The safety and security of every person is the overriding consideration for all activities involving seminarians, lay students, faculty, staff, and any other person who enters upon the grounds of NDS; or any seminarian, student, or member of the faculty or staff who engages in authorized activities away from the campus. This concern outweighs every other factor including cost, budget, convenience or any other consideration.
Emergency Alerts
An emergency alert will be issued when the NDS leadership determines there is a danger or threat to the campus community. That decision can be made by the Rector/President, Director of Facilities, or any of their designees. The process of alerting the seminary community of a danger or threat may be through the use of campus-wide emails, text messaging, and/or emergency postings on the NDS homepage and official NDS Facebook page. Based on the type of emergency and who it will affect, the Rector/President will determine the appropriate audience for notification, method of communication and he, or his designee, will issue the emergency alert. Among those to be considered for communication in an emergency situation are: students, faculty/staff, law enforcement agencies, Board of Trustees, alumni, donors, media, and/or the general public.
The Rector/President will determine the appropriate content for the emergency notification based on the specific situation, the confirmed information provided by key stakeholders, and will incorporate pre-approved messages if necessary. If the media needs to be contacted, the Rector/President, or his designee, will contact the Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Communications. The Archdiocesan Communications Officer is the official spokesperson for the archdiocese, and as such, will be the one to interact with the media on behalf of the seminary.
Process for Notification
The process that NDS will follow in the event of an emerging situation is as follows.
The NDS Rector/President, the Director of Facilities, or their designee, will:
- Confirm there is a significant emergency,
- Determine the appropriate segment or segments of the NDS community to receive notification,
- Determine the method, or methods, of notification that are appropriate to the situation, and
- Determine the appropriate content of the emergency message.
Once the following steps have been followed, the Rector/President, or his designee, will initiate the notification system.
Designated Personnel
The following personnel are responsible for the emergency notification process:
- Rector/President
- Director of Facilities
- Vice Rector
- Office of the Academic Dean
For an Immediate Threat on Campus
If a member of the NDS community becomes aware of an immediate threat on campus, like a hostile intruder in the building, the person should immediately dial 911 and then report to the Rector/President, Vice Rector, or Director of Facilities who will then assess the situation and initiate the notification system as needed.
If the campus would have to be closed for any reason, the community will be notified by email or text, and updated information will be posted on the website.
Medical Emergencies
For life-threatening emergencies, (e.g. severe injury, heart attack, etc.), dial 911 to summon help from professional emergency medical personnel. Then, contact the Vice Rector or Rector- President. For less urgent cases, contact the Vice Rector, the Director of Facilities or another faculty member for immediate assistance.