Emergency and Critical Incident Response

The objective of the Critical Incident Response process is to outline how The University of Southern Mississippi - The Division of Student Affairs will respond to emergency incidents. It should be noted that additional service providers may be notified as deemed necessary.

Step One

Notify University Police Department (UPD) at 601.266.4986 and the

Dean of Students Office at 601-266-6028.

Step Two

University Police dispatcher notifies patrol officer. UPD contacts Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs.

If the incident warrants additional attention, other Critical Incident Response Team
(CIRT) members may be notified.

Appropriate emergency response providers (ambulance, fire and rescue, coroner,
local law enforcement, etc.) will be called if necessary. UPD will work with responding emergency personnel and hospital emergency room staff.

The Dean of Students, Vice President, and UPD personnel will notify the Southern Miss Department of Marketing and Public Relations as deemed necessary.

If a student is transported to the hospital, from UPD, Southern Miss Student Health
Services, and Southern Miss Student Counseling Services personnel will speak with
medical facility staff regarding the physical and mental condition of student and the
status of student’s admission into facility or release status.

With the initial contact of the CIRT being UPD, other CIRT personnel such as medical clinic or counseling center professional staff may be notified for participation.

Step 3: A member of the CIRT may contact the student’s family
if deemed necessary, as well as speak with student’s
roommate or significant friends or family members.

Step 4: If needed, the student’s family may be asked to visit campus. A CIRT member will work with family members to address all noted needs and processes, which may include meeting with campus administrators.

Step 5: The CIRT will meet to debrief, address other student and university needs, outline an appropriate follow-up plan, and evaluate the procedure followed.

The University of Southern Mississippi, Division of Student Affairs provides numerous services to assist students and staff with medical and personal emergencies. Students, staff, and families can call the University Police Department at 601.266.4986 or the Dean of Students Office at 601.266.6028 for information and assistance.

Contact Numbers

 More Information emergency_incident_response_plan.pdf