Emergency Management Policy

• Table of Contents
• 100.00 Introduction and Purpose

100.00 Introduction and Purpose

Montana State University - Bozeman (MSU) desires to safeguard the welfare of students, faculty, staff and visitors and to protect the University's essential functions of teaching, research and public service during and after emergencies. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that MSU is prepared for and can effectively respond to and recover from an emergency through the appropriate use of university and community resources to mitigate the immediate effects of an emergency on its constituents and the long-term effects of an emergency on its operations and mission.

An emergency is any event, whether expected or unexpected, that places life or significant university assets in danger, or threatens the ability to conduct normal business operations and usually involves abnormal time constraints and resource responses.

110.00 Policy
A University Emergency Management Task Force (EMTF), acting on behalf of the president, shall ensure that the University has in place, in accordance with the resources allocated, an effective emergency management system. The EMTF consists of the following (membership may be revised or supplemented subject to the vote of the committee):

• AVP University Services - Task Force Chair
• Provost
• VP for Administration & Finance
• VP for Student Success
• Dean of Students
• Executive Director - University Communications
• MSU Police Chief
• MSU Legal Counsel
• Chief Information Officer
• Director - Auxiliaries Services/Residence Life
• Director - Safety & Risk Management
• Emergency Management Coordinator

The EMTF will be responsible to review and maintain the Emergency Management Policy; review and advise the development of a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (Plan), to include processes and procedures; recommend adoption of policies and plans to the president and the vice-president for Administration & Finance; and, evaluate performance relative to training exercises.

• MSU Emergency Response Organization Chart
• MSU Emergency Management Administrative Responsibility

120.00 Procedures
The university will assign responsibility for the development of the Emergency Management Plan. It is anticipated that the Plan is a dynamic document that is subject to periodic amendment and revision as recommended.

The Emergency Management Plan shall:

• Integrate the four commonly recognized phases of emergency management - Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery
• Establish Overall administrative responsibilities
• Establish an emergency response organization structure that is capable of responding to all hazards, both physical and non-physical, to which the university may be exposed
• Outline response roles and responsibilities to provide a framework that reflects National Incident Management System principles and processes and allows MSU to coordinate with local, state and federal emergency agencies during emergencies and disasters
• Provide for the future development and maintenance of subordinate unit/facility-based emergency operations plans
• Establish requirements for the development and execution of annual training exercises
• Prescribe the declaration of an emergency and activation of the plan
• Prescribe best practices, contingency plans and standard operating procedures for emergency operations
• Prescribe the role of Building Supervisors, faculty, staff and students relative to emergencies and disasters
• Prescribe procedures for the use, operation and maintenance of the MSU Emergency Notification System
• Include appendices for specific guidelines, emergency resource directories, etc., as needed