Now that the cold weather has hit and we get set to enter the winter season, the Department of Public Safety would like to take this opportunity to remind the campus community about our Severe Weather Closure procedures and the policy that governs the Unscheduled closure of Campus Buildings.
The Departments of Public Safety and Facilities Services regularly monitors active weather conditions and Environment Canada forecasts in an effort to inform the decisions around emergency or unscheduled closures of campus facilities and services due to weather. We also stay in close contact with sister institutions and monitor the public and catholic school boards, TTC, Go Transit and the local Police to understand how they are responding to the weather.
The decisions around closing the Lakeshore and North campuses including associated facilities (UGH, Centre for Trades and Technology) due to weather is not one that is taken lightly and is ultimately decided by the Senior Vice President Academic (or designate) after consultations with Public Safety, Facilities and an assessment on the impact to safety is made. It is important to note that students, faculty and staff are permitted to make their own judgments with respect to their personal safety and can decide not to travel to campus, even if the decision is to remain open, if they feel that their safety is at risk. The policy speaks to how those personal decisions are handled.
Recognizing that weather conditions can change quickly, every effort will be made to reach a decision regarding cancellation of on-campus classes and/or closure of the college as early as possible for day and/or evening classes. Whenever possible, these decisions will be made by 5:30 a.m. for daytime classes, and 3:30 p.m. for evening classes. Once a days operations have commenced, a decision to suspend operations and cancel classes may be enacted at any time.
Closure decisions are communicated to the community through a number of mediums, including our mass communications system (Humber Alert), the Humber Telephony system, Humber.ca website, Humber social media accounts and via GTA and Orangeville media (radio, TV). If you have not yet signed up for Humber Alert, you are encouraged to do so by registering via our portal at humber.bbcportal.com. Once you are registered, you will receive emergency alerts, including closure decisions.
If you have any questions, please refer to the policy and procedure documents linked to above. If your question is not answered by either of those documents, feel free to contact Rob Kilfoyle at rob.kilfoyle@humber.ca or at 416.675.6622 ext. 4417. If you have individual questions or concerns that pertain to your specific area or department, please consult with your manager directly.
Rob Kilfoyle, CPP
Director, Public Safety and Emergency Management