Skip to main content

Emergency Management

The Emergency Management Office oversees the Institute-wide coordination of resources and technology to assist in timely response to and recovery from campus incidents. One area of OEMBC’s responsibility includes maintaining the MIT Emergency website, a portal for information on the current status of emergencies at or impacting the Institute, connection to MIT Alert, the Institute’s emergency notification system, and information on personal emergency preparedness.

The Occupational & Construction Safety Program (OCSP) within the EHS Office supports the Emergency Management Office with it’s planning and preparedness mission and works with Departments, Labs, and Centers on general and fire safety issues, including emergency preparedness plans.

Emergency Preparedness Plans & Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Every academic, administrative, and research unit must have in place a responsible Emergency Preparedness Coordinator (EPC). Emergency Preparedness Coordinators have a defined role in campus emergency preparedness: they prepare department response plans and coordinate education and planning in this area for department personnel. The coordinator serves as the primary liaison between these units and MIT’s safety and emergency response professionals.

In the event of an emergency, the coordinators will play a critical communications role at the local level, advising their colleagues of the circumstances of the situation and the subsequent steps they will need to take. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator – and/or their designees – will take an active role in the development and implementation of their respective department’s emergency plan. In addition to incident prevention and incident evacuation planning, departments need to develop or update their own Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) to include plans for communicating with their employees, as well as for sheltering.

Every academic, administrative, and research unit needs to have at least one emergency preparedness coordinator as well as a written emergency plan, including floor plans. Department heads may appoint one or more coordinators depending on the size of the unit, the number of buildings they reside in, and the nature of their work. The unit is responsible to provide the Safety Program with the name(s) of its Coordinator(s), the ways to contact him/her and to keep the information up-to-date.

Emergency Preparedness Coordinators:

  • disseminate information about department and campus initiatives, activities, and emergency preparedness programs;
  • coordinate the development of the department’s emergency plan;
  • assist in implementing the department plan;
  • ensure that department life/safety emergencies are reported to the MIT Police Department at “100”;
  • act as the liaison between MIT’s Incident Command System and their department;
  • deliver critical campus information and instructions related to an incident, to their colleagues;
  • account for department personnel; and,
  • contact the appropriate MIT department for safety or repair and maintenance assistance.

Emergency Response Guides (ERGs)

The Emergency Response Guide is a summary of emergency procedures for use in laboratory and non-laboratory spaces. The ERG contains procedures and contact information to use in emergency situations. The ERG should be posted at accessible locations and readily visible.

Emergency Planning Templates

Emergency Preparedness Coordinators will be considered “essential/emergency” personnel and will be so identified. Templates for the required plans have been provided by the MIT Safety Program in the Environment, Health and Safety Office:

The Emergency Management Office oversees the Institute-wide coordination of resources and technology to assist in timely response to and recovery from campus incidents. One area of OEMBC’s responsibility includes maintaining the MIT Emergency website, a portal for information on the current status of emergencies at or impacting the Institute, connection to MIT Alert, the Institute’s emergency notification system, and information on personal emergency preparedness.

The Occupational & Construction Safety Program (OCSP) within the EHS Office supports the Emergency Management Office with it’s planning and preparedness mission and works with Departments, Labs, and Centers on general and fire safety issues, including emergency preparedness plans.

Emergency Preparedness Plans & Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Every academic, administrative, and research unit must have in place a responsible Emergency Preparedness Coordinator (EPC). Emergency Preparedness Coordinators have a defined role in campus emergency preparedness: they prepare department response plans and coordinate education and planning in this area for department personnel. The coordinator serves as the primary liaison between these units and MIT’s safety and emergency response professionals.

In the event of an emergency, the coordinators will play a critical communications role at the local level, advising their colleagues of the circumstances of the situation and the subsequent steps they will need to take. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator – and/or their designees – will take an active role in the development and implementation of their respective department’s emergency plan. In addition to incident prevention and incident evacuation planning, departments need to develop or update their own Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) to include plans for communicating with their employees, as well as for sheltering.

Every academic, administrative, and research unit needs to have at least one emergency preparedness coordinator as well as a written emergency plan, including floor plans. Department heads may appoint one or more coordinators depending on the size of the unit, the number of buildings they reside in, and the nature of their work. The unit is responsible to provide the Safety Program with the name(s) of its Coordinator(s), the ways to contact him/her and to keep the information up-to-date.

Emergency Preparedness Coordinators:

  • disseminate information about department and campus initiatives, activities, and emergency preparedness programs;
  • coordinate the development of the department’s emergency plan;
  • assist in implementing the department plan;
  • ensure that department life/safety emergencies are reported to the MIT Police Department at “100”;
  • act as the liaison between MIT’s Incident Command System and their department;
  • deliver critical campus information and instructions related to an incident, to their colleagues;
  • account for department personnel; and,
  • contact the appropriate MIT department for safety or repair and maintenance assistance.

Emergency Response Guides (ERGs)

The Emergency Response Guide is a summary of emergency procedures for use in laboratory and non-laboratory spaces. The ERG contains procedures and contact information to use in emergency situations. The ERG should be posted at accessible locations and readily visible.

Emergency Planning Templates

Emergency Preparedness Coordinators will be considered “essential/emergency” personnel and will be so identified. Templates for the required plans have been provided by the MIT Safety Program in the Environment, Health and Safety Office: