Emergency management

Last checked: July 2025

In a life threatening emergency dial 000,
then call University Security on 03 834 46666 or via SafeZone app.

Preparedness

The University places a high importance in emergency prevention and preparedness processes to maximise the safety of its people and the optimal functioning of the University. Separating these two functions allows us to focus more clearly on activities and support them effectively.

Requirements

Health & Safety: Emergency preparedness and response requirements

  • Emergency Management Plan (EMP) should be reviewed annually due to the changes in occupancy in the building. EMPs need to take into account changes in availability of Emergency Control Organisations (e.g. Chief Warden, first aiders, etc.) where the building remains in use but occupancy has changed.

    The documentation of emergency arrangements for a campus, precinct or building which includes preparedness, prevention and response activities. It includes agreed emergency roles, responsibilities, plans and localised emergency response procedures additional to the University’s emergency response procedures.

    The Building Emergency Management Plan template can be used and easily adapted for all buildings, precincts and campuses. The Emergency Management Plan Parkville campus is available for reference. For buildings with laboratories, hazardous materials, machinery, and other high-risk activities, it is recommended to establish their individual EMP. For most buildings at Parkville with teaching and office activities, the EMP for Parkville campus can be implemented directly.

    The Chief Warden (or other designated agreed person) is responsible for developing and maintaining the emergency management plan. The Chief Warden (or other designated agreed person) will work in conjunction with an Emergency Control Organisation where applicable.

    All EMPs should be forwarded for review to the Emergency and Business Resilience Team. A copy of the EMP should be stored in the Emergency Management Community SharePoint under the specific building folder.

  • Being an Emergency Warden is a specialist role with specific requirements and procedures that all wardens should be aware of. Detailed information on training, equipment, responsibilities and what to do in an emergency can be found on the Emergency Warden page.

    Personnel Training requiredResources
    Visitor None Visitor Information Guide (Physical card)**
    Staff, contractors, relevant students Health and Safety - Roles and Responsibilities Enrol in TrainME*
    Local induction Direct Supervisor
    Participate in yearly evacuation drillChief Warden
    Bushfire Safety for Workers - CFA (elective)Enrol in TrainME*
    Campus Security: Escape - Hide - TellEnrol in TrainME*
    Customer facing (e.g. reception, library staff, Health Services) Suspicious packages Enrol in TrainME*
    Handling unhappy and angry customers Enrol in TrainME*
    Chief Warden, Deputy Chief Warden, Warden Conduct yearly evacuation drill Local area responsibility
    Chief and Deputy Chief Emergency Warden Training (elective)Enrol in TrainME*
    Emergency WardenEnrol in TrainME*
    Fire extinguisher training (elective) Enrol in TrainME*
    Suspicious packages (elective) Enrol in TrainME*
    First Aiders Provide First Aid (Level 2) - HLTAID003 Enrol in TrainME*
    Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) – HLTAID001 (elective) Enrol in TrainME*

    *You can search for Health and Safety training in the TrainME Course Catalog under the Health and Safety category.

    ** Visitor Information Guide is a physical card that contains key emergency contacts and emergency responses that are specific to the campus. They are designed for visitors who may not be familiar with the campus. Request the card with the Emergency and Business Resilience Team.

  • Most University of Melbourne buildings are equipped with a suite of evacuation diagrams in addition to a range of other emergency information and equipment based on building size, use, occupancy and location.

    Building evacuation diagrams provide information specific to their building including:

    • location of emergency response equipment (fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kits etc.)
    • location of emergency communications and alerting equipment (Fire Indicator Panel – FIP, Warden Intercommunication Phones – WIP, loudhailers/megaphones etc.)
    • location of evacuation routes, emergency exits, and emergency assembly areas
    • guidance on fire order, evacuation emergency response arrangements
    • information on the Occupant Warning System (OWS) in place for the building: Emergency Warning Intercommunication System (EWIS – ‘BEEP BEEP/WOOP WOOP’), siren, bells, etc.

    Upon entry to any building at a University of Melbourne campus or site, occupants including staff, students and visitors are strongly encouraged to review the evacuation diagrams provided. Those who regularly frequent one or more building as their primary place of work or study should make a habit of regularly reviewing relevant evacuation diagrams to ensure they have a strong understanding of the emergency response arrangements in place for the buildings in which they are spending the most time.

    All staff with IT Access can request access to view evacuation diagrams on the Emergency Management Community SharePoint Site. Evacuation diagrams are no longer stored in Meridian. We work hard to ensure this repository is a current and accurate representation of all evacuation diagrams in place across all campuses and sites – so if you identify any evacuation diagrams that are missing from the site or that may need to be updated, please get in touch as soon as practicable.

    Evacuation diagram requests

    If you have a general evacuation diagram enquiry or would like to initiate an evacuation diagram service request to create, update or amend evacuation diagrams, please raise a ticket with Fire Services Team within Campus Management.

    If you have a question about emergency preparedness for a building or site, please raise a ticket with the Emergency and Business Resilience Team.

  • All buildings should complete at least one emergency drill including evacuation every year (except Childcare centres which require drills quarterly). The drill scenario can be further developed to include shelter in place, suspicious package, dangerous person, gas leak, medical emergency, etc. depending on the building's risk profile. Contact Emergency and Business Resilience Team for advice and assistance.

