Why Prepare?
Keeping In Touch
Personal Belongings
Insurance & Liability
Hurricane / Emergency Kit

Preparing for Major Emergencies
Students are advised to prepare themselves as much as possible for potential emergencies they may face while attending Tulane University. This section is designed to serve as a guide to students preparing for such emergencies.

Why Prepare?
In general terms, when a large-scale disaster occurs, emergency responders, such as fire departments, emergency medical services & police departments, are first on the scene to assess damage, secure public safety, and help those in immediate need. They are joined by volunteer organizations like the American Red Cross, which provides shelter and assistance to meet emergency needs. There are public and private utility crews, who work to restore electricity, telephone and natural gas lines. There is a response system in place, but in times of disaster, emergency responders can't be everywhere, helping everyone immediately. It may take an extended period of time for assistance to reach your area. And if the emergency is limited to your home, workplace, or immediate neighborhood, your plans have to be personalized. In either case, everyone in your family should be ready to act. For example:

• Disaster strikes and you do not have a car to drive home. You are away at school in New Orleans, your parents are at home or at work in another city/state/country, and other family members are not near Tulane University. How do you find each other and how do you get home?
• Disaster strikes, and confines you to your room. Basic services that we take for granted, such as electricity, water, gas and telephone, may be unavailable for an extended period of time. You need to know how to cope with the situation.
• Disaster strikes while you are in class, and you need to stay in the classroom much longer than expected. How do you deal with your responsibilities while you are delayed?
• Disaster strikes and you need to get out fast. You should have a plan for where to go, and what to take with you.
• Disaster strikes suddenly, like a flash flood. You need to know what to do, and where to take shelter.

You can see how important it is to take steps to prepare for disaster before it happens. Preparing for emergencies is everyone's responsibility. Families and friends can and do respond to and recover from these events better by preparing in advance and working as a team.

Developing a personal emergency plan will help you, your family, & friends prepare to cope with the effects of disaster. It takes very little time to do, and it provides opportunities for everyone to get involved. The personal emergency plan includes 3 basic steps:

1. Learning about the hazards and how to prepare for each
2. Talking about the idea of disaster planning with your family & friends
3. Putting your plan into action

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Keeping In Touch
Perhaps the most common concern brought to our department by parents during an emergency is, “Where is my son/daughter?” Housing and Residence Life begins each resident’s stay in housing by requesting emergency contact information and student’s personal evacuation plan to be submitted prior to or during check-in. In addition to the information that is given at check-in, PLEASE make plans in advance with your parents/family on how you will contact one another in the event of an emergency, such as evacuation. Multiple modes of contact are advised, such as a cell phone, phone card, and finding a mutual contact person in case conventional communication systems are not operational due to the emergency conditions.

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Personal Belongings
There are several additional steps that we encourage students to take in preparing their belongings:

• Review the What to Bring and What Not to Bring section of our Arrive! New Student Information website
• Ensure your belongings are covered under your parent’s homeowner’s insurance or secure additional coverage. Links to two companies who provide low-cost, comprehensive coverage for personal property specifically designed for college students is available on our Arrive! Webpage
• Label everything – literally – everything with your first and last name

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Insurance & Liability
In light of the University’s recent experience with Hurricane Katrina, Housing and Residence Life requires all students to know their (or their parents’) homeowners’ insurance policies, and to what extent such policies would cover any damage in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Students who find the coverage lacking are advised to seek out additional coverage in the form of homeowners’ insurance, or college student insurance. More information about the alternation college student insurance can be found at http://housing.tulane.edu/arrive/protect.html.

Per the University Housing Contract: The University disclaims any responsibility for, and each resident hereby releases and holds the University harmless from, any liability arising from any loss or damage to any personal property (including without limitation money or valuables) located in any facility occupied by a resident. The University strongly encourages residents to obtain insurance coverage protecting the resident’s personal property. IF A RESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE INSURANCE COVERAGE, THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY MUST BE BORNE ENTIRELY BY THE RESIDENT.

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Hurricane / Emergency Kit
Students living on campus (and those living off campus also!) should design and maintain an emergency kit in their room, and to take it with them in the event of an evacuation. We suggest a kit include the following:

• Supply of water (a good guide: 1 gal/per person/per day)
• First aid kit with:
• Bandages & gauze
• antibiotic ointment
• aspirin & non-aspirin pain reliever
• Antacid and anti-diarrhea medication
• Rubbing alcohol & moist towelettes
• Extra prescription medication (Ask your physician how to store prescription medication with knowledge of how to store your meds in the event of a power outage)
• Toiletries and personal hygiene products
• Contact lenses and eyeglasses
• Sun protection & Insect repellent
• Battery-operated radio & Flashlight
• Non-electric can opener
• Extra batteries
• Plenty of absorbent towels, plastic trash bags
• Wind-up or battery-operated clock
• Aluminum foil, paper napkins and plates, plastic cups
• Toilet paper & paper towels

Things that would need to be added to the kit without delay in an emergency:

• Pillow, sheets, blankets or sleeping bag
• Rain gear
• Cell phone charger and phone card (in case cell phone towers go down)
• Any important documents you have brought to school (social security card, insurance information, credit cards, driver’s license, special medical information, property inventories, etc.)
• Cash (With no power, banks may be closed, checks and credit cards unaccepted and ATMs may not be operational)
• Personal hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)
• Quiet games, books, & playing cards

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