February 26, 2010 — As part of its efforts to help ensure the safety of the UM community, the University is adopting a new protection strategy for campus incidents with the potential for loss of life or bodily harm. After extensive research among peer institutions, the University of Miami Police Department has recommended the “STAY in Place” approach, rather than a campus-wide lockdown, as the best safety practice. The key components of the STAY strategy are:
S: Secure your area, lock doors and windows, close blinds, prevent suspect from accessing victims.
T: Take cover, hide, stay out of sight.
A: Advise others so that they can take steps to protect themselves; await further information.
Y: You must take measures to protect your safety. Police will be busy with the actual response to the incident and will not be able to direct your personal actions unless you are actively involved.
Under the STAY strategy, all buildings and organizational units would use existing emergency plans and access to shelter-in-place options will be emphasized. It is expected that a large number of people would seek shelter-in-place in classrooms and major buildings on the campuses. Any decision to lock down buildings would be made on an individual and localized basis within the framework of overall incident management.
The University’s Crisis Decision Team is also reviewing other issues related to emergency response and communication.
