Emergency Procedures

Updated February 7, 2025

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) offers resources to help the campus community prepare for various types of emergencies that may arise.

Additional information about responding to emergencies and conducting evacuation drills is available on the Building Evacuation and Fire Drills page.

Emergency procedures

University units/departments can refer to the information below when responding to emergencies and add these procedures to their Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan (if desired).

These procedures can also be useful tools to include in an evacuation warden's clipboard (provided during Evacuation Warden Training).

The procedures have been developed primarily for the Seattle campus, but can be modified for other UW locations.

Report any threatening phone calls or mailed threats immediately to police.

The University provides the following instructions to help UW personnel, students and visitors prepare for responding to an emergency on the Seattle campus. University units and departments can modify these instructions for their specific location(s) and add them to their Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans.

Get as much information as possible.
- Attempt to learn the location where the bomb is now or is going to be planted.
- Try to listen for information about the caller.
- Listen for gender, accent, and any other details.
- Note any background noise that may indicate the location of the caller.
- Write down the time of the call, phone number where it came in, and who took the call.
- Make note of the phone number used to call you if your phone has caller identification.
Report the threat to police.
- Call 9-1-1 and report the threat and details to police.
- Follow instruction provided by police.
- Report the call to your supervisor.

Demonstrations and protests are common at universities. Most are a peaceful attempts to raise awareness of a particular issue. Occasionally demonstrations begin peacefully and then turn violent resulting in property damage and personal injury.

Below are some guidelines on how to respond and react to demonstrations.

Interacting with Demonstrators

Do not provoke, obstruct, or get into verbal altercations with the demonstrators.
Move away from potentially dangerous areas if a demonstration is becoming violent.

Maintaining Security

When you leave your office or lab always close and lock doors.
Do not allow others to follow you into secured areas.
If necessary, have the building coordinator/facility manager secure your building or area:
- Lock exterior doors.
- Reprogram your campus automated access management system (CAAMS).
For scheduled demonstrations on the Seattle campus, contact University Police Department (206-685-8973) if you feel you will need additional security.

When to Call 9-1-1:

If there is a disruption to teaching, research, or work
If demonstrators obstruct sidewalks or doorways
If you feel threatened or passers-by are being harassed
If you see suspicious, criminal or destructive activity
If violence appears imminent or has erupted

The danger and risks of earthquakes can be reduced if people know what actions to take before, during and after an earthquake.

If YOU ARE Inside a Building

Drop, cover and hold:
- Under a desk, table, or chair
- In a corner or along the wall in a hallway away from windows
- Near structurally strong locations such as a hall by a pillar

Do not use the elevators.
Watch for falling objects such as light fixtures, bookcases, cabinets, shelves, and other furniture that might slide or topple.
Stay away from windows.
Do not run outside. Exits may be damaged and the building's exterior brick, tile, and decorations may be falling off. Be cautious; maintain awareness of your surroundings.

If YOU ARE Outside a Building

Stay outside. Stay clear of electrical wires, poles, trees, or anything that might fall.

After a Major Earthquake (magnitude 7.0 and above)

Check for injuries to people in your area. Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger. Provide first aid (if you are qualified).
Call 9-1-1. Emergency services may not be able to respond for up to 72 hours.
Avoid areas of hazardous material spills, gas leaks, fires, and fallen objects.
Turn off ignition and heat sources if it is safe to do so.
Exit the building if structurally damaged, taking emergency/first-aid kit and personal belongings. Go to your evacuation assembly point. Report building damages and potentially hazardous conditions using the Post-Earthquake Checklist.
Do not re-enter a damaged building until it has been declared safe by the University’s Seismic building inspections (ATC)-20 teams or other trained professionals.
Expect aftershocks (i.e., smaller earthquakes that follow a larger one).

