an as needed basis. 

•     During a shelter-in-place the central HVAC system will be turned off which can result in uncomfortable conditions in the residents hall.    

•     Severely sick students and employees will be centrally located in Mariner Hall which has a dedicated HVAC system per room.  Care for sick personnel will be determined by the local health authority and the Incident Command Team. 

•     Due to limited personnel in the department, there are no other people on campus who are familiar with the Housing software other than the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Auxiliary Services.

•     Bedding and sheets will be provided to each facility by Residential Services on an as needed basis.  Additional bedding supplies may be removed from the T/S Clipper as needed.

Dining Services Department

•     The department of dining services will adequately secure and store food supplies and individually packaged beverages (especially bottled water) and insure the nutritional needs of the campus community are met under bare minimum staffing conditions. 

•     All food service employees will directly or indirectly interact with others people either in person or by handling food preparation.

 

•     Meals will be provided per quarantined facility in the dining hall if possible.  If occupants are unable to leave due to illness, box meals will be delivered to the facility by food service personnel or designated staff members. 

•     In the event the Director of Dining Services is unavailable the business coordinator along with service managers will form a line of succession.   If the business coordinator is unavailable, service manages will operate under the supervision of the assistant vice president of student affairs and auxiliary services.

•     The restocking of food and water supplies will be subject to the availability and the accessibility of supplying vendors.  In the event vendors cannot re-supply the campus, rations will be apportioned on as needed starting with the sickest.

Admissions and Records

•     If a shelter-in-place is mandated, all classes will be suspended immediately. 

Campus Police

•     The Campus Police will secure the campus with all available personnel.  The order to recall officers not on duty at the time of the quarantine is issued will be at the discretion of the Chief of Police.

•     In addition to providing security to the campus, the Campus Police will assist the Food Services in providing food, water and bedding supplies to the facilities on campus.

•     Campus Police will also serve as a liaison between city and county emergency personnel accessing the campus.

Campus Safety Officer

•     The Campus Safety Officer will assist Counseling Services in coordinating external responses with the County Health Department.

•     The Safety Officer will oversee the collection, transportation and disposal of all contaminated and hazardous materials and waste generated as a result of the quarantine.

•     Should a death occur while the campus is under quarantine, the Safety Officer and Campus Police will coordinate the removal of the subject with the County.

Sea Camp

•     If the campus is quarantined during Sea Camp, campers will be required to remain in their rooms within their respective residence halls.  Travel between resident halls and the Student Life Center will be restricted to an as needed basis. 

•     During a shelter-in-place the central HVAC system will be turned off which can result in uncomfortable conditions in the residents hall.   

•     Severely sick campers and counselors will be centrally located in Mariner Hall which has a dedicated HVAC system per room.  Care for the sick will be determined by the local health authority and the Incident Command Team. 

•     Parents arriving to pick up campers will be allowed to take the camper(s) home in accordance with Sea Camp dismissal procedures.  Campers will not be allowed to leave unless proper authorization is provided by a parent or legal guardian.

•     Camp counselors and Sea Camp staff will be required to remain on campus until the quarantine is lifted.

All other Campus Departments

•     Employees who remain in their respective offices will be provided food, water and bedding by the Campus Police and Food Services.  All personnel available to assist in these services will be asked to do so as determined by the Campus Safety Officer.