Classroom Preparedness

Faculty and Teaching Assistants (TA’s) should have a plan for emergencies and be ready to implement it at any time. Your students will look to you for leadership and advice. Share your plan with your students at least once, preferably at the beginning of the semester.

  • Have a list of all students in the class.
  • Identify emergency exits and evacuation routes and make them known at the beginning of the semester.
  • Always evacuate during fire alarms.
  • Identify a meeting location near the building and account for all evacuated occupants. Report anyone who is missing to public safety officials as soon as possible.
  • For a dangerous situation that requires you to get far away quickly—e.g., an active shooter—identify a second meeting location that is far from the building. You can also instruct students to scatter or return to their colleges, schools, or home.
  • Advise students who need assistance evacuating—whether they have a permanent or temporary special need—to review the Special Needs Guidelines and develop an emergency plan.
  • Explain shelter-in-place procedures at least once during the semester.
  • If your classroom is not a good place to shelter in place, identify other more suitable spaces nearby.

Yale ALERT

  • Save the Yale ALERT number (203-432-5830) into your phone and assign a special ringtone so it can be easily recognized.
  • If you ask your students to turn off their phones during class, make sure that at least yours is accessible to receive Yale ALERT messages; remember that updates will be provided regularly via Yale ALERT and emergency.yale.edu.

During an Emergency

  • Call 911 or the Yale Police at 203-432-4400. Do not assume someone else has called.
  • Follow instructions provided to you via Yale Alert and Public Safety officials.
  • Try to remain calm and give clear instructions to help students quickly and quietly assist in responding to the emergency.
  • Use your judgment when determining the course of action.

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