Facilities and Campus Safety

The Manhattan School of Music Emergency Response Program establishes the policies, procedures, and organizational structure for response to incidents that cause a significant disruption to all or portions of the School. The School’s formal Emergency Response Plan describes the roles and responsibilities of the Emergency Management Team as well as the roles and responsibilities of the School’s departments, units, employees, and individuals during emergency situations. It also includes specific information about how the campus community can protect itself during emergencies and how the School, community, and law enforcement will work together to achieve this.

As emergencies are often sudden and without warning, the emergency information in the formal Emergency Response Plan, while providing directions and guidance, is designed to be flexible. The School and community need to be able to respond in any given situation. Nothing in this Program should be construed in a manner that limits the use of good judgment and common sense in matters not foreseen or covered by the elements of the Program.

The School’s Emergency Response Program includes protocols to address specific types of emergencies. These protocols are meant to guide the School’s stabilization of, and recovery from, an incident. The School’s Implementation and Emergency Response Plan discusses how the School will analyze hazards, decide how to respond, decide when and how to notify the campus community, and communicate with personnel, students, law enforcement, and the public about potential emergencies. The Plan also identifies who serves on the Emergency Management Team and how decisions will be made and communicated within that Team.

This Program is consistent with established practices related to emergency response actions and incorporates aspects of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to facilitate coordination among responding agencies. The School will cooperate fully with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other responders in the development, implementation, and execution of its emergency response plans.

This Emergency Response Plan does the following things:

• This guide is a resource on how to deal with specific incidents and emergencies.
• It also tells you how to protect yourself if an emergency occurs while you are in a Manhattan School of Music building and you need to evacuate, lockdown, or shelter-in-place.
• It also provides specific information for individuals with disabilities or others who may need emergency assistance while working, studying, or visiting in the School’s premises.