    Emergency drills ensure that your building and its occupants are prepared and ready to respond to emergencies. Detailed requirements for emergency drills are outlined in the Health & Safety - Emergency preparedness and response requirements.

    To book a building emergency drill, Chief Wardens are asked to review the Emergency Drill SharePoint calendar for an available time and then book a building drill via Staff Services specifying building name and number in the subject line. A calendar invite will be sent from Emergency & Business Resilience to confirm the drill booking.

    For all buildings with Fire Indicator Panel, once the drill is confirmed, technicians will arrive at the building's fire panel at the designated time to trigger the evacuation alarm.

    Following an emergency drill, the Chief Warden (or an appropriate delegate) and/or the fire technician (if present) completes a report (as detailed in "Emergency Event Reporting" section below) which will be sent to Emergency & Business Resilience Team directly for review and retention.

  • After an emergency event or an emergency drill, a report must be completed to ensure proper documentation is in place to capture key information, actions and learnings during the emergency/incident.

    The Chief Warden (or an appropriate delegate) can use the Building emergency event checklist to note down the key details which will be reported through the reporting channel below.

    Following an emergency including emergency drill, the Chief Warden (or an appropriate delegate) completes Building Emergency Event Report via UoM Riskware Platform - Health and Safety Checklists.

    For individuals who do not have a UoM profile and want to report an emergency, complete the Building Emergency Drill Report (via Qualtrics) which will be sent to Emergency & Business Resilience Team directly for review and retention.

  • Personal Emergency Plans (PEPs) are designed for any individuals within the University community who may require specific support or arrangements during emergencies due to personal circumstances, such as medical conditions or mobility limitations.

    To create an effective PEP, individuals should collaborate with their supervisor or a nominated support person, and/or the Chief or Deputy Chief Warden of their primary building. Additional advice and assistance is available from the Emergency and Business Resilience (EBR) and Workplace Adjustments and Injury Support (WAIS) teams within Health and Safety. These support help ensure the PEP is practical, customised and robust.

    Templates available:

    Once finalised, individuals are encouraged to share a signed copy of PEP or PEAP with the Chief Warden(s) of their primary building(s), the EBR team, as well as with University Security (via the EBR team).  This ensures University Security can quickly access the plan in an emergency to provide an appropriate response.

    A digital copy of the PEP can be stored in a central repository managed by the EBR Team, who will monitor its currency and check-in periodically with PEP owners regarding plan updates.

Response

The University publishes emergency preparedness and response information including:

  • processes
  • information, including training and responsibilities
  • guidance, and
  • forms and templates

  • The University’s Emergency response procedures flipchart contains guidance on evacuation and shelter in place procedures, and hazard-specific instructions for response to a range of scenarios including active threats, electrical outages, suspicious packages.

    Hard copies of the flipchart are installed across all University owned and occupied buildings at Fire Indicator Panels (FIPs), main entrances to buildings, lifts and at key locations such as libraries, receptions, lecture halls and other teaching spaces.

    It is expected that where possible University staff, students, contractors and visitors will follow these University wide emergency response procedures. Where local area procedures are more detailed or contain site specific instructions, this information can be captured in Building Emergency Management Plans and local areas are responsible for making those procedures known to building occupants.

    For more information on the flipchart or their physical installation across the University, please contact the Emergency and Business Resilience Team.

  • Special instructions for lecture theatres, laboratories and classrooms.

    The person in charge of the class shall maintain control of the class, and take direction from Wardens or Security staff if attending.

    Upon hearing the alarm signal or becoming aware of an emergency, the person in charge of the class should direct students to:

    • Stand and push chairs, large bags, etc under desks or benches.
    • Turn off electrical devices and laboratory operations that are not safe to be left unattended.
    • In controlled sequence, move along gangways to main aisles and exit in an orderly manner through the nearest appropriate exit.
    • On leaving the building, stay together as a group until contacted by the emergency services or University Security.
    • When directed to do so, recover any effects left in the building.

  • Using apps on your phone to plan and respond to emergency situations is a good way to enhance your emergency preparedness. It can be challenging to know which app to download that best suits your situation.

    We have shortlisted several apps on our Emergency apps page that we believe everyone should have on their phone.

  • University Security provides a 24-hour emergency response. If you have called emergency services, please call Security immediately afterwards so that access to the campus can be provided.

    Security can be contacted at each campus on:

    • Parkville: (03) 834 46666 or 1800 246 066 (free call)
    • Burnley: (03) 834 46666
    • Creswick: (03) 5321 4333 / After hours: 0425 700 042
    • Dookie (: (03) 5833 9200
    • Southbank: (03) 834 46666
    • Werribee: (03) 834 46666


    Emergency Services activation is vital for events that are beyond the local capacity to respond effectively. If in doubt ring the appropriate emergency service and also inform University Security on (03) 834 46666 or by requesting urgent help through the ‘Emergency’ button on the SafeZone app.

    If due to the nature of the incident you wish to speak directly with the rostered Duty Officer, this request can also be made via University Security.

    Critical Incident Management

  • Internal Emergency Services

    External Emergency Services

    • National emergency number for fire, police or ambulance: 000
    • State Emergency Service (SES) for storm or flooding emergencies: 132 500
    • Poisons Information Centre: 131 126

Forms

Guidance

Requirements and Processes