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Emergency Response & Alert

Emergency Telephone Numbers

1. Life/Death Emergency:  Call 911 (Identify building/location on campus).

2. Campus Emergency Numbers: 
Campus Police - (830) 279-1861 
(Identify building/location on campus)

3. Other Emergency numbers:

Other Emergency numbers

Uvalde

Del Rio

Eagle Pass

Crystal City

(830) 591-7200

(830) 775-1550

(830) 758-4100

(830) 374-3378

Ambulance 911  Ambulance 911  Ambulance 911  Ambulance 911 

Fire Department 911

Fire Department 911

Fire Department 911

Fire Department 911

Police 911 Police 911 Police 911 Police 911
Sheriff 911 Sheriff 911 Sheriff 911 Sheriff 911

 

  • When in doubt, call 911
  • SWTJC Campus Police (Uvalde) (830) 279-1861
  • Police Department Non-Emergency: (830) 278-9147
  • Poison Center 1-800-299-4099 Or 1-800-POISON1

4. When calling  "KEEP CALM and :

  • tell where the emergency happened:
  • tell what has happened:
  • tell who you are:
  • tell what kind of help is needed:

Emergency Procedures and Emergency Response Plan

Emergency Procedures - Standard Response Protocol

The first response to any emergency should include calling 911!

What do we do?
How can we lower the chances of it happening here?
Have you thought about how you would react if it happened to you?

Categories 

Major categories of school violence that we have to deal with in today's world include:

  1. Bombs and bomb threats
  2. Fire or explosion
  3. Assaults on individuals (fights, stabbing, shootings, kidnapping)
  4. Assaults on groups (hostage-taking, mass shootings)
  5. Ways to prevent a hostage situation or shooting

EVERY SITUATION IS UNIQUE. We can only talk about response and prevention in general terms and with general suggestions. The following is a guide for different situations and how you can expect the police to respond to these incidents.

Categories are described in detail below. 


Dealing with Campus Violence

1. Bombs and Bomb Threats add

Report all threats (specific and vague) by calling 911. Get as much information as possible.

Document the EXACT wording of the threat and caller’s response.

We suggest the following steps and questions be asked when responding to a potential phone-in bomb threat:

  • When is the bomb going to explode?
  • Where is the bomb located right now?
  • What does it look like?
  • What kind of bomb is it?
  • What will cause it to explode?
  • Did you place the bomb?
  • Why?
  • What is your address?
  • What is your name?
  • What is your phone number?

Remember to document the EXACT wording of the threat and caller’s response.

Other information to document:

  • Apparent gender, race, and age of the caller.
  • Characteristics of the caller’s voice (calm, angry, excited, accent, etc.)
  • Background sounds (street noises, static on the line, etc.)
  • Threat Language (well spoken, incoherent, taped, irrational).
  • If caller ID is available, write down the telephone number.

Contact 911 as soon as possible, the Dispatcher will ask all the questions and let you know when you need to disconnect from the call. 

2. Fire or Explosion add

How you should react to fire or explosion:

  • Do not assume the fire has been reported. Call 911
  • Prepare against arson like you would an accidental fire.
  • Plan on how to get out of a room. Plan alternate exits (windows). Could you break through a Sheetrock wall, or go through a suspended ceiling if you had to?
  • Plan ahead; survey your office or classroom.
  • Know where the Fire Extinguishers are.
  • Plan on how to get everyone out.
3. Assaults on Individuals add
How you should react to an assault:
  • If the assault is in progress against you or another; scream, yell, or do something to get as much attention as possible and to get the attacker to stop.
  • Call for help (911).
  • Aid the victim if possible.
  • Be a good witness (including being able to describe the attacker, his clothes, his vehicle, where he went, what he did, what he said). 
4. Assaults on Groups: What to Watch For add

What leads up to shootings or hostage incidents?

  • The actors (individuals or groups) often plan the event for days, weeks, or months.
  • They warn others with their moods, emotions, or possible falling grades, that trouble or hate is building within them.
  • They may brag or boast their plans to others, or threaten others where they can be intentionally overheard.
  • They exhibit a progressive increase of violence, anger, hatred, or rudeness to others. The actors are often outcasts, loners, or someone others consider weird. They could belong to a group or gang of similar individuals.
  • They may become a rebel against society and authority. They may exhibit a lack of respect for others and the property of others.
5. Ways to Prevent a Hostage Situation or Shooting add

Ways you can help prevent an assault event or discover these people before they go that far:

  • Watch your students for the above behavior and patterns. Watch for loners, outcasts, or groups of persons exhibiting gang behavior. Don't give credibility to groups not recognized by the college.
  • Listen to your students. They know far more about what is going on with others in their group than we will ever know. Let them know that they can talk to you about someone or something that is bothering them, or about something that they have overheard. Make it part of your classroom to talk about the tragedies that have happened in Colorado and elsewhere. Get their suggestions.
  • Students trust that we will take care of them. Go over the what-ifs with your students. Go over your reaction plan. Explain to them how law enforcement and emergency services will respond to a situation.
  • Advise a Department Chair or SWTJC Police of your observations and concerns. Department Chairs can get counseling for the student, can get them tutoring for their grades, and can possibly help them reverse their self-destructive behavior. The student's past history can be checked to see if they pose a known danger to others.

How you should react to a shooting or hostage event:

  • If you are in a class and hear shooting nearby; keep everyone inside, lock the doors, close the blinds, and get everyone on the floor, possibly against a wall out of the line of fire from the windows. STAY THERE! Someone in the class probably has a cell phone with them. Use it to call 911. Emergency personnel will respond and evacuate you when it is safe to do so.
  • If suspects are in your room with a gun: Don't challenge them. Don't threaten them. Do what they say. Try to keep things calm. Remember, for the first few minutes, or until they are notified, the police do not know that anything has happened. Then they have to have time to assess the situation and react to the situation. The first few minutes of an incident are critical and most often you are alone with the danger.

Training

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. To get a complete listing of courses, click on the Course List link on the FEMA Emergency Management Institute site.

Emergency Planning for Higher Education Training

Texas Association of School Boards Training and Events
Whatever the subject, whatever your schedule, TASB provides training to meet your needs … and your continuing education credit requirements!

TASB Risk Management Fund training is all about flexibility. No matter your coverage, concern, audience, or budget and availability, we offer options that will fit. Take a look at the listings below, and give your consultant a call if want to discuss the best choices to meet your needs. 


Video


Submit a Question

Please submit your questions about emergency preparedness to the following:

David Alonzo Sanchez
Safety Security Coordinator

Black telephone icon (830) 591-4050

Black email icon dasanchez@swtjc.edu


Jimmy Calliham
Chief of Police

Black telephone icon (830) 591-7333

Black email icon jwcalliham@swtjc.edu