Rev Ready
KEEP YOURSELF AND THE GW COMMUNITY SAFE.
Be Rev Ready.
The RevReady campaign is designed to educate and empower the GW community to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The goal of the campaign is to involve the community and increase the level of basic emergency preparedness at GW.
- 1. Make a Plan
Individual planning is an essential part of preparing, responding, and recovering from an emergency. Here are steps that you can take to make your own individual emergency preparedness plan.
Students: As a student, you take classes all over campus and participate in activities throughout the city. Your response to an incident or emergency will be affected by your location.
Follow these tips:
- Always carry your GWorld ID card
- Keep your GW Alert contact information up-to-date (alert.gwu.edu)
- Know your location and exits (at least 2), and the placement of first aid kits, AEDs and fire extinguishers
- Program GW Emergency Services (202-994-6111) and personal I.C.E. (in case of emergency) numbers into your mobile device
- Report unusual/suspicious activities or items
- Keep the GW Emergency Response Handbook readily available
Get more safety tips from GWPD.
Parents/Guardians: Parents/Guardians who wish to receive GW Alerts may do so by having their student go to alert.gwu.edu and enter their information. Parents/Guardians may also use GW Family Connections for updates. Sign up for GW Family Connections.
Faculty: Faculty members should:
- Read and familiarize yourself with the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
- Familiarize yourself with your classrooms, the location of the closest emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, AED's, first aid kits, etc.), and two emergency exit routes out of the building
- Provide your classes with general information relating to incident procedures at the start of each semester (Syllabus Insert PDF or Word)
- Know how to report an incident from the classroom(s) you use
- Take charge of the students in your classroom and follow appropriate procedures for all fire/building alarms and emergency alerts
- Ensure that students with disabilities or special needs have the information or access to assistance they may require during an incident
- Be sure that you plan for disruptions to any research you may be conducting
Contact the Health & Emergency Management Safety ([email protected]) if you have any questions.
Staff: Staff members should:
- Read and familiarize yourself with the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
- Familiarize yourself with your office suite, workspace, and building
- Know the location of the closest emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, AEDs, first aid kits, etc.)
- Know two emergency exit routes out of the building
- Know your division, department or office Contingency and Continuity of Operations Plans
- Know your responsibilities within your workplace plan
- Retain a copy of the GW Emergency Response Handbook
University Human Resources has categorized employees as Designated or Essential. Contact your Human Resources Client Partner for more information on your status.
Divisions, Departments, and Offices: Divisions, departments, and offices should become familiar with the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and their roles and responsibilities for providing operational support as requested by university leadership.
Fire Plan: You can request a copy of the Fire Prevention Plan from Environmental Health & Safety by emailing [email protected].
- 2. Build a Kit
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As a part of an individual emergency operation plan, Environmental Health & Safety recommends that each office and/or individual maintain an emergency kit in the event of a prolonged emergency that disrupts the lifesafety infrastructure of the university. Below are the items that Environmental Health & Safety recommends to be included in your emergency kit.
For pre-made, ready for purchase emergency go-kits, HEMS recommend visiting the Red Cross Store. For additional assistance, please contact Environmental Health & Safety at 202-994-4936.
Have at least three days of supplies to sustain yourself. Recommended items*:
- Water (one gallon per person per day)
- Non-perishable food
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First-aid kit
- Radio and extra batteries
- Medications and items for unique needs
- Cash and some change
- Clothes and comfortable shoes
- Important documents
- Filter mask or cotton t-shirt
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape
- Whistle
- Cell phone charger
*Adapted from Ready.gov
In addition, consider the needs of others in your family including children, the elderly and pets.
- 3. Stay Informed
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The George Washington University uses a number of tools to notify students, staff, faculty, and community members of emergency situations and safety-related information. Environmental Health & Safety partners with internal and external units, including the Office of Communications and Marketing and the Division of IT to communicate emergency information.
GW Campus Advisories: Campus Advisories is the university's primary website used for communicating emergency preparedness and incident-related information to the GW community. You can visit this site for updates and changes in university status, adverse weather conditions, important issues concerning safety, and anything else that may disrupt normal operations.
GW Alert: The university notification system sends emergency alerts to e-mail addresses, cell phones (text messages), institutional IP desk and residence hall phones, social media and university web pages. Students, faculty, and staff should keep their contact information up to date by logging into the GW Alert Portal using your GW NetID and password.
In addition to GW Alert, you can sign up to receive alerts from your local jurisdiction.
- CAPITALERT.gov is a clearinghouse for emergency alert systems in the National Capital Region including the District of Columbia's AlertDC.
- Wireless Emergency Alerts may be issued by the National Weather Service (for severe weather alerts in your current location) or by the President of the United States. These alerts will be received on any WEA-capable devices.
InfoMail: Infomail is used to communicate non-emergency safety and security-related information.
Guardian App: GW Guardian is a smart phone app that provides an additional layer of safety to the university's emergency mass notification services. The app enables users on an off campus to: receive targeted advisories and alerts from GW Division of Safety and Operations; connect directly with GW Police and EMeRG; access a directory of key phone numbers and websites; set a Safety Timer and assign a virtual Guardian to monitor the user's safety late at night or while traveling; and other features.
Twitter/Facebook: The social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) / Facebook are used to communicate non-emergency safety and security-related information.
Information is posted to the main university X (formerly Twitter) account (@GWTweets). This information is sometimes also posted to the main university Facebook page.
GW Information Line: You can call the GW Information Line for updates and changes in university status, adverse weather conditions, important issues concerning safety, and anything else that may disrupt normal operations. A recorded information line, the 202-994-5050 line provides a message regarding the university's status and any pertinent information. The Information Line number for Virginia Science and Technology Campus is (571-553-8333) and the Information Line number for the Biostatistics Center is (301-881-9260).
Media Outlets: GW may contact local media outlets with updates and changes to the university's operating status. Follow your local news outlet.
