Communications and Procedures
Always call 9-1-1 immediately in a life-threatening situation. When safe to do so, inform Campus Safety of all emergencies by calling (773) 244-5600.
Emergency alert system
North Park University uses Blackboard and the LiveSafe app to quickly notify the campus community of emergencies, severe weather closures, and other urgent updates.
Students, faculty, and staff will receive alerts via text, voice, call, and email. To receive these alerts, you must provide and maintain an up-to-date Emergency Alert Phone Number.
By submitting this information, you give the university permission to contact you during emergencies. If you choose not to provide a number, you are opting out of the system and may not receive critical notifications.
How to update your emergency alert info:
- Log into Self-Service
- Click User Options > User Profile
- Under Phone Numbers, add your mobile number
- Set the Phone Type to “Campus Alert”
- Save your changes
Stay informed—keep your contact details current.
When appropriate, the university will also communicate with the community via updates on the website and through social media channels.
During an emergency situation, the university may designate dedicated phone lines as Emergency Help Lines to provide information or instructions. If implemented, the numbers for these lines will be distributed through all appropriate communication channels.
North Park University’s Emergency Management Team is also able to communicate with the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management during the course of any city event that might affect our campus or surrounding neighborhood.
Emergency procedures
- Quickly evaluate the situation to figure out what action gives you the best chance of surviving:
- Run: Can you safely get to a safer location? If yes, do so immediately, leaving your belongings behind.
- Hide: If you can’t get out safely, find a place to hide in your immediate vicinity that offers more protection as well as options for movement.
- Fight: The absolute last resort—if running or hiding are not options—is to fight
- As soon as you are in the safest location possible, call 9-1-1. Do not assume someone else has already called. Tell the dispatcher:
- Where you are
- Who the shooter is in as much detail and description as possible
- Where the shooter is
- Number and types of weapons you could see
- Any injuries you are aware of
- If you must hide out, do what you can to stay unnoticed and keep the shooter out: lock the door, turn out the lights, block the door with heavy objects, keep quiet and put cell phones on silent/vibrate.
- If there are two or more people in a space, quickly and quietly plan what to do if the shooter enters your location, and then spread out as much as possible so the shooter would be forced to look around for targets. Do not huddle together. Remain as calm as possible. Everyone must be committed to surviving the situation.
- If the shooter enters your space, assume their intentions are lethal and use anything you have at your disposal as a weapon of defense. Yell loudly, throw things at their face, if possible rush the shooter as a group to overcome them.
- Remove yourself from the person/area if possible. If safe to do so, leave the building.
- Do not physically confront the person or block the person’s access to an exit.
- If remaining in the building, lock and barricade room door.
- Turn off lights and equipment.
- Call Campus Safety at (773) 244–5600 or text Campus Safety through the LiveSafe App.
- Provide as much information as possible about the person and their direction of travel.
- Remain in secured area until “all clear” has been given by law enforcement or Campus Safety.
- Do not use elevators.
- Follow directions given by evacuation leaders.
- Calmly evacuate the building using the nearest exit.
- Assist persons with disabilities or special needs.
- Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station.
- Stop, look, and listen before exiting.
- RACE: Rescue. Alarm. Confine. Extinguish.
- PASS: Pull the pin. Aim at the fire’s base. Squeeze handle. Sweep side-to-side.
- Move away from the site of the hazard to a safe location.
- Alert others to stay clear of the area.
- Call Campus Safety at (773) 244–5600 or text Campus Safety through the LiveSafe App.
- Provide as much information as possible about the hazardous materials.
- Notify emergency personnel if you have been exposed or have information about the release.
- Activated when there is a medical situation in the building. The goal is to expedite emergency medical services (EMS) system activation and response. A soft lockdown may also be used to
- provide safety and privacy to the victim.
- Available equipment:
- Automated external defibrillator (AED)
- First-aid kits
- Mass casualty kits
- Remain calm and evacuate the building or area immediately while assisting persons with disabilities or special needs.
- Do not use light switches, cell phones, or anything else that could cause a spark.
- Do not use or tamper with any equipment.
- Call Campus Safety at (773) 244–5600 or text Campus Safety through the LiveSafe App.
- Provide as much information as possible about natural gas leak.
- Remain calm and move cautiously to a lighted area while assisting persons with special needs. Exits may be indicated by lighted signs if the emergency power is operating.
- Turn off stoves and unplug computers, appliances, and other voltage-sensitive equipment.
- Do not tamper with or reset tripped fuses or switches.
- Do not use candles during power outages.
- When the siren sounds, move all persons to lowest level hallways and tunnels to avoid glass and debris.
- Assist persons with disabilities or special needs.
- Stay away from the windows and skylights.
- Make sure all doors are closed, and keep the corridors clear of objects.
- Wait for “all clear” to return to other campus areas.
- Do not touch or disturb the object.
- Calmly leave the area.
- Call Campus Safety at (773) 244–5600 or text Campus Safety through the LiveSafe App. Provide as much information as possible about the object and its location
Emergency contact information
Students, staff, and faculty members have the opportunity to provide an emergency contact, someone that will be notified if you experience an emergency on campus, such as an illness or injury, via Self-Service, www.selfservice.northpark.edu. Once logged in, click on the User Options icon on the left navigation menu. Please make sure that this information is accurate so that it can be used by the university as needed.
The confidential contact information will be accessible only to authorized campus officials and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. The confidential contact designation will remain in effect until changed or revoked by the individual.
If you are under the age of 18, the emergency contact person must be a parent or legal guardian. The emergency contact person may be called during medical emergencies, depending on the severity of the situation and your wishes.
Missing person contact information
Students, staff, and faculty may also designate a missing person contact person, who may be notified if you are reported missing for at least 24 hours by roommates, friends, instructors, or colleagues, via Self-Service, www.selfservice.northpark.edu. Once logged in, click on the User Options icon on the left navigation menu. Please make sure that this information is accurate so that it can be used by the University as needed.
For more information about North Park’s missing person policy, please review the Safety and Security Report.