Pre-planning includes developing an evacuation plan and discussing the specifics of such a plan, as needed, with members of the college community, including, but not limited to, supervisors, co-workers, faculty, peers, residence hall staff, and other residents.

Pre-Emergency Preparation: Students and Employees with Disabilities

The safety of individuals with disabilities will depend on their own judgment and knowledge of general safety precautions. When planning in advance for any potential emergency on campus, the college suggests that individuals with disabilities keep the following considerations in mind:

  • Be familiar with the layout, location of accessible exit routes, and exit stairwells, in every building in which you have class, live, work, or frequent on campus.
  • Be familiar with the emergency alarm system in each building (e.g., horn, strobe lights).
  • Inform appropriate campus officials about specific evacuation needs (e.g., use of a wheelchair or respirator, breathing or stamina difficulties).
  • Meet with Residential and Student Life staff, the Office of Disability Resources, Environmental Health and Safety, or the ADA Compliance Coordinator prior to the start of each academic semester to discuss the emergency evacuation procedures, as well as exchange contact information.
  • Incorporate any supportive devices or assistive personnel in your emergency evacuation pre-planning exercises.

Note: The guidelines listed above are offered as general suggestions and should not be construed as an official plan of action.

Self-Identification with the College

Self-identification is voluntary. The purpose of self-identifying is to provide information to assist the college with alerting, evacuating, or otherwise assisting individuals with disabilities in the event of an emergency. At the beginning of each academic semester, all students, faculty, and staff who desire assistance with evacuating in the event of an emergency or drill should self-identify with the College.

All employees, including faculty and staff, who choose to self-identify with the college should direct their self-identification information to:

Affirmative Action and ADA Compliance

Email: affirmative.action@purchase.edu
Phone: 914.251.5992 or 914.251.5982

Human Resources

Email: human.resources@purchase.edu
Phone: 914.251.6090

All students who choose to self-identify with the college should direct their self-identification information to:

The Office of Disability Resources

Email: odr@purchase.edu
Phone: 914.251.6035

It is the responsibility of individuals who believe they may need assistance during an emergency to self-identify with the above-listed departments. It is also the sole responsibility of any individual requiring assistance to update his or her self-identification information at the beginning of each academic semester. Individuals should also update this information whenever circumstances warrant an update (e.g., changes in condition that will require a change in assistance).

Personal Emergency Plans

In addition to identifying with the college, the college strongly encourages individuals with disabilities to develop and maintain their own personal emergency plan. A personal emergency plan is a plan developed by and for the individual that aligns with the colleges’ emergency evacuation procedure to facilitate a safe evacuation of that individual, in the event of an emergency.

When developing a personal emergency plan, individuals should keep the following considerations in mind:

  • Become familiar with the safest area located on each floor within the building in which a person with disabilities can await assistance from emergency response personnel (e.g., police, fire, medical).
  • Designate a means to inform emergency response personnel of your location.
  • List any necessary items for use, support or assistance during an evacuation (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers, respirators or other breathing apparatuses, medications).

Note: A floor meeting will be conducted during the early part of each semester that will include a discussion of disability concerns and emergency procedures including those for individuals with disabilities. In addition, residence hall staff training will include a discussion of the location of individuals with disabilities in each building, as well as procedures for assisting students.

Before an Emergency Occurs

All Purchase College employees and students are automatically registered with Rave, the college’s electronic emergency notification system. This system enables college officials to reach members of the college community by rapidly transmitting short notifications by email, text message, or voice message.

To update your contact information, access the Purchase College Alert & Emergency Contact Information page.  If you need assistance with updating your emergency contact information, please contact the Campus Technology help desk at 914.251.6465.

During an Emergency

In the event of the initiation of an alarm, follow exit signs to evacuate the building. Do not use elevators to evacuate the building unless otherwise instructed by campus officials or emergency response personnel. Once outside of the building, proceed to the designated safe assembly area. The assembly area will be at least 50 feet away from the building entrance or exit.

All persons should wait at the designated safe assembly area until the University Police Department announces an “all clear” to return inside of the building.

In the event of a Fire or Smoke Condition

If you discover a fire or a smoke condition, pull the fire alarm to alert everyone inside of the building. Pull boxes are typically located at stairway doors and building exits. Please also report the incident to the University Police Department by dialing 914.251.6911 or 911.

Remember the acronym PASS.  It stands for:  Pull the pin, Aim at the base of fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side until the fire extinguisher is empty. Do not turn your back on the fire, carefully back away after the extinguisher is empty.

Once emergency response personnel arrive on the scene, individuals may report any first-hand information they have. Individuals should report missing, hurt, or incapacitated persons and their possible locations to emergency personnel once outside of the building.

If an individual is unable to evacuate, they should proceed to the nearest stairwell. If an individual is unable to get to the stairwell, the individual should shelter-in-place as a last resort. Individuals requiring assistance with evacuation must contact the University Police Department at 914.251.6911 or 911 to notify them of their location, in addition to asking others who are evacuating to alert emergency response personnel.

It is strongly recommended that persons who may be unable to evacuate without assistance acquire additional alerting devices to draw attention to themselves during an emergency. Cell phones, alerting devices, or loud whistles are effective tools for contacting emergency personnel or drawing attention.