This page contains information about emergency preparation and response in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University. It is designed primarily for faculty, staff and graduate students.
If you think something has happened that could be a threat to life or property, call 911 right away. You never have to pay for a response to a 911 call.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE ONGOING COVID19 PANDEMIC
The ongoing COVID19 pandemic means that school is being done very differently than usual, with many classes being run online and many staff and faculty working from home to minimize the risk of spread of the virus. If you are in a building on campus, you will need to be aware of possible emergency events such as fire alarms, tornadoes and medical emergencies, and be prepared to act quickly and know what to do if an emergency event happens. There may not be Luddy personnel in the building who can help you, and we will likely not be able to staff our Emergency Response Team.
Please read the guidance below. and email David Wild (djwild@indiana.edu) if you have questions. If at any time you feel your or others safety is under immediate threat - such as not being able to get out of a building in a fire alarm - then call 911 right away.
For class instructors, if there is a fire alarm, tornado warning or other declared emergency, you MUST stop class and direct the students in your class to a safe location as per the instructions below.
For more information about the University's plans for the fall, see the IU Coronavirus Page.
When in Luddy buildings, you should always wear a mask (N95 or equivalent preferred), keep at least 6 feet from other people, and maintain good handwashing practice. For most recent safety best practices for COVID19, see the CDC Website.
More resources for the COVID19 pandemic are given later in the page
What kinds of emergency do you need to know about?
The good news is that Bloomington is a very safe place to live - it has a low crime rate, pleasant weather, good facilities, is safe from hurricanes and is unlikely to have serious earthquakes. However there are some things that we want you to be aware of. We recommend that you sign up for IU Notify to get alerts about emergency events on campus.
The first is extreme weather. Located in the central part of the country, Bloomington has a moderate climate, but occasionally the weather can cause problems, including a risk for tornadoes and thunderstorms with strong winds and hail, mainly in the spring, fall and summer months; and snow, ice and frigid temperatures in the winter months. Usually it is possible for forecasters to predict hours in advance whether severe weather is likely in our area, so a good way to keep on top of things is simply to check the weather forecast each morning: in particular, look out for a hazardous weather outlook and, if you like meteorological details, the forecast discussion. The Storm Prediction Center makes daily predictions of tornado and severe thunderstorm risk, and will issue "watches" if conditions are becoming particularly ripe for dangerous weather. If a severe thunderstorm or tornado is imminent, a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning may be issued. For a tornado warning, sirens will sound outdoors, and alerts will go out on special weather radios and through other outlets such as IU Notify. If you hear an alarm for a tornado warning, you should immediately go to the shelter areas in the building you are in, until you are told it is safe to leave - see the SICE Emergency Procedures Poster for details. Note that tornado sirens are tested on the first Friday of the month at noon. For extreme winter weather, monitor the weather forecast. Weather conditions can change quickly, and a few inches of snow can cause lots of problems on the roads. On rare occasions, IU will decide to close - so keep an eye on the Campus Emergency Page . If IU does not close, instructors will have to make individual decisions about whether to run or cancel classes, and students have to make individual decisions about whether it is safe for them to get to campus.
The second is fire. This one is simple - if the fire alarm sounds in a building, immediately leave the building by the nearest exit using stairs, not elevators, closing doors if possible, and proceed to the one of the evacuation points around the building. For Luddy School buildings, these are listed on the SICE Emergency Procedures Poster . You can re-enter the building only when told safe by a firefighter or staff member.
The third is medical emergencies. Occasionally medical emergencies happen, from sprained ankles to heart attacks. If you are with someone having a medical emergency, the best thing to do is to immediately call 911, and tell the dispatcher the exact location, and nature of the emergency. A 911 call and ambulance response is always free, so if in doubt, call. You can also call for help if needed. Any of the facilities team (the ones with two-way radios) can secure more help as needed. AEDs (defibrilators) are on the walls by the kitchen on each level of Luddy Hall (south wall in the basement) and are by the elevators in Info East ground and third floors and Info West ground floor. We encourage everyone to get trained in first aid, CPR and AED use, and you can do this for a small fee at IU. At minimum, check out the basics of CPR on Youtube.
The fourth is shooting emergencies. These are extremely rare, but of terrible impact if they do happen, which is why it is worth taking some steps to prepare. For more information, see the Active shooter event information sheet for instructors and faculty, and the IU Run-Hide-Fight video.
Finally, personal emergencies. For a wide range of crises, emergencies and problems that occur in our personal lives, Indiana University CAPS provides counseling and support. For mental health emergencies, you can call 911, the CAPS crisis line 24/7 on 812.855.5711 (choose option 1) , the National Mental Health helpline on 800.662.HELP (4357), or the Suicide Prevention Hotline on 800.273.8255.
Emergency resources
General information
- IU Emergency Procedures Poster, with broad guidelines on various emergency events at IU (PDF)
- SICE Emergency Procedures Poster, with specific information for Luddy School members, including evacuation areas and tornado information (PDF)
- IU Notify for time-critical alerts for emergency events on campus
Social Media (great for generalized events like weather)
- IU Emergency Management Facebook Page
- IU Emergency Management on Twitter
- Twitter List of local news outlets - including relating to IU Bloomington
- Bloomington Roads - Facebook account for reporting accidents, traffic delays, etc.
COVID19 Pandemic
- CDC COVID19 Pandemic Page
- IU COVID19 Pandemic Page
- CovidActNow (national data)
- Indiana State COVID19 Dashboard
- IU COVID19 Dashboard
Weather Emergencies
- See the SICE Emergency Procedures Poster for how to respond to a tornado warning
- Official weather forecast and weather warnings - for Bloomington
- Weather radar - from National Weather Service Indianapolis Office
- RadarScope - nice weather app for tracking storms
- Storm Prediction Center - makes daily predictions of tornado and severe thunderstorm risk
- Indiana travel advisories - particularly important during snow and winter weather emergencies
- Duke Energy - current power outages
Fires
- See the SICE Emergency Procedures Poster for evacuation areas
Medical Emergencies
- See the SICE Emergency Procedures Poster for how to respond to a medical emergency
- Stayin' Alive basics of CPR
- Video of CPR/AED response to a cardiac arrest
- IU First Aid Program document outlining appropriate response to injury and medical incidents
Shooting Events
- RUN-HIDE-FIGHT video - surviving an active shooter incident
- Active shooter event information sheet for Luddy School instructors, staff and faculty
- Active shooter information from IU
Mental Health Crises and Counseling
- Indiana University CAPS - counseling and psychological services for a wide range of issues