Campus Emergency Response Plan
Emergency Management at Davidson College
An all-hazards framework for the coordinated management of significant incidents that impact our people, assets, operations, reputation and community.
Our Approach
PREPARE
Build capability before an incident occurs.
We identify risks, plan for potential scenarios, train our teams and strengthen our systems to reduce impact.
RESPOND
Protect people and stabilize the situation.
We act quickly, communicate clearly and coordinate across the campus community to ensure safety.
RECOVER
Restore operations and learn for the future.
We restore services, support our community and capture lessons learned to build a stronger, more resilient Davidson.
How We Prepare
Davidson's Office of Emergency Management builds campus resilience through a continuous cycle of proactive planning, community training and process refinement.
Assess & Plan: Identifies potential campus risks to develop, maintain and update robust emergency procedures.
Train & Exercise: Conducts community-wide training and realistic simulations to build practical skills and test readiness.
Communicate & Refine: Delivers clear, actionable guidance while capturing lessons learned to constantly improve response strategies.
How We Manage an Incident
Early Detection & Alerting: Threats are identified using system monitoring, alarms and real-time observations, allowing the office to immediately broadcast alerts to appropriate audiences.
Active Management & Coordination: Response teams take rapid action to protect lives and secure the scene, aligning cross-functional teams to allocate resources and make critical decisions as events unfold.
Operational Restoration: Once the immediate threat is resolved, efforts transition to supporting impacted community members, restoring facilities and safely returning campus operations to normal.
Tiered Response Structure
Tier 1: Operational
Campus Champions
Handles local incidents as routine operations.
Tier 2: Significant
Crisis Triage Team
Activated for localized incidents managed within standard operations.
Tier 3: Crisis
Crisis Management Team
Activated for college-wide or high-impact incidents requiring executive leadership.
Who Plays What Role
- Office of Emergency Management: Leads planning, training, coordination, and continuous improvement.
- Champions: Manage day to day operations and initiate response actions (Tier 1).
- Crisis Triage Team: Coordinates resources and response across functions (Tier 2).
- Crisis Management Team: Provides strategic direction and executive decision making (Tier 3).
- Campus Partners: Includes internal and external stakeholders.
How You Can Help
Members of the campus community can help by remaining vigilant, reporting concerns promptly, and staying tuned to official Davidson alerts. During an emergency, following direct guidance from officials and college personnel ensures a swift, safe response. Afterward, individuals support overall recovery by looking out for one another and utilizing available college resources.