VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #U031

Pertinent emergency follow-up information will be disseminated as soon as it is available. Updates and follow-up messages may be sent via the mass notification system. Members of the campus community and larger community may also monitor updates via local/national news media. 5.3 Fire Safety As part of VCOM’s fire safety procedures, students, faculty, and staff are provided with building evacuation maps. These are provided to all new employees upon hire and all first-year students at orientation. All students, faculty, and staff are also provided these maps annually. The evacuation maps show features of the building, including exits and stairway locations and outline the evacuation route that should be used by building occupants according to where they are in the building. Evacuation plans exist for all VCOM buildings. Faculty, staff, and students should review and be familiar with the evacuation plans. Fire alarms can be sounded for many different reasons including an actual fire, an intentional activation, an accident during cleaning, smoke or steam of any type, or a defective detector. VCOM also conducts periodic fire drills to ensure that all building occupants understand the emergency exit process. It is important to evacuate the building during a fire alarm regardless of the cause. No one may re-enter the building after an alarm until the "all clear" has been sounded by the operations staff in charge or by emergency personnel. In the event the fire alarm sounds, students shall proceed immediately to the nearest exit or stairwell leading to an exit to egress the building. Students, faculty, and staff should become familiar with the site-specific fire plans. Building occupants shall proceed at a walking (not running) pace and use caution to avoid injury to other persons when exiting. Building occupants should proceed to the designated outdoor safe zones and refrain from leaving until properly accounted for. Safety policies & procedures consisting of campus safety, fire and safety procedures and VCOM building evacuation plan maps can be found on the VCOM website. 5.4 Firearms and Weapons VCOM property is considered private property; therefore, students, faculty, staff, and visitors are prohibited from carrying, maintaining, or storing a firearm or weapon on any VCOM property, VCOM clinical site, affiliated university campuses, and all surrounding parking lots and space owned or leased by the College. Any visitor or other third party attending an event or visiting an academic or administrative office is prohibited from carrying, maintaining, or storing a firearm or weapon on any college facility, even if the owner has a valid permit. This prohibition also applies to all events on campus where people congregate in any public or outdoor areas. Students who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension or dismissal. 5.5 Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vape Free Campus VCOM is committed to creating and maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment for employees, students, and visitors. As such, VCOM prohibits the use of all tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and nicotine or non-nicotine vape products

VCOM Campus Safety and Health Policy

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