People working in the Emergency Operations Center

Emergency Management Plan

UMass Amherst has adopted a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to respond effectively to natural and human-causes crises and disaster events. This plan guides response efforts to protect lives, stabilize incidents, minimize environmental and property damage, and ensure the continuation of critical services. The CEMP outlines the management structure, responsibilities, procedures, and guiding policies to assist the university during emergencies. Department-specific plans complement and coordinate overall efforts, providing detailed guidance for department-level responses.

Emergency Department faculty and staff working outside

Continuity Planning

We are dedicated to the safety and protection of its employees, students, operations, research, education, and facilities. The university ensures that critical operations are either maintained or rapidly and efficiently resumed during emergencies. Continuity planning is essential to guarantee the university's ability to continue teaching, research and public service with minimal interruption.

Continuity planning at UMass Amherst addresses three types of disruptions:

  • Denial of entry or loss of access to a facility (e.g. building damage or utility loss)
  • Service interruption due to a reduced workforce (e.g. communicable disease or staff shortage)
  • Service interruption due to equipment or systems failure (e.g. IT device failure or information loss)
Misting station for students to stay cool during the heat

Campus Enterprise Risk Management

The Campus Enterprise Risk Management (CERM) Committee is comprised of departments representing all aspects of campus operations, including administration, academics, and research. The committee's purpose is to identify risks that could impact the university's ability to fulfill its mission. It assesses the current status of plans to prepare for and mitigate these risks; it analyzes and prioritizes identified risks; and it makes recommendations to the Campus Executive Management Team on how to respond. Additionally, the committee monitors and updates progress on risk management efforts.