POWER OUTAGE

POWER OUTAGE

The level classification of unplanned power outages depends on expected duration of outage, time of day, time of year, etc. Unplanned power outages can be classified by terms of severity and typical emergency responses are as follows:

LEVEL 1 OUTAGE

  • Outage impacts individual rooms or small buildings, for periods usually not exceeding one day.
  • Emergency actions typically include temporary relocation of directly impacted students, if necessary, until repairs can be made by Facilities Operations National Grid, or an electrical contractor.
  • If students rely on the impacted buildings for cooking purposes, Dining Services will work with the students to provide meals.

LEVEL 2 OUTAGE

  • Outage impacts larger buildings or a small number of buildings for periods exceeding one day, or when the outage impacts life safety systems or heating systems.
  • Assuming the needs of displaced or impacted students, staff and/or faculty can be met on campus, emergency actions typically include the temporary relocation of students in impacted buildings to other on-campus buildings, and employees assigned alternative work assignments or assigned remote work and sent home until repairs can be made by Facilities Operations, National Grid, or an electrical contractor.

LEVEL 3 OUTAGE

  • Outage causes multi-day or multi-building impacts, causing the life safety systems or heating systems to be offline.
  • Assuming the needs of displaced or impacted students, staff and/or faculty cannot be met on campus, emergency actions typically include the temporary relocation of students in affected buildings to other off-campus facilities, and employees being given alternative work assignments or assigned remote work sent home until repairs can be made by Facilities Operations, National Grid, or an electrical contractor.
  1. If you experience an unplanned power outage:
  • Notify Safety & Security at (315) 229-5555 or x5555.
    • Stop any “hazardous” activities you (or the students you are teaching or employees you are supervising) were engaged in that cannot otherwise be performed safely without power. For example, the use of hazardous chemicals that require a functioning fume hood in a laboratory.
    • Do not approach or touch any wires on the ground or detached from a building or piece of equipment. Immediately notify Safety & Security.
  • In situations where the outage results in a disruption of life safety systems on campus (i.e. fire detection and suppression systems no longer function), Safety & Security is responsible for making a determination as to whether or not affected facilities may remain occupied.
  1. If you are trapped in an elevator, follow these guidelines:
  • Use the emergency phone in the elevator or a cellular telephone to notify Safety & Security at (315) 229-5555 or x5555.
    • Remain calm and wait for assistance to arrive. If the elevator is between floors,

DO NOT attempt to exit the elevator.  

  • Notify Safety & Security at (315) 229-5555 or x5555 if you discover people trapped in an elevator. Talk to the people inside the elevator, inform them that you have called for assistance. Try to keep them calm until Safety & Security arrives to assist.
  1. Building Evacuation
  • If a building evacuation is ordered, assist special needs individuals with exiting the building and proceed to a safe location outside the building.
    • Remain calm and do not panic.

IMPORTANT—DO NOT RETURN TO AN EVACUATED BUILDING until and unless directed by Safety & Security.