Preparedness is the first step toward safety in any emergency. The MSU Police Department provides several resources to the MSU community members so they are prepared and informed during an emergency.

New classroom emergency guidelines are being posted in all of MSU’s classrooms as a quick reference for fire, active violence, hazardous materials release or severe weather emergencies. The guidelines apply to MSU staff working in office buildings as well. They offer important information such as rally site locations, how to act during a secure-in-place and guidelines for those with disabilities.

Faculty should familiarize themselves with these posters and encourage students to do the same.

Communication is key in an emergency situation. MSU faculty and staff are automatically signed up for MSU Alert, which sends messages through voice mail, email and SMS text messaging during emergency situations. You can select which notification methods you prefer by logging into the portal. These messages inform recipients of a possible danger in the area, including fires, tornadoes, health afflictions, hazardous material spills, firearm spottings and more. If needed, instructions to seek shelter, secure-in-place, or evacuate will be included.

Other alert systems include the green emergency telephones all around campus. These devices have buttons that, when pushed, immediately call 9-1-1, and some have speakers that can broadcast information in an emergency situation. You can see where every phone is located on the interactive campus map.

Eight public address speakers have also been recently installed on campus to broadcast sirens or voice messages to every part of campus.

Take advantage of these tools to be prepared, informed and safe.