About UsCERT Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UACERT?
The University of Arizona Campus Emergency Response Team (UACERT) is an organization composed of various campus officials that focuses primarily on the management of situations involving critical incidents on campus.
What is the function of the UACERT?
UACERT supports the Incident Commander by providing university resources and support to the incident. UACERT does not make policy decisions for the university but rather gathers information and provides that information to the Executive Policy Group, which makes the long-range policy decisions for the university.
What kind of situations would require that the UACERT be activated? How are students/employees/parents/public notified when the UACERT is activated?
UACERT is activated whenever there is a critical incident on campus that could potentially affect the safety, health or well-being of people on campus. In the event of an incident that requires that UACERT be activated, the UA home page would be updated with information about the incident.
Who runs the UACERT?
Dr. Melissa Vito, Vice President for Student Affairs, is the chair of UACERT. In her absence there is a designated succession.
Who runs the university if the President is out of town or unavailable during an incident?
The university has an orderly succession plan, which goes 10 deep into the UA administration. The Executive Vice President and Provost is followed by the Senior Vice President for Business Affairs, etc.
What are the positions listed in the UACERT organizational chart?
UACERT is organized in line with the Incident Command System (ICS) as directed in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This same framework is used across the country to manage incidents.
The Incident Commander is responsible for the overall management of the incident.
The Safety Officer ensures the safety of the operations.
The Public Information Officer is the spokesperson for the incident.
The Liaison Officer is responsible for integrating individuals into the ICS.
The Operations Section is responsible for the tactical operations of the incident, meaning this section “gets it done.”
The Planning Section members develop the Incident Action Plan for extended situations, acting as long-range planners and preparing contingency plans.
The Logistics Section is responsible for ordering and gathering resources to support the incident.
The Administration Section is responsible for ordering and gathering resources to support the incident. This section also is responsible for the financial aspects and administrative responsibilities.
Where does the UACERT convene?
When activated, the UACERT normally will respond to the UA Emergency Operations Center, which is located in an off-campus university building. There are other designated locations on campus where the UACERT can work if that location is inaccessible.
If there is an emergency on campus, how will updates be sent out?
Updated information will be posted on the UA home page and sent out via UAlert, the university’s emergency alert service.
Where should parents go for information about their students?
The UA home page will be updated frequently with information about the incident. Parents also are encouraged to have their students sign them up for UAlert, the university’s emergency alert service, which sends updates via cell phone text messages. All UA employees and students can sign up for the messages and can sign up one additional number. Other resources during an emergency are the Dean of Students Office (520-621-7057) and the Parents and Family Association (520-621-0884).
Does the UACERT make the decision to cancel classes or close the university?
No. The decision to cancel classes or close the university is made by the president of the university or, in his absence, the acting president. Such decisions would be made based on recommendations from the Executive Policy Group, a subgroup of the UACERT.
In the case of a pandemic, how will off-campus students and employees get information about whether to travel to campus?
Students and employees who have signed up for UAlert should expect to receive this type of information via UAlert messages. They also can check the UA home page for updated information. In the case of a pandemic, it’s likely that local news media will be reporting on the situation and helping to disseminate information to protect the health of employees and students.
In the case of an emergency on campus, would the entire incident be handled by the University of Arizona Police Department?
In a campus emergency, other law enforcement agencies may be called for assistance.
How are the members of the UACERT prepared to handle campus emergencies?
The UACERT meets regularly to discuss and prepare for potential incidents. Members also participate in drills that simulate incidents and undergo training in handling incidents and emergencies.
In the case of fire or a chemical spill, or another contained emergency, are there instructions for what actions should be taken?
Emergency procedures for specific incidents are available on the Risk Management & Safety Web site.
Does the university have a written plan for dealing with emergencies?
Yes. That plan is available at http://cert.web.arizona.edu/cerp.html. There also is a plan that has been developed for use in the case of a flu pandemic (http://cert.web.arizona.edu/pandemic_plan.html).
campus emergency plans
