Glossary of Terms
Safety Alert Instructions Defined
Avoid the area
What does this mean? Police and/or emergency workers are on scene. Additional pedestrian or vehicle traffic may impede their work or compromise safety.
What to do:
- Stay clear of the identified area and maintain normal activity.
- Use alternate routes or entrances as needed.
- Do not approach out of curiosity.
- Await further instruction or All Clear.
Secure status
What does this mean? A criminal threat or law enforcement activity is occurring near or outside a building. The building perimeter is locked to keep the threat outside while normal operations continue indoors.
What to do:
- Move inside immediately if outdoors.
- Lock and secure all exterior doors and windows.
- Continue normal indoor operations — classes and work proceed.
- Increase situational awareness.
- Await further instructions or All Clear.
Shelter
What does this mean? A severe weather or environmental hazard (e.g., lighting warning, tornado warning, hazmat) requires all people to take immediate shelter inside a building.
What to do:
- Move inside immediately — seek interior rooms, lowest floors, or designated shelter areas.
- Stay away from windows, exterior walls, and doors
- If already indoors, move to the safest interior location in the building.
- If outdoors with no shelter nearby during tornado warning, lie flat in a low-lying area away from trees.
- Monitor official alerts and await All Clear.
Lockdown
What does this mean? An imminent threat to safety is present inside or near a building. All persons must immediately secure their location. Prepare to Run-Hide-Fight if the threat enters your space.
What to do:
- Stay where you are — do not leave.
- Lock and barricade doors; turn off lights.
- Move away from doors, windows, and sight-lines.
- Silence all devices.
- Prepare to Run: evacuate if a safe path is available.
- Prepare to Hide: stay out of sight, secure your location.
- Prepare to Fight: as a last resort, use any available means to defend yourself.
- Do not open doors until police or an All Clear is issued.
Evacuate
What does this mean? A large-scale emergency (e.g., major fire, structural hazard, evacuation order) requires all persons to immediately and completely vacate the building or area.
What to do:
- Calmly and immediately exit via the nearest safe route.
- Do not use elevators — use stairwells.
- Assist others with mobility needs if safe to do so.
- Proceed to your designated assembly area or evacuation point.
- Do not re-enter until authorized by emergency personnel.
- Account for all persons in your group and report missing individuals.
- Leave campus if instructed to do so.
Voluntary Evacuation
What does this mean? Please note that this is not a “pre-evacuation” order. A Voluntary Evacuation Order is still an evacuation order, the purpose of this order is to give community members additional time to evacuate and exit the area. This is especially important for those with large animals or people with disabilities. In a fast-moving event, a voluntary evacuation order may not be possible.
What to do:
- Gather essential items to add to an emergency Go-Kit, such as medication and items you may need if away for an extended period.
- Create a plan for transporting animals out of the area if needed.
Mandatory Evacuation
What does this mean? Evacuate Now! When a Mandatory Evacuation Order is issued, you are ordered to leave due to an imminent or immediate threat to your safety. At this time, you should gather your Go-Kit and leave the area immediately.
What to do:
- Evacuate the area immediately and follow all instructions. Those who refuse to evacuate should be informed that they should not expect rescue or other lifesaving assistance during the incident.
- The mandatory evacuation order of the affected population. Exceptions would include public safety officials, disaster response personnel and organizational / agency employees designated as “essential” to emergency operations.
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? The situation has been resolved to a level where normal activities may resume. An investigation may still be ongoing, but there is no continuing threat to public safety.
What to do:
- Resume normal operations.
- Follow any specific guidance provided in the All Clear message.
- Note: law enforcement may continue to be present — this is normal.
- Report any lingering concerns to campus safety.
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.
Agreements between the university’s campus safety department and local law enforcement or emergency services to provide mutual support during large-scale incidents or emergencies.