Incident Response

1. Introduce Yourself 

1. Tell the individuals present the following:  

1. Name  

2. Position  

3. Location 

2. Share Observations 

1. Talk about the 5 W’s  

1. Who, What, When, Where Why  

2. What you heard  

3. What you saw  

4. What you smelled 

3. Ask. Do not Accuse. 

1. Be sure to rephrase questions in a non-accusatory way:  

1. "What's going on?"  

2. "What happened?"  

3. "Why is that?"  

4. Situations you may encounter 

1. Loud thud  

2. Foul odor  

3. Missing screen  

4. Food spill  

5. Biohazardous materials  

6. Broken exit sign  

7. Animal noises  

8. Crying in public  

9. Loud shouting  

10. Strange beeping  

11. Visible alcohol 

5. The Approach  

1. Knock on the door – firm but reasonable  

2. Be assertive, not aggressive. When you are assertive in a situation you are in control but still listening to what is going on.  

1. Announce yourself - "Hello, it's RA“ or “RA on Duty”  

2. Introduce yourself - "Hi, I’m ____ and I'm the RA on duty."  

3. Ensure your safety for you and residents  

1. Door is completely open (Cracked door phenomenon)  

2. Ceiling lights are on  

3. Residents are wearing clothes  

3. Explain your presence   

1. “I knocked because I heard a lot of really loud noise, what’s going on, is everything okay?" 

6. Signs that it's time to knock:  

1. Quiet hours violation  

2. Courtesy hours violation or excessive amounts of noise  

3. Overhear references to alcohol, drinking, etc.  

4. "Hey, pass me another drink."  

5. "Wow that really burns going down."  

6. "Shots, shots, shots, shots-shots-shots"  

7. Appearance of intoxication of residents entering room 

7. Alcohol Incidents 

1. Look for the signs  

1. Alcohol containers  

2. Suspicious containers, glasses, etc.  

3. Boxes, bongs, drinking games "equipment"  

2. Gather information and take notes (Dry Building vs Wet Building)  

1. Names  

2. Birthdays, Check IDs  

3. Student Status ("Do you currently go to North Central?")  

4. Address (On-campus or off-campus)  

5. Explain policy and answer questions  

8. What to do next  

1. Record what kind, how much, and "volume"  

2. Never touch alcohol containers – ask residents to dispose  

3. Disposal of alcohol  

4. Dispose of liquid in bathroom sinks  

5. Dispose of liquor containers in dumpsters  

6. Answer questions à Do not guarantee anything 

7. If needed for back-up purposes and/or uncooperative residents, Call Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty  

9. Important things to remember 

1. Talk to the student à Find out their name  

2. Pay attention to the student's behaviors and ask them how much they had to drink  

3. If the student is intoxicated, contact Campus Safety to come and make an assessment. If the student is unconscious, immediately call 9-1-1, Campus Safety, and the AHD on Duty.  

4. If the student has vomited, work with Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty to have vomit cleaned and/or have the area closed until cleaning crew arrives.  

5. Make sure that you address any medical issues with an intoxicated student before policy issues. You want to focus on student's health first. 

10. General things to remember when it comes to incident response 

1. Never make guarantees to residents when they are in an incident.  

2. We know sometimes incidents can be high stress and residents can be emotional, anxious, worried but do not guarantee that nothing will happen 

1. Talk to the student. If you do not know them find out the student’s name. Pay attention to the student’s behaviors. Are they having difficulty forming sentences, standing on their own, or focusing their eyes? Is the student vomiting? 

2. If the student is intoxicated or exhibiting any of the behaviors listed above, contact the AHD on Duty to come and assess. If the student is unconscious, immediately call 9-1-1, Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty. 

3. Ask the student where they are coming from, how much they had to drink and how quickly the drinking occurred, and whether they have consumed anything else (prescription medications, other drugs, etc.) 

4. Wait with the student for the AHD on Duty to arrive. Share any information that you have learned with the AHD on Duty and/or Campus Safety. 

5. If paramedics are called, assist with controlling traffic and keeping the area clear. 

6. If the student has vomited, work with the AHD on Duty to have vomit cleaned and/or to have the area closed off until the cleaning crew arrives. 

7. Immediately write a thorough, concise, and objective incident report. 

Other things to consider: 

1. When a student is intoxicated, alcohol is absorbed into their system gradually. The condition that you see a student in may become worse before they begin to become sober. 

2. Never send a student to bed, agree to watch over a student, or attempt to make an intoxication assessment on your own. An AHD and/or Campus Safety should always be present to decide whether or not to contact an ambulance. It is extremely dangerous to send an intoxicated student to bed. 

3. Make sure that you address the medical issues with an intoxicated student before any policy issues. Even if the student is under 21, you want to focus on the health of the student as the first priority. 

