Glossary of Terms
Safety Alert Instructions Defined
Avoid the Area
What does this mean? Police and/or emergency workers are on site and additional traffic or crowds could impede their work.
What to do: Maintain normal activity and stay clear of the identified area.
Shelter in place
What does this mean? There could be a potential risk to public safety. Emergency personnel are assessing the situation to ensure safety.
What to do: Stay where you are. If you’re in your residence hall room, stay there. If you’re in a classroom, stay there. If you are outside, make your way indoors. If you are coming to campus, do not approach the area where the shelter-in-place order is in effect.
- Students: Clear out from common areas such as lounges and hallways until an all-clear message is shared. Continue business as normal (studying, etc.) while sheltering in place.
- Employees/Instructors: Bring people in from hallways and account for students, visitors and others. Go about business as usual without leaving your location, and await an all-clear message.
Lockdown
What does this mean? There is a threat to safety present and emergency operations are ongoing inside or near the building.
What to do: Stay where you are and do not leave. Secure your area by locking doors and windows. Move away from sight, maintain silence, silence cell phones, prepare to evade or defend, lock doors and turn out lights. Do not open doors until contacted by police or an all-clear has been issued.
Evacuate
What does this mean? There is an emergency within the building or area and all occupants need to remove themselves to ensure safety and allow emergency responders access to address the issue.
What to do: Calmly leave the building or area and relocate to the designated meeting point for the location or leave campus.
Run-hide-fight
What does this mean? There is an active threat in your vicinity. Take immediate action.
What to do: If it’s safe to run, do so. If it’s not safe to leave, hide. Prepare to fight, if necessary.
- RUN: Remove yourself from the area and campus, if you can.
- HIDE: If you are not able to leave, stay where you are and take immediate measures to conceal yourself, such as turning off lights and audible notifications on devices, finding a corner away from doors and windows or entering a closet.
- FIGHT: Prepare to defend yourself or others if you feel capable and willing. Identify items such as water bottles, fire extinguishers, or other common items that can be used in defense.
All clear
What does this mean? A situation has been resolved to a point where the community can go about regular activities. Police may not have additional details and the investigation may be continuing, but there is not a concern for public safety.
What to do: Return to regular operations. You may leave the area you were sheltering and go about campuses as desired.
How do I get text alerts?
Colorado State University students and employees can opt-in for text alerts and advisories (all “colostate.edu” emails will also receive alerts). See full opt-in instructions.
For safety updates such as closed roads, building outages, and out-of-service elevators, text CSUALERT to 888777. For safety updates at university events such as football games or concerts, text CSURAMS to 888777.
Report a Concern
Emergencies: Call or text 911 immediately.
Non-emergencies: Contact CSU Police, (970) 491-6425.
Tell Someone if you are concerned about a student or an employee’s health and safety.
Extended Safety and Emergency Definitions
A situation involving an individual actively engaged in harming or attempting to harm people.
Designated areas where individuals should gather following an evacuation to be accounted for and receive further instructions.
Emergency call boxes located throughout campuses, often marked with blue lights, allowing users to directly connect with campus security in emergencies. Find Blue Lights on the main campus map.
An emergency notification system (e.g., text, email, sirens) used to quickly inform students, faculty, and staff of imminent threats or urgent information.
A federal mandate requiring universities to disclose information about campus crime and security policies in an annual report, aiming for transparency and informed safety practices. Explore the Clery Act in greater detail.
A protocol to prevent movement in or out of campus buildings in response to an immediate threat, often involving locked doors and instructions to stay away from windows and doors. This is a directive informing recipients they must remain in their current location until further notice to avoid additional risk or interfering with emergency response activities.
A federal law protecting the privacy of student education records, with certain exceptions that allow sharing information when student safety is at risk. Understand what FERPA means for you.
A temporary safety measure where designated personnel monitor buildings without functioning fire alarms or sprinklers, ensuring a prompt response to any fire-related incidents.
Policies and protocols activated when a student living in campus housing is reported missing, requiring timely notification to campus authorities and parents or guardians.