Department of Astronomy

Emergency Action Plan for the NMSU Astronomy Building

Document in PDF format

Emergency situations require the cooperation of all building residents. Certain responsibilities are defined to achieve smooth operations. Everyone must be familiar with emergency operations. This plan shall be readily available, posted/kept at the mailbox area and a bulletin board on each floor of the building and reviewed annually by department personnel.

Plan Coordinators

1. Primary Jon Holtzman, 646-8181
2. Secondary Ofelia Ruiz, 646-4438

Building Evacuation -ASTRONOMY Building:

1. Emergency escape route maps are attached, and are posted in the hallways at the following locations: the first floor Bulletin Board nearest to room 121, the second floor bulletin board nearest to Room 201, and the Bulletin Board nearest to Room 210 (Nancy's office). Additionally, a copy of the emergency escape route map will be attached to the wall or door within each office (but not necessarily each common room).

2. In the event of evacuation of the NMSU Astronomy Building, building residents (staff, students, faculty, visitors) will, after departing their office and closing that office/room door behind them, gather at the grassy area located on the northeast side (the Astronomy Building side) of the Biology Annex Building; evacuees SHOULD NOT congregate in the parking lot between the Astronomy and Biology Annex Buildings.

3. The Department Head will attempt to account for all staff, students, faculty, and visitors after the emergency evacuation has been completed. Persons evacuating the building should attempt to be aware of who else is in the building at the time of evacuation and should look to see if those individuals have arrived at the congregation area beside the Biology Annex Building.

4. There are six MANUAL ALARM ACTIVATORS located in the building:
   • On the 2nd floor, these are located in the hallway near the following offices:
     • Near Room 210(near Nancy's Office and stairwell)
     • Near Room 213 (near the elevator foyer)
     • Near Room 204 (at the top of the main stairs, on the wall of the PDS Node office)
   • On the 1st floor, the alarm activators are located in the hallway:
     • Near Room 110 (across from the stairwells and near the southwest exterior building door)
     • Near Room 112 (just inside of the southeast exterior door beside the elevator)
     • Near the building's Main north double-door entryway, on the wall supporting the western of the two stairways located there
   The ceiling-mounted alarms themselves (the noise-making and light-flashing devices which also serve as fire/smoke detectors) are located in every hallway on each floor of the building, at `corners', `ends' and `middles' of the hallways. Alarms are also located in every room/office. These noise-making and light-generating alarms will be activated in the event that the entire building requires evacuation.

5. Fire Extinguishers are available in seven (7) locations in the building:
   • In the Penthouse (Reta Beebe's 3rd floor office) at the top of the stairs
   • On the 2nd floor:
     • Beside the alarm activator located on the wall beside Nancy Chanover's office, Room 210
     • On the wall between the Men's bathroom and the Utility closet, near the elevator
     • On the wall beside the doorway to Room 217, which is across the hallway from Rene and Nicole's offices
   • On the 1st floor:
     • On the wall beside the alarm activator located near Room 110 at the southwest exterior entryway, beside the alarm activator located there.
     • On the wall between the Men's bathroom and the Utility closet, near the elevator .
     • On the wall supporting the eastern of the two stairwells just inside the buildings main double-door entryway.

   If you have been trained to use a fire extinguisher or know how to handle incidental releases and do so safely, take reasonable steps to do so.

6. If you encounter any individual within the building requiring assistance for evacuation, but which is not easily provided because they are compromised due to some type of disabling event, call 911 and then provide whatever assistance is prudent but not endangering to you.

NMSU Emergency Alert System & information distribution

The Department Head and Main Office staff will be responsible for relaying notifications from the NMSU Emergency Alert System to the Plan Coordinator who will be responsible for notification of all other personnel. The emergency information will be distributed to department employees (and other affected persons) in the building y phone and other means of communication (see attached information).

Violence in the Workplace

If individuals become threatening or violent, call 911 immediately. During such an occurrence, building occupants are advised to secure themselves in a room with the door locked. If the opportunity presents itself, call the Main Office (646-4438) to alert the staff there of the situation.

Suspicious Persons

If you notice any individual in or around the Astronomy Building whose presence is causing you concern for your safety or the safety of others, please report this situation to the Department Head, other Emergency Action Plan Coordinators, Main Office Staff, or the NMSU Emergency Response Team (dial 911!)

ASTRONOMY BUILDING EXTERIOR ENTRYWAY DOORS ARE LOCKED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 5PM-7:30AM AND ON WEEKENDS AND UNIVERSITY HOLIDAYS. IF YOU NOTICE ANY OF THREE EXTERIOR DOORS TO BE UNLOCEKD DURING THESE TIME PERIODS, CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT HEAD OR THE NMSU POLICE DEPARTMENT (646-3311) AND REQUEST THAT THE DOOR(S) BE LOCKED.

Please refer to the NMSU EH&S website (http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety) for procedures specific to Bomb Threats, Suspicious People, Building Safety, Laboratory Security, Suspect mail. Also see information setting up a phone tree on the phone voice mail system.