Evacuation Plans
The evacuation of specific campus buildings or of the entire campus may be required due to certain emergency situations occuring on or near the University. Whenever possible, any evacuations will be done in a systematic, controlled, and planned manner with the guidance and assistance of the University Police Department and campus Building Marshals.
CSULB Building Marshal Program:
To facilitate the safe evacuation of campus buildings and to help inform emergency response personnel of any urgent needs, the campus utilizes a Building Marshal Program. This program is staffed by over 250 trained employees who volunteer to perform essential tasks during emergency situations. When an evacuation is warranted, Building Marshals are responsible for:
- Assisting in the safe and complete evacuation of a building
- Preventing re-entry into an evacuated building until it is deemed safe to return
- Ensuring building occupants go to the designated Evacuation Rally Point for their building or area
- Reporting pertinent information such as the location of injured or trapped persons to emergency response personnel
Staging Areas:
In order to facilitate the safe and orderly evacuation of the campus, a Staging Area system may be employed to control the release of people. This system would normally be used following a major disaster where the buildings have been deemed uninhabitable and a full campus evacuation has been ordered. Under the Staging Area system, building occupants are evacuated and moved to one of the Staging Areas. They will be held in the Staging Area for a period of time until roadways are deemed safe and accessible or it is decided that they must be sheltered on campus. The University maintains two primary Staging Areas and two secondary Staging Areas.
Primary Staging Areas:
- The Upper Quad
- The Athletic Fields
Secondary Staging Areas:
- Parking Lots G7, G8, G9 (Formerly Lot 14)
- Parking Lot G2 (Formerly Lot 20)
Types of Evacuation Orders:
Campus-wide Evacuation:
When it is deemed necessary to completely evacuate the campus due to emergency conditions a systematic and controlled approach will be used. When campus buildings are deemed safe for occupancy, personnel will be held at their current location pending evacuation. If campus buildings are deemed unsafe the Staging Area system noted above will be utilized.
Following the decision to order the evacuation of the CSULB campus, the University President or his/her representative shall notify both the Chief of University Police and the Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs of the need for information broadcasts asking persons to stay away from the campus. The University Police with the assistance of campus Building Marshals shall be responsible for coordinating the evacuation process.
Localized Evacuation:
In some situations it may become necessary to evacuate one or more building on campus due to a localized emergency situation. When this occurs the University Police Department will coordinate the evacuation with campus Building Marshals. The decision to evacuate will be based on the totality of the circumstances and, whenever possible, following consultation with the ranking Dean or Facility Manager. When evacuations are due to an overriding concern for public safety it may not be possible to make such consultations. In those instances the appropriate Dean or Facility Manager will be notified of the evacuation as soon as is practical.