After a Minor Earthquake (Below 7.0 magnitude)

Restore calm to those around you, if possible.
Examine your area for damage. Staff members may use the Post-Earthquake Checklist to make an initial assessment as to whether the building should remain occupied.
If obvious structural damage is identified, evacuate the building and report observations to UW Police Department by calling 9-1-1.
Do not re-enter buildings with structural damage until the building has been declared safe by the University’s seismic building inspection (ATC-20) team or other trained professionals.
Laboratories: Review the UW Laboratory Safety Manual or your Lab Continuity Plan for specific earthquake procedures.

Refer to the UW Emergency Management Earthquake page for additional information.

Elevators are one of the safest forms of transportation; however, it is important to be prepared to help ensure passenger safety in the event an elevator stops working.

If There is a Fire or Power Outage

Never use an elevator if a fire alarm has been activated.
Most elevators will automatically go to a designated floor.
Elevators are likely to be out of service in the event of a power failure.
Emergency lighting will come on inside an elevator if there is a power failure.

If YOU ARE Trapped in an Elevator

Do not panic. There is plenty of air in the elevator.
Don’t pry open closed doors to attempt to climb out.
Push the “bell” or “alarm” button to alert people outside that there is a problem.
Use the emergency call panel inside the elevator to call for help.
- Use your cellphone to call UW Facilities at 206-685-0200 if the emergency call panel is not working. If your signal is weak, text a friend and ask them to call UW Facilities.
Call 9-1-1 in case of fire or medical emergency only.

If YOU ARE HELPING Others Trapped in an Elevator

Listen for a bell or alarm sound, or voices in the elevator. If you can communicate with the trapped individual(s), find out their condition.
Call 206-685 0200 to reach UW Facilities 24 hours a day.
Reassure the people who are trapped that help is on the way.
Call 9-1-1 in case of fire or medical emergency only.

If an Elevator has Stopped Working AND no passengers are inside

Notify the building coordinator or call UW Facilities at 206-685-0200.
- Provide the location and details of the issue.
- Let them know if the elevator outage is preventing individuals with limited mobility from exiting the building.
Call 9-1-1 in case of fire or medical emergency only.

All fire alarm activations should be taken seriously. Building occupants must evacuate when the alarm sounds. Never assume it’s a false alarm.

Fire or explosion

If something is on fire, use the nearest pull station to activate the fire alarm
Call 9-1-1. Communicate the details you know.
Use a fire extinguisher for small fires only.
Before you fight a fire, make sure that you:
- Have called 9-1-1 or pulled the fire alarm
- Have been trained to use an extinguisher
- Have an evacuation route planned
If trapped by smoke or fire, stay low and try to cover your mouth with a wet cloth.
Find a room where you can seal the cracks under the door and call 9-1-1.
If near a window, open it but do not break it. Wave or hang something outside to alert fire personnel.
If your clothes catch fire; STOP, DROP and ROLL to smother the flames.

In a building with a fire alarm

If you hear the fire alarm, evacuate the building or area. Close all doors as you go.
Do not use elevators. Evacuate by using the nearest stairwell.
Go to your evacuation assembly point. Refer to the evacuation map posted on each floor of the building if you do not know the location of your evacuation assembly point.
Report to the evacuation warden, evacuation director, or the fire department.
Do not re-enter the building until authorized by emergency personnel.

If a fire occurs in a building without a fire alarm

Call out “FIRE – GET OUT” loudly, using your voice to inform other occupants.
Call 9-1-1 and report the building name, address and specifics of the emergency.
Follow the general procedures listed above.

A hazardous material spill is an uncontrolled release of a substance that is potentially hazardous to humans, animals and/or the environment. University personnel and students working with hazardous materials, including chemicals, biological agents and radiological materials, should be prepared to respond in the event a spill or release occurs.

