UPPS 04.05.21 - Building Emergency Coordinator

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University will maintain a Building Emergency Coordinator Program to assist with the preparedness and emergency response activities for each university-owned building on and off campus.

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

   1. This policy is designed to provide a department-level, campus-wide emergency management policy for the administration, implementation, and oversight of the Texas State University Building Emergency Coordinator (BEC) Program. The BEC Program’s purpose is to create and maintain safeguards, security, and emergency management which are essential to ensure that Texas State mitigates risks and can continue to perform its mission in the event of natural or man-made disasters or other extraordinary events that might disrupt normal operations. This readiness program is vital in protecting the lives and health of Texas State faculty, staff, students, and associates; minimizing damage to and loss of university property and assets; and restoring normal university operations as rapidly as possible.

   2. The following authorities provide the foundation for the Texas State BEC Program:

      1. Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 51.217;

      2. Texas State University System – Disaster Management Guide; and

      3. National Incident Management System (NIMS).

2. SCOPE

   1. This policy is generally applicable to all Texas State BEC and supporting staff officed at on and off campus buildings.

3. DEFINITIONS

   1. Building Emergency Action Plan – a site-specific plan developed jointly by the Emergency Manager and BEC designed to address common threats to a building and its occupants.

   2. Building Emergency Coordinator (BEC) – a person that has volunteered to take on the duties and responsibilities of administering a preparedness program for their building or floor in a multilevel building. These people work closely with emergency management to ensure the safety of their faculty, students, staff, and guests of the building/floor for which they are responsible.

   3. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) – a plan representing the effort within the university to ensure that primary essential functions continue to be performed throughout, resume quickly and return to normal operations during a wide range of emergencies.

   4. Initial Damage Assessment – a quick visual inspection performed by building staff that utilizes the BEC Damage Assessment Checklist form.

   5. TXState Alert (Bobcat Guardian) – the emergency notification system utilized by Texas State to deliver critical information to students, faculty, and staff during emergencies or disasters.

4. BUILDING EMERGENCY COORDINATOR PROCEDURES

   1. Program Overview

      During an emergency or disaster, BECs are the front-line responders for each Texas State building. Each university-occupied building should have a minimum of two individuals identified as BECs, one as the primary and one as a backup. For larger buildings with multiple floors, large populations, or other complexities, BECs may identify up to two deputy BECs per floor. However, for buildings that have identified all positions listed above, BECs should be sure not to exceed the recommended span of control of seven subordinates reporting to one supervisor.

   2. Environmental, Health, Safety, Risk and Emergency Management (EHSREM) is responsible for the oversight of the BEC Program for Texas State and has the following responsibilities:

      1. developing and implementing program policy;

      2. providing and maintaining all BEC Program resources to include position checklists, damage assessment forms, emergency maps, and more can be found on the EHSREM webpage;

      3. reviewing and assisting in developing specific building emergency action plans;

      4. maintaining a current up-to-date roster of all BECs;

      5. developing a training and drill program for BECs;

      6. activating and utilizing BECs during times of emergencies or disaster;

      7. establishing, maintaining, and activating, when necessary, the Teams channel for building emergency response coordinators to contact during an emergency;

      8. conducting all non-disaster building and fire evacuations; and

      9. providing additional depth to support BECs in multi-story buildings.

   3. The BEC’s responsibilities include the following:

      1. In preparation for an emergency –

         1. oversee building-specific emergency preparedness planning efforts and facilitate building emergency functions by developing a building-specific plan also known as a Building Emergency Action Plan.

      2. During steady-state times (non-emergency) –

         1. maintain a current roster of all respective building BECs and provide a current roster to the Emergency Manager;

         2. work with the Emergency Manager to develop, train, and exercise building-specific emergency plans;

         3. coordinate training and exercises for respective BECs, with EHSREM as necessary; and

         4. ensure that executed College/Division Continuity of Operations Plan is submitted to the TXST Ready database on or before June 1 annually.

      3. During an emergency (response operations) –

         1. In addition to department-specific emergency plans, BECs shall follow the various program position checklists provided by the Emergency Manager and the plan as written in the Building Emergency Action Plan.

         2. Facilitate evacuation of all personnel within their assigned building/floor to the nearest evacuation point listed on the individual building plan.

         3. Shelter in place, ensuring previously identified areas of refuge within the building or office space are utilized by themselves and others.

         4. Serve as the communicator between building staff and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or emergency services personnel. The BEC will be available to communicate with first responders and university command staff should there be the need for communication or additional/unmet needs of the building staff via cell phone, email, or TEAMS channel.

         5. Account for building personnel upon arrival at their respective evacuation point. Reporting personnel accountability and building damage assessment to the EOC via a text message will be initiated through a TXState Alert that contains communication details for all BECs. If only a single building is impacted, information can be communicated to University Police Dispatch at 512.245.2805 and/or the University Policy Department website.

         6. Conduct preliminary damage assessments by performing a visual inspection of their respective building and recording observations of damages on the Emergency Management BEC Damage Assessment form.

         7. Aid in all other requests from the EOC or emergency services personnel.

5. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

   1. Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

      Position	Date
      Director, Environmental, Health, Safety, Risk and Emergency Management	November 1 E3Y
      Associate Vice President for Human Resources	November 1 E3Y
      Associate Vice President for Institutional Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer	November 1 E3Y

6. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedures from the date of this document until superseded.

   Director of Environmental, Health, Safety, Risk and Emergency Management; senior reviewer of this UPPS

   Executive Vice President for Operations and Chief Financial Officer

   President