Welcome to SICE Emergency Response Team's Emergency Information page. This page contains information about emergency preparation and response in the 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.
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 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 tornados 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 radio and through other outlets. If there is 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 SOIC Emergency Procedures Poster for details. 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 (use stairs, not elevators), closing doors if possible, and proceed to the evacuation point for the building. For SICE buildings, these are listed on the SOIC 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. SICE also has an emergency response team who can give aid before an ambulance arrives - see below for how to activate the team. AEDs (defibrilators) are on the walls by the elevators in Info East and West, and in the 2nd floor kitchen in Lindley Hall. First Aid / Trauma kits are kept at the Info East Chair's Office (226A), Info West Faculty Office (102) and the Lindley Hall Reception (215)
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.
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.
Emergency resources
General information
- IU Emergency Procedures Poster, with broad guidelines on various emergency events at IU (PDF)
- SOIC Emergency Procedures Poster, with specific information for SICE 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)
- SOIC Emergency Response Team Facebook Page
- SOIC Emergency Response Team on Twitter
- IU Emergency Management Facebook Page
- IU Emergency Management on Twitter
- Twitter List of local news outlets - including relating to IU Bloomington
- Bloom Roads - Facebook account for reporting accidents, traffic delays, etc.
Weather Emergencies
- See the SOIC Emergency Procedures Poster for how to respond to a tornado warning
- Official weather forecast and weather warnings - for Bloomington
- Regional weather radar - from Weather Underground
- 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 SOIC Emergency Procedures Poster for evacuation areas
Medical Emergencies
- See the SOIC Emergency Procedures Poster for how to respond to a medical emergency
- 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 SOIC instructors, staff and faculty
- Active shooter information from IU
Personal Crises and Counseling
- Indiana University CAPS - counseling and psychological services for a wide range of issues
About the SOIC Emergency Response Team
The Emergency Response Team (ERT) is comprised of SOIC staff, faculty and graduate students with training in emergency response. The team includes around 20 members who are available to provide initial response in emergencies, and includes 4 EMT's and 1 firefighter. The team primarily trains for Fire, Medical, Weather and Active Shooter emergencies. The team can be activated by any staff member, or by sending an email to soic-ert-alert-l@indiana.edu (this will send text messages to ERT members - please use only in an emergency). Always dial 911 if you need urgent help from police, fire or ambulance. Here are some links relating the the ERT
- SOIC Emergency Response Team Facebook Page
- SOIC Emergency Response Team on Twitter
- SOIC Emergency Response Team Training Slides (Powerpoint)