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SEVERE WEATHER

Severe Weather Policy

It is the policy of Duke University and Health System to maintain essential services and operations during any severe weather or emergency condition while providing for the protection, safety and health of all patients, students, staff and faculty. Essential services include maintaining hospital operations, supporting students in residence, operating research facilities and providing necessary support and administrative services.

Because of the essential services Duke provides to the community at large, and our responsibility to support and care for students and patients, we are not at liberty to cease operations during severe weather and emergency conditions. Duke and its staff members must be prepared to safely operate and serve during these extraordinary conditions. To that end, Duke provides the following resources to help guide, coach and support our staff members, managers and department heads in effective planning during these unusual times.

Job/Work Categories During Severe Weather or Emergency Conditions

Every Duke staff member performs important services and work. During extraordinary times of severe weather or emergency conditions, some positions require on-site presence to continue operations of patient care, student support and research functions. To ensure continuous operations during these conditions, all jobs are categorized into one of three service levels in support of the policy:

• Essential Service: jobs that are required to maintain essential services and operations during any severe weather or emergency condition while ensuring for the safety and health of all patients, students, staff and faculty. During Severe Weather/Emergency Conditions or when a State of Emergency has been issued, essential service employees:
  • Report to or remain at work
  • Transportation services may be provided determined by department
  • Childcare services may be provided determined by department
• Reserve Service: jobs that are not immediately required to provide service but function as "Delayed Service" during severe weather or emergency conditions and may be upgraded to "Essential Service" based on the needs of the department/organization. During Severe Weather/Emergency Conditions or when a State of Emergency has been issued, reserve service employees:
  • Category assigned at time of each severe weather/emergency condition event
• Delayed Service: jobs that can be delayed until severe weather/emergency conditions have passed.
  • Do not report to or remain at work
  • No Transportation services provided
  • No Childcare Services provided

Severe Weather or Emergency Condition Descriptions

• Severe Weather/Emergency Conditions: are defined as heavy snow or ice accumulations, flooding, hurricane or tornado damage that significantly effects the normal operations of Duke. Regardless of the severe weather/emergency condition event, the Hospitals and University must remain open in support of patient care and residential support. However, classes and clinic appointments may be canceled. Positions assigned to the Essential Service category must report to or remain at work.
  
• State of Emergency: Only the Governor and/or Mayors of affected areas can declare a state of emergency. In the event that a state of emergency is called, all Duke staff members should contact their supervisor for instructions. Positions assigned to the Essential Service category must report to or remain at work as scheduled or directed.
  
• Hazardous Conditions: There are some weather or emergency conditions that occur when the local school systems are closed and the Health System and University offices are open and services continue. During these conditions employing units will provide operating and attendance guidelines.

Declaring Severe Weather - Decision Making Process

Because of the diverse and numerous customers served by Duke and the multiple locations at which services are delivered, efficient discussion of the weather conditions is required to enable appropriate and coordinated decisions for each locale and work shift.

The following criteria will be considered in declaring a severe weather or emergency condition for each shift:

• Condition or anticipated worsening condition of local streets and highways in the general locale of each campus/entity.
• Other conditions that may pose a threat to the safety of students, patients, faculty, staff and visitors.

The Duke Chief of Police is responsible for the early gathering of information on the criteria to be used by those responsible for declaring severe weather/emergency conditions. The Chief will advise the University Executive Vice President, the Provost, and the Health System Vice President for Acute Care Division of the present or worsening conditions, for each shift. The Executive Vice President, the Provost, and the Vice President for Acute Care will confer and the University Executive Vice President will make the decision on activating and/or terminating the severe weather/emergency conditions policy for each shift. Once implemented, the policy will remain in force for the duration of the work shift.

Where the policy is activated or terminated, institutional communication procedures will be followed. Staff members will also need to implement communication steps, as appropriate, with their supervisors.

NOTE: On rare occasions the Marine Lab will need to evacuate students from the campus in anticipation of dangerous weather (such as the imminent arrival of a hurricane). The director of the Marine Lab will decide when evacuation is necessary. The Marine Lab web site (www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab) will provide ongoing updates regarding student residential status.

Notification Process

Institutional Notification Steps: The University Executive Vice President will determine whether to activate or terminate the severe weather/emergency conditions policy and authorize communication as early as possible before the start of each shift. Once activated, the policy provisions will remain active for the duration of the work shift.

Notification Actions: Once a decision to activate or terminate the severe weather/emergency conditions policy has been made, the following actions will take place:

The University Executive Vice President will ensure notification of the following:

• Vice President for Human Resources, who will notify the following:
  • Associate Vice President of News & Communications, who coordinates announcement for university and medical center, contact media
  • Executive Vice Provost for Finance and Administration, who determines class attendance and scheduling; notifies deans of schools (including the School of Medicine and School of Nursing), registrar, and librarian to implement severe weather plan
  • Vice President for Campus Services, who coordinates support services (transportation, housekeeping, food services, etc.) and coordinate facility support needs (clearing of roads, parking areas, etc.)
  • Vice President for Student Affairs, who notifies residential staff, student activities, dean of students staff

The Health System Vice President for Acute Care will ensure notification of the following:

• DUHS Chief Human Resources Officer, who will notify the following:
  • Acute Care Division Chief Executives, who will notify hospitals and other acute care units to implement severe weather plan
  • Vice President for DUHS Public Affairs who will:
    • coordinate announcements with the Associate Vice President of News & Communication
    • notify the Health System communication officers, especially those at Duke Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital,
  • Vice President of Ambulatory Care Division, who will notify ambulatory care units to implement severe weather plan
  • Chief of Staff for Chancellor, who will coordinate with the Chancellor's office and administration
  • Vice President for Medical Affairs, who will implement severe weather plans for patient safety

It is the responsibility of senior unit/division/entity/department administrators to develop a process that ensures that all faculty and staff members are appropriately notified of the activation and termination of the Severe Weather / Emergency Conditions policy.

Severe Weather/Emergency Conditions Information Card

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