Overview

INTRODUCTION

Members of the Pepperdine community should be aware of all of the resources the University has made available regarding emergency preparedness. The Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Public Safety, and the University’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), in cooperation with many other departments, work to ensure that Pepperdine is prepared for emergencies when they impact any of the institution’s schools or departments.

Pepperdine’s administration considers protecting its faculty, staff, students, and resources a serious responsibility. The University prudently expends resources to ensure that it is properly prepared for whatever domestic or international emergency that may impact the institution. When crises impact other schools – be it Hurricane Katrina, a flu epidemic, or a fire – Pepperdine studies the event and betters its plans, realizing that preparation is never complete and that there always is more to learn. Drills are conducted regularly to ensure all processes within a planned response are appropriate. Part of that on-going preparedness is educating faculty, staff, and students on how they should prepare for and respond during emergencies.

COMMUNICATING EMERGENCIES

It is vitally important that emergency situations involving the University community are reported in the most accurate and timeliest manner to both emergency responders and members of the Pepperdine community who may be impacted by the incident.

Reporting an Emergency at the Malibu Campus and at all other Domestic University Campuses

  • Call 911
  • Then contact the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4441.

·    Additional Public Safety Phone Numbers

  • Business office: (310) 506-4700
  • To learn about Malibu road conditions: (310) 506-ROAD
  • To learn about unusual occurrences or class cancellations: (310) 506-4751
  • To leave anonymous crime tips: (310) 506-7634

How the Community Receives Emergency Information

In appropriate circumstances, faculty, staff, and students will receive information sent directly to them via Everbridge Aware, e-mail, or communication from co-workers, supervisors, or Emergency Response Team (ERT) members.

Everbridge

  • The Everbridge emergency communication system allows the University to send messages directly to community members’ e-mail; cell, office, and home telephones; SMS/text message; and designated emergency contacts.
  • The system is dependent upon the contact information provided in the WaveNet Portal by each individual. This system is only used for testing and emergency communications.
  • Specific instructions for updating personal contact information are available at https://emergency.pepperdine.edu/emergency-communication/.
  • Generally, when community members are aware of an emergency incident they should actively seek the latest information from the University resources listed below.

Emergency Hotline

  • Pepperdine’s toll-free emergency hotline number is (888) 286-5659. This hotline plays a recorded message, which is updated during emergencies by the EOC.

Emergency Information Web Page http://emergency.pepperdine.edu

  • This Web page functions as an informational blog for the University during emergencies.  Information and decisions affecting the University community are posted on this site in real time by the EOC.
  • The Web page also lists best practice instructions for community members for incidents ranging from personal medical emergencies to earthquakes, fires, and power outages. All faculty, staff, and students should review these best practices prior to an actual event to understand how best to be prepared.

Malibu Road Condition Updates

  • Information about current Malibu road conditions is available on the Road Condition Hotline at (310) 506-ROAD (7623).

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS

Reporting a Person of Concern

One of the best ways to reduce workplace violence is to report threats and potential threats in a timely manner. If an individual is aware of someone who poses an imminent threat to a member or members of the University community, the Department of Public Safety should be contacted immediately. If an individual is located at a non-Malibu graduate campus and believes imminent danger is likely, please contact 911 immediately and then contact the Department of Public Safety.If the potential harm is not imminent, but someone’s behavior seems threatening or like it could lead to harm to the individual or to the community, please report the concern to the Department of Public Safety, the appropriate Dean’s Office, or the Center for Human Resources. For more information please see https://emergency.pepperdine.edu/reporting-a-threat/.

Surviving an Active Shooter Event

A training video entitled “Shots Fired on Campus” is available through WaveNet. This 20-minute training video walks an individual through the best practices for surviving an active shooter situation.

Emergency Response Team (ERT)

  • The ERT is a group of faculty and staff volunteers who assist with building evacuations and emergency communications during regular business hours.
  • Each workplace on campus has a designated ERT member assigned to help disseminate preparedness information to co-workers, such as locations of fire extinguishers, best practices for building evacuations, and emergency staging locations.
  • Ask a supervisor or contact the Office of Emergency Services to find out more regarding the ERT program.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

  • Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are located on the Malibu campus at a variety of fixed locations; each graduate campus site has an AED. An AED is a portable, self-contained device used to restart an individual’s stopped heart rhythm during a medical emergency. Please contact an ERT member or the Office of Emergency Services for more information or training regarding the use of AEDs.

International Travel

  • The Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Public Safety provide consultation regarding business-related travel overseas, best practices for student trip safety, and resources to assist potential emergencies while traveling. Faculty or staff trip-sponsors should alert Emergency Services prior to traveling.