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Critical Incident Protocol

Updated April 2025

I. Purpose & Scope

This protocol provides guidance for responding to internal and external emergencies that affect students, staff, faculty, and/or visitors (e.g., clients, minors) in the Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFE COE). It supplements university-wide emergency plans with college-specific procedures to support communication and coordinated response.

The protocol addresses decision making and communication with internal stakeholders, university leadership, external agencies, media, and the public.

II. Definition of Emergencies

  • Natural Events: Fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, other severe weather
  • Other Events:
    • Medical emergencies (physical or mental health related)
    • Active shooter or threat
    • Civil disturbances or demonstrations
  • Bomb threats or suspicious packages
  • Environmental hazards (e.g., chemical spills)
  • Utility failure

III. Notification Procedures

When an emergency occurs:

As soon as any member of the college becomes aware of an emergency incident on the Athens campus or at an off-site location, they should call 911 (if appropriate) and then immediately notify the Dean directly or notify a college leader (e.g., program coordinator, graduate coordinator, department head, associate dean) who will then notify the Dean. Incidents that occur on other campuses (i.e., Griffin, Gwinnett campuses) should be directed to leaders on those campuses.
See contact information.

The Incident Commander, in conjunction with other university officials and/or leaders at external sites, will manage notifications to members of the college. Members of the college community should exercise patience as events unfold and decisions are made and refined in the course of gathering additional information about the incident.

IV. Incident Commander

The Dean or her designee will serve as the Incident Commander. Responsibilities include:

  • Contacting university officials (e.g., President, Provost, VP for Student Affairs, UGA Police)
  • Serving as point of contact for all internal and external constituents until responsibilities are delegated
  • Assigning internal leads (e.g., associate deans, department heads, safety committee) for particular tasks
  • Issuing communications (initial notification, ongoing updates, action plans)
  • Coordinating external communications (e.g., parents, media, clients)
  • Facilitating access to university and college support services

VI. Internal Incident Response Protocol

In conjunction with UGA’s campus-wide plans, the following steps apply to internal crises affecting MFE COE:

Response Steps

  1. Notify Supervisor – Immediate contact with a direct supervisor, who notifies Incident Commander

  2. Activate Response – Incident Commander initiates formal response, which may include

    • Engage Safety Committee – Supports communication and action across units
    • Form Crisis Team – Ad hoc group including communications, HR, subject experts

  3. Coordinate Communication – Incident Commander will serve as the single point of contact unless responsibility is delegated

  4. Enact Business Continuity Plan – may include resuming business in another location, including a remote location

  5. Post-Incident Debrief – Evaluate response and identify improvements

VII. External Incident Response Protocol

Applies to incidents at partner sites (schools, hospitals, businesses) involving MFE COE faculty, staff, or students.

Response Steps

  1. Confirm Safety – The first priority is to ensure the safety of all college personnel at the site. Field placement/internship coordinators can assist by developing notification systems, having complete records of which college members are in which locations at any given day/time and their contact information, and encouraging proactive communication from those in the field noting that they are safe.
  2. Provide Support – Those most directly affected by the incident will be given priority for mental health and other support services. In the days and weeks following the incident, support services will be provided to those who are influenced by the event but not immediately impacted as needed. Faculty and staff can serve as sources of support for those affected, but individuals should be referred to professionals for trauma-informed care where needed.
  3. Communicate with Site where Incident Occurred – The Incident Commander will designate the most appropriate person to communicate with the site where the incident occurred to gather relevant information.
  4. Decide on Continuation of Placements – Decisions about resuming placements following an incident will be made as information becomes available from the partner site, and coordinators will be notified of decisions and asked to share them with students and supervisors placed at the site. If the incident affects placements for other sites, those program coordinators will be notified as well.
  5. Address Long-Term Needs – Plans for extended support will be made and enacted as more information becomes available and will be prioritized according to need.

Contact Information

Following notification of the appropriate campus or local authorities, campus-based administrators are:

Athens

Gwinnett

  • Karen Bryant
    Director
    (678) 985-6805
    bryantkc@uga.edu

  • Jill Rhoden
    Assistant Director
    (678) 985-6807

Griffin

Additional Administrative Leaders

Associate Deans

Department and Unit Heads

  • Jen Williams
    Director
    Marketing & Communications
    jenw@uga.edu

  • Sara Kajder
    Director
    Clinical Practice
    skajder@uga.edu
    (706) 583-8146

  • Molly Thomas
    Senior Director
    Development & Alumni Relations
    molly2@uga.edu
    (706) 542-2893

  • Ralph Knapp
    Director
    Information Technology
    ralph.knapp@uga.edu
    (706) 542-8007

  • Beth Massey
    Coordinator
    Outreach & Engagement
    bmassey@uga.edu
    (706) 542-8799

  • Julian Williams and Laurie Zielinski
    Co-Directors
    Undergraduate Advisement
    julian@uga.edu, (706) 542-7676
    lhaworth@uga.edu, (706) 542-7535

  • Lloyd Rieber
    Department Head
    Communication Sciences and Special Education
    lrieber@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4561

  • George McMahon
    Department Head
    Counseling & Human Development Services
    gmcmahon@uga.edu
    (706) 542-1812

  • Amy Reschly
    Department Head
    Educational Psychology
    reschly@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4110

  • Cheryl Fields-Smith
    Department Head
    Educational Theory & Practice
    cfields@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4650

  • Jamie Cooper
    Department Head
    Kinesiology
    jamie.cooper@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4378

  • Kevin Burke
    Department Head
    Language & Literacy Education
    burkekq@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4505

  • Kathy Roulston
    Department Head
    Lifelong Education, Administration & Policy
    roulston@uga.edu
    (706) 542-2214

  • Roger Hill
    Department Head
    Mathematics, Science, & Social Studies Education
    rbhill@uga.edu
    (706) 542-4100

  • Rob Branch
    Department Head
    Workforce Education & Instructional Technology
    rbranch@uga.edu
    (706) 542-1682

  • Zu Reuter
    Facilities & Safety Coordinator
    zreuter@uga.edu
    (706) 542-2685

External Facility Checklist

Upon arrival at a clinical, field experience, or internship placement, students and supervisors should inquire about the following at placement sites:

☐ How and to whom do I report concerns about a student or employee?

☐ How do I notify other personnel of an emergency in my location?

☐ Is there a behavioral threat assessment team at this facility, and how do I refer an issue to them?

☐ Are there any resource officers, security personnel, or emergency responders on site, and how do I contact them if needed?

☐ What are the intruder/lockdown procedures for our facility?

☐ What do I do if I believe there is an unauthorized person in the facility?

☐ What are the evacuation procedures and evacuation assembly areas for our facility and for my work space, specifically?

☐ Where is our severe weather shelter location?

☐ What are the medical emergency procedures for our facility?

☐ Where are the AEDs, first aid kits, and stop the bleed kits located?

☐ Is there a written summary of emergency procedures for our facility?