Emergency Closings Policy
Boston University Medical Campus, which includes academic, research, patient care activities and residential properties, generally does not close during emergency or disaster situations, but may reduce its activities as appropriate to the situation.
The Boston University Medical Campus Provost and the Vice President for Operations or the Associate Vice president for Financial and Business Affairs will determine if, and when, individual buildings or services at the Boston University Medical Campus are to close and what staffing levels should remain on the campus.
In the event that weather or other emergency conditions warrant the all-day closing, delayed opening or early closing of the Medical Campus, the Office of Human Resources will notify all Vice Presidents, Deans and Directors so that they may pass the information on to their employees. Information on the status of Medical Campus operations will also be distributed through the news media, Medical Campus websites and on the disaster emergency phone line at 617 638-6886.
Boston University Medical Campus will initiate actions in response to existing or projected weather conditions or other emergency / disaster situations in accordance with the Medical Campus Disaster Response Plan.
PROCEDURE:
The Boston University Medical Center Office of Emergency Planning and Response manages and updates an Emergency Information Line at 617-638-6886 and an Emergency Communications Web Page at www.bumc.bu.edu/ep/emergency-communications/ that includes current information on the status of classes, patient care schedules, parking facilities, and relevant building, grounds and transportation issues. This weather line and web site are activated in the event of a current or planned cancellation of classes or other activities.
Authorized members of Boston University Medical Campus administration will notify the Office of Emergency Planning and Response regarding changes to the normal operating procedures for the Medical Campus. The Office of Emergency Planning and Response will update both the Emergency Information Line and the web page as necessary.
Announcements and information regarding cancellation of classes or patient appointments will be made between the hours of 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. on the following radio and television stations:
WRKO 680 AM
WBZ 1030 AM
WBZ-TV Channel 4
WCVB-TV Channel 5
WHDH-TV Channel 7
WFXT-TV Channel 25
WLVI-TV Channel 56
The above radio and television stations are the only stations authorized to announce Medical Campus closings and delayed openings.
Boston University Medical Campus considers certain employees to be essential. The determination of ‘essential’ versus ‘non-essential’ personnel is made on a case-by-case basis by department heads depending on the needs of the Medical Campus.
In the event that the weather conditions or other emergency / disaster situations warrant ongoing incident management, the Boston University Medical Campus administration will activate a command center operating under the direction of an Incident Commander.
The following individuals may respond as Incident Commander:
Kevin Tuohey, Executive Director of Research Compliance, Incident Commander.
Robert Whitfield, Director of Campus and Clinical Safety, Alternate Incident Commander.
Connie Packard, Director of Public Safety and Control Center, Alternate Incident Commander.
The command center telephone number is 617 638-6860.
