Prepare for Emergencies



With faculty and students who study hundreds of disciplines and thousands of subjects, Appalachian is certainly a diverse and vibrant campus. Unfortunately, recent surveys conducted by the Office of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management indicate that many of our faculty, staff, and students are simply not prepared for one of the most fundamental and basic subject areas -- personal safety and preparedness.

Most people do not prepare for emergencies until they personally experience one. Preparing for emergencies, even the most basic, will help you respond quicker and more effectively should the need arise. If you would like to request a workshop or training in your department, contact the Office of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management.

Click on the graphics below to read information related to specific emergencies.





Appalachian Is a "StormReady" Campus

Appalachian State University has completed a set of rigorous warning preparedness criteria established by the National Weather Service to earn the distinction of being a StormReady® University. Click here to read the entire story.

The emergency management program and emergency preparedness initiatives of Appalachian State University, including this web site, are now a service of the Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management Department (EHS&EM). If you have any questions relating to EHS&EM programs at Appalachian, please visit the EHS&EM site or the "Contact Us" section of this site.

We encourage all students to spend at least 10 minutes to better prepare yourselves for campus emergencies.

Take two minutes to register to receive emergency voice and text messages on your cell or smart phone through the AppState-ALERT system. Instructions for registering are found at https://emergency.appstate.edu/register-appstate-alert.

Next, take eight minutes to explore this emergency web site. The site has information for both students and parents.

Nearly every week, the media publishes reports about incidents on college campuses. From violence to hurricanes, we must all prepare ourselves to prevent, respond, and recover from emergencies and disasters. There are 161,280 minutes in an average semester; by spending ten of them preparing for potential emergencies, you to help make Appalachian a safer and more resilient place to learn, live, work, and play. Click on the picture to the left to print a copy of the emergency preparedness flier.

No one knows if or when a disaster might disrupt campus operations. Recognizing the need to be prepared for any disaster--whether illness, blizzard, violent crime or another scenario--Appalachian is always expanding and improving its campus-wide Emergency Operations Plan.

University leaders have taken steps to protect the safety and welfare of our students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. They also have developed guidelines addressing the continuation of campus services should a disruption of services occur.