Campus Emergencies
UMBC has an Emergency Response Plan that is shared via the UMBC Police website on its Emergency Preparedness page. The Plan benefits from explaining more about Campus Evacuation Procedures for People with Disabilities, which is also linked on the Campus Police site for ease of access. The current plan is 69 pages in length.
***ALL CAMPUS-BASED EMERGENCIES DURING COVID-19 (Coronavirus) RESPONSE ARE BEING MANAGED BY UMBC POLICE***
~Contact UMBC’s POLICE DEPARTMENT 24/7/365 via 410-455-5555~
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Building-Specific Emergency Situation
Urgent and emergency situations can arise on campus when power outages, elevator outages or similar disruptions occur, which may result in a person with a disability being temporarily stranded within a building. With an elevator outage, the call button in the elevator notifies Campus Police, who arrive at the elevator as first responders, assess options for exiting the elevator and transporting the person toward departure, and notify Facilities Management/Work Control of the repair condition.
If an elevator or power outage results in someone with a disability being stranded on a floor, contact Campus Police via 410-455-5555 for assistance. The responding officer will assess departure options with the person. Campus police partners with local fire and rescue departments for safely transporting people between floors. Often the safest option is working with their trained professionals and specialized equipment. EHS reports that the average response time for local fire and rescue departments is eight (8) minutes. Bystanders are strongly encouraged to contact campus police and defer to their communications with the person in need of transport as a matter of safety. The choices made by the person with a disability should be respected by bystanders and allies, who may report the condition via the Accessibility Concern page, after report an outage or repair condition to Facilities Management Work Control (410-455-2550).
If a person is unable to reach a campus location due the combination of an outage with their health limitations, they should call their destination or department via a campus or personal phone to make alternate arrangements. Access is best addressed by relocating the destination, convening via phone/other available technology, as well as rescheduling. Campus members are encouraged to consult with Accessibility and Disability Services regarding accessible options that resolve circumstances on a temporary or long-term basis.
Personal Health Emergencies
There may be an occasion when a person on campus has a situation with their health condition or disability that requires immediate intervention. These typical, but uncommon events can include seizures, diabetic shock (insulin reaction), medication complications, and heart attacks and may happen anywhere on campus without apparent warning. Should such a situation arise, we recommend calling the University Police (410-455-5555) and give the building name, location within or near the building, and a description of the health emergency that has occurred.
Seizures/Loss of Consciousness
Although an ambulance is usually not needed for every loss of consciousness, seizure incident or insulin/medication reaction, University Police may determine that emergency personnel should be contacted to evaluate the individual’s condition and determine whether transport to a nearby hospital is appropriate. University Police are trained First Responders and work in partnership with 911 and nearby community emergency services to effectively respond to each situation.If a person experiences a loss of consciousness in a public place on campus (classroom, lab, dining facility, etc.) please dial 5-5555 from a campus phone or 410-455-5555 from a mobile or desk phone to summon emergency help and support. This should occur even if the person has made a request in advance to not call for help or to not be taken to the hospital in the event of a seizure or loss of consciousness. There is no practical way for a bystander to know if, or how quickly, a person will recover from that circumstance, if it is an event that the student/person would deem as being “typical” for them, or whether it is an unrelated new or worsening situation. When the person recovers consciousness, they will be able to explore their options, including the opportunity to decline transport or other medical services, and those wishes can be respected by faculty, staff, Police/EMS, or other bystanders, given the person’s lived experience with the underlying health condition at that time.