1. Assess the situation and, when possible, get another RA for back up. 

2. Knock on the door and announce yourself as the RA. 

3. Explain why you knocked. 

4. Upon entering the room, make sure to have either yourself or your backup stay in the doorway to keep the door open and to allow yourself access to the exit. Make sure students are clothed (give time to change before entering the room). 

5. Look around the room. Check for any intoxicated or unconscious students. If anyone seems to be in medical danger, address this first (see intoxicated student section). 

6. If you see alcohol, explain the campus policy and tell the residents that they need to collect all of the alcohol and dispose of it. Have one of the residents of the room go to the bathroom with a staff member and dump out the alcohol and throw away/recycle the containers. 

7. Take note of exactly what was found in the room (quantity, brand, empty/full, etc.). You should also ask residents to open closets, refrigerators, and to check in other areas. 

8. Collect IDs and record student names, cell phone numbers, on-campus addresses (home addresses for guests or commuter students), and student ID numbers. If students are not compliant with giving ID numbers or information, contact Campus Safety and/or the AHD on Call. 

9. If the AHD on call has not been involved during the documentation, call to inform them of the incident. 

10. Immediately write a thorough, concise, and objective incident report. 

1. If you suspect that students are actively using drugs (you smell marijuana outside of a room while on rounds), contact Campus Safety and the AHD on call. Wait outside of the student room until CS and AHD on call arrive. 

2. Campus Safety will knock on the door and confront the behavior. 

3. Campus Safety will contact the Naperville Police if any drugs or paraphernalia are found in the room. If Campus Safety finds marijuana while searching the room, they will not typically contact NPD unless there is a suspicion of dealing/selling marijuana or there is a significant quantity. 

4. Collect names, phone numbers, student room numbers, and ID numbers. 

5. File incident report immediately. 

Other things to consider: 

1. If you hear drug-related rumors, contact your AHD immediately. 

2. Some common things to look for with marijuana use include paper towel or toilet paper rolls with dryer sheets on the end, fans blowing out of windows, pipes, and towels under the door. 

3. Many drugs do not smell. It is important to pay attention to any behavior changes among your residents. 

1. If you see smoke or fire and the alarm is not sounding, activate a pull-station immediately. 

2. When an alarm is sounding, knock on doors and evacuate the building. 

3. Call AHD on call immediately to inform them that an alarm is sounding. 

4. If you know the source of a fire, let an AHD, Campus Safety, or Fire Department Official know immediately. 

5. Inform Fire Department of any student (and their room number) who requires additional assistance to evacuate. 

6. While outside connect with campus safety/AHD on duty and identify yourself as an RA. 

7. Assist campus safety/AHD as needed. 

Residence Hall 

Fire Evacuation Areas

Residence Hall 

Fire Evacuation Areas

Minor Medical Situation (no permanent damage would likely occur if not medically treated immediately). 

1. Assess condition of individual (medical opinion may be advisable from nurse, doctor or emergency room). 

2. Assist individual to obtain medical attention (RAs and AHDs cannot transport students to the hospital). 

3. Contact AHD on Duty. 

4. File incident report immediately. 

5. Residence Life staff will follow up with the student when they return from the hospital. 

Urgent Medical Situation (response is required to prevent irreversible damage or death or situation is difficult to assess). 

1. Call 9-1-1, Campus Safety, and the AHD on Duty. 

2. Remain with the student until appropriate staff or emergency personnel arrive. 

3. AHD on Duty will come to the scene to assist and then will meet student at the ER. 4. AHD on Duty will contact the Residence Life Director on Duty 

4. Evaluate impact on floor, roommate, etc. 

5. If blood or other bodily fluid is involved, assist with making arrangements to have area cleaned and to close off the area until the cleaning staff arrives. 

6. File incident report immediately. 

7. Follow up with student involved when they return from ER. 

If you learn anything regarding student mental health (taking medications, history of depression or anxiety, prior self-harming behavior or suicide attempt) share this with your AHD. 

Eating Disorder 

1. If you hear that a student has been binging, purging, not eating, change in behavior concerning eating, contact your AHD immediately. Your AHD will work with you and the Wellness Center staff to determine an appropriate response. 

2. If you think that a student is in immediate danger, contact the AHD on Duty. 

Suicidal Ideation 

1. Call Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty. 

2. Do not leave the student alone. Wait with the student until the AHD on Duty arrives. 

3. The AHD on Duty will talk with the student and will also involve the wellness center. 

4. As needed, help to control traffic and diffuse the situation. 

5. File an incident report immediately. 

Suicide Attempt 

1. Call 9-1-1, Campus Safety, and the AHD on Duty. 

2. Send someone to the front door of the building to direct support to the scene. 

3. Control traffic. Ask students to return to their rooms. 

4. The hospital or the Dean of Students will notify the family. DO NOT RELEASE ANY INFORMATION TO ANYONE (including other students). 