Emergency spills or releases

If you cause or witness a hazardous material spill that endangers people or may lead to a fire, follow these emergency procedures:

Activate the fire alarm system. Pull the nearest fire alarm to evacuate the building.
Call 9-1-1 as soon as you are safe. Report any details you know about the spill:
- Location
- Material and physical state (e.g., liquid, powder)
- Quantity spilled
- Any known hazardous characteristics
Provide information such as the safety data sheet (SDS) or a chemical inventory to the fire department once they arrive. The fire department will stabilize the spill but might not clean it up.

Follow the instructions on the Spill Response Poster for biological, chemical and radiological releases (on page 2).

Follow the instructions on the Exposure Response Poster if an exposure to hazardous materials has occurred (on page 3).

After the incident, schedule an exposure assessment through the UW Employee Health Center (206-685-1026) or your personal healthcare physician.
Submit an incident report to the University’s Online Accident Reporting System (OARS).
Contact the Environmental Health & Safety Spill Line at 206-543-0467 for assistance with contacting a spill cleanup contractor who will clean up and safely package the hazardous waste.

Non-emergency spills

If the spill is contained and not endangering persons or property, it may be possible to clean it up yourself.

Call the EH&S spill line at 206-543-0467 for advice during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); after business hours, call the UW Police Department non-emergency phone number 206-685-UWPD.

Visit the Spills webpage for more information.

Heart attack, choking, bleeding, poisoning, and burns, as well as other serious medical conditions, can happen anywhere. Prompt action and clear communication is vital when providing help.

If a sudden medical emergency occurs:

Assess the person. Look on wrist, ankle, or around neck for a medic alert bracelet or necklace.
Call 9-1-1, or have someone else do it.
- If you are alone, yell loudly for help.
- If you are unable to summon help, call 9-1-1 first before assisting the person.
- When calling 9-1-1 from a landline inside a Seattle campus building, the call will be routed directly to the UW Police Department. If you are using a cellphone to call 9-1-1, tell the operator you are at the University of Washington.

Give the operator as much information as possible, including:

Type of emergency
What help is needed
Exact address or building name
Room number or area
Your telephone number
Any information from medic alert bracelet or necklace
Victim information such as age and symptoms
Don’t hang up until you are told to do so by the 9-1-1 operator.

Do not move the victim unless absolutely necessary. In many cases, moving the victim may cause additional trauma.
Administer first aid or CPR if you are qualified and current with your training.
Follow universal precautions. Treat all blood and body fluids as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, or other bloodborne pathogens.
Look for an emergency contact phone number. The contact number may be on the person’s cellphone.

Report the incident. Submit a report using the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS).

Natural gas is a safe and clean source of energy used throughout campus, but like any gas, there is potential for it be released unintentionally. Your response to a natural gas leak will be to evacuate.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is flammable; a gas leak can lead to fire and explosion. Natural gas smells a little like rotten eggs; you can smell it even at very low concentrations. All natural gas odors should be treated seriously.

Call 9-1-1 when you smell natural gas indoors or outdoors.

If you smell natural gas indoors

Turn off all sources of ignition (open flames, electrical equipment).
Laboratories: Check gas outlets for open valves and local gas tubing for leaks.
On the Seattle campus, call UW Facilities at 206-685-1411 (answered 24/7) to investigate building systems and equipment for leaks.

When indoor natural gas odor is strong, widespread, and/or quickly worsening

Evacuate the area. Turn off all sources of ignition (open flames, electrical equipment) as you exit.
Close local and emergency valves if present. Close all gas outlets and the emergency gas valve for your floor, laboratory, or area (if one exists).
Activate the fire alarm. If the building is equipped with a fire alarm system, activate the alarm at a pull station.
Stay out. Do not return to an evacuated building unless told to do so by the on-scene authority (fire department, police department or other authorized personnel).

Other strong odors

Investigate whether the source is isolated in your area. If not, check the hallway and adjacent areas to determine if the odor is widespread.

Take action if the source is obvious and something can be done without putting anyone at risk. For example, eliminate or control the odor by moving a laboratory benchtop procedure to a fume hood.

Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 206-543-7262 or airquality@uw.edu if you experience symptoms or illness.
Construction site odors (e.g., diesel fumes, dust, asphalt): Contact UW Facilities at 206-543-5200.
Tobacco smoke: Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 206-616-1623 or phdept@uw.edu.

Visit the Indoor Air Quality page for more information.

Flooding

In non-emergency situations, notify the building coordinator, facility manager, or call UW Facilities (on the Seattle campus).
If you can safely find the flooding source, shut off the flow of water.
Standing water, if near a source of electricity, can pose an electrocution hazard.
- Stop using electrical equipment immediately.
- Turn the equipment off, but only if you can do it safely.
- Evacuate and call 9-1-1.
If chemical or biological hazards are involved or suspected, contact EH&S at 206-543-7262.
If asbestos-containing material (or any regulated material) is damaged, contact UW Facilities (on the Seattle campus).

Water service interruption

Notify your building coordinator, facility manager, or UW Facilities (on the Seattle campus).
Food establishments: Stop food service operations if proper sanitary facilities and hand washing stations are unavailable. Sanitary hot water must be available to process food.

When the power goes out

Visit the UW Alert Blog, tune to KOMO 1000 AM, or call UW 206-547-INFO to get information about the situation. If conditions seem dangerous, evacuate the area and assist others to evacuate as needed. Do not re-enter a building until authorities have determined it safe to do so.

Emergency lighting

Many buildings are equipped with emergency lighting systems that provide minimal light for exiting, not routine work. Evacuate buildings while these systems are still operating.
Emergency pathway lighting is only designed to last about 90 minutes.
Some buildings on the Seattle campus may have emergency lighting for up to eight hours but many have no emergency power at all.

General procedures for academic buildings

Assess the extent of the outage in your area.
Remain calm; provide assistance to others if necessary. Help co-workers in darkened work areas move to safe and lighted locations.
Exits may be indicated by lighted signs if the emergency power is operating.
Report the outage to your facility manager. On the UW Seattle campus, call 206-685-1411.
Open blinds for additional light.
Open windows for improved ventilation, if needed.
If possible, shut off power to machinery and equipment that could restart while unattended.
Don’t use candles, lanterns, charcoal, grills, or anything that uses fuel inside a building.
Don’t bring emergency generators indoors or near building doors or windows.
If you are trapped in an elevator on the Seattle campus, use the emergency call panel inside the elevator to call for help. Use your cellphone to call UW Facilities at 206-685-0200 if the emergency call panel is not working.
Evacuate if the power is anticipated to be out for an extended period of time and work conditions are not safe or exit pathways are not lighted.

Procedures for laboratories, shops, and locations with potentially hazardous materials or conditions

Shut down equipment and preserve important work.
Promptly evacuate areas with hazardous materials and equipment.
Close sashes on fume hoods and biological safety cabinets.
If possible, cap any open containers of hazardous materials.
Secure any hazardous materials in transport.
Keep refrigerators and freezers closed throughout the outage. If necessary, implement backup procedures such as obtaining dry ice for refrigerators.
When power is restored, assess your area for potentially hazardous situations, such as devices left “on.” Also do this if power is restored when the facility would normally not be occupied.
Review the UW Laboratory Safety Manual, Section 9, for additional information.

Procedures for on-campus residential buildings

Follow the procedures above and following instructions from UW Housing & Food Services (HFS).

