St. Olaf College is committed to the safety and well being of our campus community. In the event of an emergency, please follow the steps outlined below.

Whom to call

The Department of Public Safety is the first contact and first responder for all campus emergencies.

• To reach the 24-hour Public Safety Dispatch, dial:
• On-campus — 3666
• Off-campus — (507) 786-3666

A Public Safety officer will be immediately dispatched to the scene of the incident, where they will assess the situation and determine if local police, fire, or medical response is required. If so, Public Safety will call 911 and coordinate the arrival of emergency personnel on campus.

In the case of a life-threatening emergency, dial 9-911 for immediate response.

When calling, please be ready to give your name, location (including building and room number), and a concise description of the emergency. Do not hang up until encouraged to do so; the dispatcher may need additional information and have instructions to pass on.

Campus notication of an emergency

• Under normal circumstances, Public Safety or the Office of the Vice President for Student Life will alert the campus community of any incidents on campus that need to be brought to the community’s attention. These incidents are usually non-threatening or do not require immediate action.

• In the case of a more serious incident or emergency, members of the campus community will be notified through the Ole Alert system and by campus email. As appropriate, an announcement will appear on the home page of the St. Olaf website and on the Tightrope event television monitors in Buntrock, Skoglund, Christiansen Hall of Music, and other campus locations.

• It is extremely important that all members of the St. Olaf community (students, faculty, and staff) sign up for Ole Alerts, as this is a key element of the college’s emergency repsonse plan when it comes to campus notification.

Emergency planning and protocols

St. Olaf College has in place an Incident Response plan that is based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS). Individual response protocols have been developed for a number of emergency scenarios as outlined below.

Active shooter/hostile intruder
Bomb threats
Campus closing/late start procedure
Criminal activity reporting
Fire
Gas leaks, fumes, and vapors
Hazardous materials
Person of concern
Medical emergencies
Severe weather
Utility failures
Pandemic planning and response
Important phone numbers

Ole Alert

Sign up for Ole Alert, the emergency notification system, on your cell phone.