5. File an incident report as soon as possible. 

6. Take care of yourself. You may have an emotional response to being involved with a suicide attempt. Work with your AHD to arrange a counseling follow up at the Wellness Center. 

Other things to consider: 

1. Be aware that follow up after a suicide attempt is extremely important. Although this is a highly confidential matter, often friends or floor mates are greatly affected by a suicide attempt. Explain that you are not at liberty to share details and information, but express concern for their mental health. Encourage them to seek out you, your AHD, or the Wellness Center staff if they would like to talk. You can help prevent rumors by emphasizing the importance of confidentiality. 

2. Know that an attempted suicide may have a profound impact on your own mental health. Do not be afraid to talk with your AHD and/or a counselor. 

Self-Injury 

1. If you hear that a student has been harming themselves, contact your AHD immediately. Your AHD will work with you and the Wellness Center staff to determine an appropriate response. 

2. If you think that a student is in immediate danger, contact the AHD on Duty.

1. Knock on the door, identify yourself as an RA, and ask the students to quiet down. 

2. Remind students of quiet hours and courtesy hours. 

3. If students are not compliant, contact the AHD on Duty and/or Campus Safety for assistance. 

4. Document the incident in the duty log or write an incident report depending on trend/frequency of noise complaints for the specific room. 

1. Document all damage. Take pictures if possible. 

2. If the vandalism/graffiti is discriminatory in nature (hate speech, slurs, derogatory comments), contact the AHD on call immediately. 

3. Try to find out who is responsible for the vandalism. 

4. Consult with your AHD regarding having a floor meeting or notifying your floor in another way if damage charges will be assessed due to the vandalism. 

5. File and incident report or Bias incident report immediately. 

1. DO NOT attempt to break up the fight. Call Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty immediately. 

2. Try to keep yourself and others out of harm’s way. Diffuse a crowd if possible. 

3. When the situation has been de-escalated, assist the AHD on Duty and Campus Safety in determining if anyone needs medical assistance. 

4. File and incident report immediately. 

1. If the tornado siren sounds and you are in the residence halls, immediately begin assisting students in evacuating to the designated severe weather safety area in your building. 

2. If you can, grab your cell phone, the duty cell phone on your way to the safety area. These are helpful in communicating with Campus Safety during a severe weather incident. 

3. Wait in the designated area for further instructions from Campus Safety or your AHD. 

4. Try not to allow students to go outside or to leave the safety area until you receive the go ahead from Campus Safety or your AHD. 

Other things to consider: 

1. The signal for a tornado is an extended siren. This siren is test sounded in Naperville on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00am. 

2. A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop. A tornado warning means that a tornado has actually been sighted. 

1. If a student comes to you to tell you that they has been assaulted (or if you learn about a sexual assault in another way) contact the AHD on Duty immediately. 

2. Try to provide comfort to the victim. Reassure the victim that you believe them and that they did not do anything wrong. Be conscious that they may not want to be touched. Listen. 

3. If the assault happened in the room, do not disturb anything in room. 

4. When the AHD arrives, they will help to assess the situation and to provide options to the student (hospital, police, Campus Safety, Dyson Wellness Center Resources, and hotlines.) 

5. Be sure to give the student a copy of the Sexual Misconduct Resource Guide. 

Other things to consider: 

1. The Dyson Wellness Center has information regarding sexual assault reporting procedures and handouts will be given during training. 

2. A student who has been assaulted may want to talk to a specific AHD. If there is someone that the student feels most comfortable with, attempt to contact them even in they is not on call. 

3. Never promise confidentiality. While you can assure a student that you will not share information with other students, you must tell an AHD about sexual assault. 

1. If a student comes to you to tell you that they is being stalked (or if you learn about stalking in another way) contact the AHD on Duty immediately. 

2. Try to provide comfort to the victim. Reassure the victim that you believe them and that they did not do anything wrong. 

3. When the AHD arrives, they will help assess the situation and to provide options to the student (confidential resources at Dyson Wellness Center, police, and Campus Safety.) 

4. Be sure to give the student a copy of the Sexual Misconduct Resource Guide. 

1. If you hear that a resident is being abused physically or emotionally, contact your AHD immediately to discuss follow up. Your AHD will consult with the Wellness Center. 

2. If you encounter a situation where a student is actively involved in a domestic disturbance, contact Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty immediately. 

3. Assist Campus Safety and the AHD on Duty in confronting the situation and controlling the crowd (if one forms). 

4. File an incident report as soon as possible. 

Other things to consider: 

1. Domestic abuse can be a pattern. If it is possible try to gather information regarding the history of the relationship. 

2. Always try to remain calm. It is easy to get upset and angry in situation where someone is being abused.