Responses to types of power outages

The classification of unplanned power outages depends on several factors (expected duration of outage, time of day, time of year, etc.). In general, unplanned power outages can be broken down in terms of severity and probable emergency actions, as follows:

Minor impacts to individual rooms or small buildings, for periods usually not exceeding 1 day
- Emergency actions typically include the temporary relocation of directly affected personnel (as necessary) until repairs can be made by facilities management.
Impacts to a small number of buildings for periods exceeding 1 day, or where the outage impairs life safety or heating system needs
- Assuming the needs of displaced or impacted personnel can be met on campus, emergency actions typically include the temporary relocation of students in affected buildings to other on-campus facilities, and employees being given alternative work assignments or sent home until repairs can be made by facilities management.
Multi-day or multi-building impacts, where the outage impairs life safety or heating system needs
- Assuming the needs of displaced or impacted personnel cannot be met on campus, emergency actions typically include the temporary relocation of students in affected buildings to other off-campus facilities, and employees being given alternative work assignments or sent home until repairs can be made by facilities management or the utility supply vendor.

Report any suspicious packages immediately to police.

Look for these signs:

No return address.
Sealed with tape, especially if excessive amount.
Marked “Personal” or “Confidential.”
Incorrect or misspelled address.
Oily stains, discolorations, or crystals on the wrapper.
Strange odors.
Odd weight or size.

If you receive a suspicious package:

Don’t touch or move it.
Isolate the package.
Call 9-1-1 to ask for advice.
Evacuate the area.
Follow instructions provided by police.

Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan

Organizational units are required to develop a written Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan (FSEP) for each campus building they occupy. EH&S provides fire safety resources to our campus partners, including a template to be used as a starting point to develop your Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan.

Visit the Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan page for more information.

Additional resources

EH&S maintains a map to assist the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) in coordinating their response with the UW Police and support personnel. The UW Emergency Responders Map shows fire lanes, designated response points, hydrants, and fire department connections. Fire lanes are required per Seattle Fire Code Section 503 and may not be closed or obstructed without coordinating with the Fire Department. Some fire lanes may not be obvious because they also serve as major pedestrian paths.

Faculty, instructional staff and other academic personnel refer to the Faculty Preparedness in the Classroom webpage for information on preparing and responding to emergencies in the classroom.

In the event of a widespread disaster, larger groups may be directed by the UW Police Department or UW Crisis Communications Team to go to a campus Mass Assembly Area. These areas are equipped with emergency phones that can broadcast updates about the emergency situation. Refer to the UW Alert Blog for additional information.

If you have an emergency on the UW Seattle campus, you can get help using an emergency phone or other alert system that will connect you with the UW Police Department (UWPD).

In the event of a regional disaster, families and individuals should plan to be self-sufficient for at least three to seven days. You should have an emergency kit at home with food, water and medical supplies for all members of your household, including pets.

Employees are also encouraged to keep a smaller emergency kit on campus. Many departments have purchased the red “PreparePack” bags from PrepareSmart. This company offers a 10 percent discount to UW departments using the code UWSTAFF. Staff should customize their kits with any required medications and check regularly to make sure the supplies have not expired.

In rare cases, UW personnel may be allowed to delay evacuation in order stabilize a patient undergoing a medical procedure. These exemptions require additional training and administrative controls and must be approved in advance.

Exemptions must be requested in advance and must be re-evaluated every three years, or when staff and/or circumstances change. More information is available on the Evacuation Exemption Focus Sheet.

Complete the Building Evacuation Exemption Request Form to request an exemption,

Persons with disabilities are encouraged to work with the evacuation directors for those buildings they typically occupy to develop an evacuation plan best suited for their needs.

Visit the Evacuation Topics for Individuals with Disabilities page to review evacuation options.
Document evacuation plans using the Evacuation Plan for Individuals with Disabilities form or by other means.
Share plans with the evacuation director(s). These plans will become part of the building's overall Fire Safety & Evacuation Plan.

Contact EH&S Building and Fire Safety team with questions.

Report incidents

UW personnel are required to submit an incident report to Environmental Health & Safety for any work-related event that results in an injury, illness, exposure to hazardous materials, property damage, or fire, regardless of the work location. UW personnel are highly encouraged to submit work-related near-miss events.

Visit the Incident Reporting page for more information.