September is National Preparedness Month, and this week we’re putting your preparedness to the test.

Emergencies don’t always give you time to think. Picture yourself in each situation. What would you do?

Scenario 1: Your Phone Goes Off During Class

An IUP Emergency Notification suddenly appears on your phone.

What would you do?

  1. Ignore it. You’ll hear about it if it’s important.
  2. Check social media first.
  3. Read the entire alert and follow the instructions.

So, what should you do?

C. Read the alert. It may tell you to evacuate, shelter in place, avoid an area, or take another immediate action.

Scenario 2: The Fire Alarm Goes Off at 2:00 a.m.

You’re in your residence hall. You don’t smell smoke or see flames.

What would you do?

  1. Stay in bed.
  2. Wait to see what everyone else does.
  3. Evacuate.

So, what should you do?

C. Evacuate. Treat every fire alarm as real. Use the stairs and don’t return until you’re told it’s safe.

Scenario 3: Your Normal Exit Is Blocked

You’re evacuating a campus building, but the exit you normally use isn’t available.

What would you do?

  1. Wait for someone to tell you where to go.
  2. Use another safe exit.
  3. Go back to the room you came from.

So, what should you do?

B. Use another safe exit. Get in the habit of noticing more than one way out whenever you enter a campus building.

Scenario 4: Something Doesn’t Look Right

You notice something concerning on campus, but you assume someone else has probably reported it.

What would you do?

  1. Post about it on social media.
  2. Keep walking.
  3. Report it.

So, what should you do?

C. Report it. If there is an immediate threat or emergency, call 911. Don’t assume someone else already has.

One Last Question: Will You Get the Alert?

Your friend receives an IUP emergency text and phone call, but you get nothing.

Your @iup.edu email address is automatically registered for IUP Emergency Notification System emails, but your cell phone is not automatically registered.

Register or verify your cell phone information to receive emergency texts and phone calls, and consider downloading the Everbridge app for another way to receive alerts.

Put Yourself to the Test

The next time you enter a classroom, residence hall, office, or other campus building, take five seconds to look around, know your exits, know your surroundings, and know who is in the room. Those five seconds could make a big difference in an emergency.

Preparedness isn’t just about having supplies. It’s knowing how you’ll respond when something unexpected happens.

If something happened right now, what would you do?