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Pepperdine University

Emergency Preparedness

In case of an on or off-campus emergency such as a crime in progress, medical emergency, or fire, dial 911, followed by calling DPS at 310-506-4441 (if safe to do so). DPS maintains a campus-wide police and security service 24 hours a day. DPS communications center dispatchers answer calls at all times. Trained personnel respond to all requests for emergency or law enforcement services.

CRIMES IN PROGRESS
Do not attempt to apprehend or interfere with the criminal except in case of self-protection. If it is safe to do so, stop and take time to get a good description of the criminal. Note height, weight, sex, race, approximate age, clothing, method and direction of travel, and his/her name, if known. All this takes only a few seconds, and is of the utmost help to the investigating officers. If the criminal is entering a vehicle, note the license plate number, make and model, color, and outstanding characteristics.  Call 911 and give your name, location, and department. Advise the dispatcher of the situation, and remain where you are until contacted by an officer. You may then call the Department of Public Safety at ext 4441, if safe to do so.  In the event of civil disturbance, continue inasmuch as possible with your normal routine. If the disturbance is outside, stay away from doors and windows.  Do not interfere with those persons creating the disturbance, or with authorities on the scene.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
Do not move a seriously injured or ill person unless there is a life-threatening situation.  Call 911 directly give your name, location, and telephone number. Give as much information as possible regarding the nature of the injury or illness, whether or not the victim is conscious, etc. You may then call the Department of Public Safety at ext 4441, if safe to do so. Officers will arrange for the paramedic/ambulance if required. Return to the victim. Administer first aid, and keep the victim as calm and comfortable as possible. Keep a list of persons in your building/office/dorm who are trained in first aid or CPR should they be needed. List also the location of the nearest First Aid kit if one is available. Remain with the victim until emergency responders arrive.

FIRE/FIRE ALARMS
Upon discovering a fire, close the door to the room where the fire is located and immediately sound the building fire alarm. Call 911 immediately. Give your name, and location/department of the fire. Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to do so. Then call the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4441, if safe to do so. If the fire is small, you may wish to fight it with a fire extinguisher or building fire hose. Be sure you are using the proper extinguisher for the type of fire you are fighting. If you are not sure, read the instructions on the extinguisher. If the fire is large, very smoky, or rapid spreading, evacuate the building immediately. Inform others in the building who may not have responded to the alarm to evacuate immediately. The alarm may not sound continuously. If the alarm stops, continue to evacuate. Warn others who may enter the building after the alarm stops. If time permits, take purses and lock files and office/room doors, turn off computers, unplug electrical equipment, and close all windows before leaving. Walk, do not run, to the nearest stairway exit. If you have a mobility impairment, request assistance from those nearest you. In the event no one renders assistance, proceed to the nearest stairway landing, shout for help and wait there until it arrives. Consultation about these procedures is available from the Department of Public Safety. When fire alarms sound, do not use elevators. An elevator may become inoperative and a trap. Give assistance to (help carry, if necessary) all disabled persons in using the stairs. Evacuate to a distance of at least 500 feet from the building and stay out of the way of emergency personnel. Do not return to the building until instructed to do so by Public Safety personnel. Notify either Public Safety personnel or firefighters on the scene if you suspect someone may be trapped inside the building.

POWER OUTAGES
The University has emergency generators that activate automatically to provide limited emergency lighting to Thornton Administrative Center, Tyler Campus Center, Firestone Fieldhouse, and Public Safety during a power outage. Other facilities such as the Odell McConnell Law Center, Graziadio Business School, and Student Health Center, and each of the Education Centers are equipped with battery-operated emergency lights mounted near all exit paths.

To report or gather information about a specific power outage:

On the Malibu & Calabasas campuses call the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4442.
For the other educational centers in our area contact the local Center Coordinator: 

  • West LA (310) 568-5717
  • Irvine (949) 223-2500

If there is no answer, please call the Department of Public Safety at (310) 506-4442.

Give your name, location/department, and telephone number. Advise the dispatcher or Center Coordinator of the situation and any additional locations that are without power. The dispatcher or Center Coordinator will immediately notify Facilities Management and Planning (at Malibu) of the outage and if necessary Southern California Edison Company.  Provide assistance to students, visitors, and staff in your immediate area.  Secure files, turn off computers, unplug electronic equipment, and lock windows and doors as you leave.  If you are in an unlighted area, proceed cautiously to an area that has emergency lights.  If you are trapped in an elevator, stay calm. Use the intercom telephone or emergency call button. Public Safety Officers, or the fire department, will be dispatched to your location for assistance.  Emergency Response Team (ERT) or Residential Emergency Response Team (RERT) personnel and/or Public Safety will move through all public areas with flashlights, escorting people to safety.  Stand by for instructions from your Center Coordinator or from Public Safety personnel. If instructed to relocate, proceed to one of the designated areas and report to your ERT/RERT member.  Refer to evacuation routes and staging maps, as appropriate.