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Planning for Emergencies

The Department of Public Safety is committed in providing a safe environment for students, faculty and staff. Emergency information regarding our emergency services is provided below. Please familiarize yourself with these services BEFORE an emergency occurs.

When the College Closes Unexpectedly

Periodically, the college may expectedly close due to weather or other emergency conditions.  Students, staff and faculty are strongly encouraged to sign up for emergency text alerts and/or listen to local radio and television stations for closing or delay information. PLEASE DO NOT CALL SINCLAIR POLICE FOR CLOSING INFORMATION.

Sign Up for Emergency Text Alerts
 
Emergency Blue Light Network

 

Emergency Procedures Guides

Incident Response Plans - Dayton Campus

The information listed below is contained in Section 4 of the Sinclair College Emergency Management Plan.  Any references in the documents listed below to other sections of the Emergency Management can be found in the printed version of the Emergency Management Plan by those authorized to access that information.

Employee Safety Manual

Weather Emergencies

Emergency Closing Procedure

Sinclair’s Emergency Closing Procedure addresses emergency closing, including early closing, delayed opening, partial closing, or full closing. Circumstances warranting closing may include but are not limited to severe weather conditions, public emergencies, utility failure, a major life or health safety risk, or other crises.

Campus Closing Information provides more details about how a delay or closing affects class schedules.

Tornado Information

The tornado months are normally April, May and June, however, tornadoes may strike at any time in Ohio. Sinclair utilizes "tornado shelter" signs in each building that marks a safe zone in the event of an evacuation.

Tornado warnings should never be taken lightly. Sinclair Police determines when the campus community should be evacuated. Sinclair Police also monitors the National Weather Service (NWS) reports, bulletins issued on the Law Enforcement Data Systems computer network, the local media and our own weather spotters trained by the NWS.

Dayton Campus

If a tornado watch is issued by the NWS, Sinclair Police will immediately activate our command center and monitor weather conditions. In the event that the NWS service issues a Tornado Warning for our area, Sinclair Police will make an immediate verbal announcement via the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), indicating that a Tornado Warning has been issued.

Sinclair Police will monitor the path of the impending storm and if the college is within the projected path of the storm, the EBS will be fully activated, as described below:

The EBS will be activated in all buildings at the Dayton campus (except the Eaker Street building) by an audible siren and a recorded message indicating a tornado warning has been issued and that everyone should proceed to the nearest shelter. Following the activation of the EBS, a secondary announcement will be issued via the NIXLE system. Periodic announcements will be made after the initial message is broadcast. An "all clear" message will be broadcast once the emergency is over. The all clear message will also be distributed over the NIXLE system.

When the tornado warning announcement is made, go immediately to the nearest shelter area (listed below). Do not go outside. If you are outside when the announcement is made, you need to seek shelter in the nearest available building.

If the storm has already hit the college and you cannot make it to a designated shelter, take cover in a classroom or office away from the outside walls. Try to take cover under any heavy furniture near an inside wall or inside a closet. Assume a curled position to protect your head and eyes. Stay away from large open areas, such as atriums, the gym, the fieldhouse.

Remain in the designated shelter until the "all clear" message is broadcast once the emergency is over.

Centerville and Mason Sinclair Locations

When a tornado watch is issued by the NWS, Sinclair Police will immediately activate our command center and monitor weather conditions. In the event that the NWS issues a Tornado Warning, as described above, Sinclair Police will issue an immediate announcement that such a warning is in place for the affected area. Sinclair Police will monitor the path of the storm and if one of the above centers is within the projected path of the storm, college staff will be immediately notified to take the appropriate sheltering actions. NIXLE will also be utilized in such instances.

When the tornado warning announcement is made, go immediately to the designated shelter. Do not go outside. If you are outside when the announcement is made, you need to seek shelter in the nearest available building.

If the storm has already hit the college and you cannot make it to a designated shelter, take cover in a classroom or office away from the outside walls. Try to take cover under any heavy furniture near an inside wall or inside a closet. Assume a curled position to protect your head and eyes. Stay away from glassed in areas or large open areas, such as the main lobby.

Remain in the designated shelter until the "all clear" message is broadcast once the emergency is over.

Designated Tornado Shelters - Dayton Campus
  • Building 1 - entire basement level
  • Building 2 - entire lower level and basement level
  • Building 3 - entire basement level
  • Building 4 - entire lower level and basement level
  • Building 5 - entire basement level
  • Building 6 - entire basement level except the hallway outside rooms 021 - 025
  • Building 7 - Building 6 basement
    • Rooms 006 A, B and C (stay away from glass windows and partitions)
  • Building 8, Room 025 - northeast and southeast basement level, including the lobby and stairs area, the stage area and the Student Leadership Development Office
    • northwest and northeast basement level near Rooms 012 - 014
    • south basement level near and in Room 021
  • Building 9, Room 102 - northeast hallway
    • ground and basement level of the northeast stairs
    • north area of basement (designated for Child & Family Education)
  • Building 10 - Anywhere on the lower-level floor of Building 10. Glass in the exterior walls for that area is tornado rated glass
  • Building 11 - Anywhere on the lower-level floor of Building 10. Glass in the exterior walls for that area is tornado rated glass
  • Building 12 - Fredrick C. Smith Auditorium (Building 12, Room 150)
  • Building 13 - entire basement area
  • Building 14 - basement level (east side) in the Audio/Video Production area (stay away from glass windows and partitions)
  • Building 17 - men's and women's restrooms
  • Building 18 - Storage Room #102 on the southwest corner of the first floor and both restrooms (rooms 103 and 104)
  • Building 19 - first floor center hallway from west entrance (keep all doors closed and latched)
  • Building 20 - Room 121
  • Library, Upper Level (Loggia) - Exit directly into the basement hallways of Buildings 1-6 and Building 8 which are on the same level as the Loggia Level of the Library
  • Library, Lower Level - Lower Level L01A, L02C, L02D, L02E, and L02G
Designated Tornado Shelters - Off Campus Sites
  • Eaker Building - North hallway by E1 - E6, Northeast corner by E7, E10, South hallway, Men's Restroom and Women's Restroom
  • Sinclair in Mason - men's and women's restrooms,rooms 103, 104, 105a and 105b
  • Sinclair in Centerville - men's and women's center area/locker rooms on the first floor, rooms 101, 102, 104, 106, 109, 111, 112, 113, 118 as well as the central area of the building adjacent to those classrooms and all interior hallways adjacent to those classrooms
  • Fire Training Academy at 2416 Stanley Avenue - the instructor's office at the northwest corner of the building (concrete block and steel doors, no windows)