Responding to a Shelter-in-Place order
- Stay calm. Remain indoors, or proceed indoors if you are outside. Close and lock any open doors and windows.
- Turn off fans, air conditioning, or heating systems.
- Proceed to the safest location possible, such as a small room with no windows.
- In the event of a chemical threat, a location above ground is preferable to a below-ground option.
- In the event of a Tornado, a basement or small, interior ground-floor room is preferable.
- Stay informed through the UofT Campus Safety App, UTAlert, and the University of Toronto website.
When the order is lifted
- Do not leave the building or go outside until you are directed to do so by emergency response personnel, or if the area becomes unsafe.
- Provide first aid to those who may need it, if you are trained to do so.
Important Contacts
Consider
- A shelter-in-place order may be issued when it is safer to remain indoors than to go outside.
- You may be asked to shelter-in-place because of an environmental hazard outdoors, such as tornado or wildfire smoke, a chemical or radiological hazard or a pandemic.
- A notice advising that you should shelter in place may be received by way of the Canadian Alert Ready Emergency Alert System, the University of Toronto UTAlert system, or through other channels. Visit our Stay Informed page for more information.
Other Guidelines and Tools
Building Evacuation
Emergency Meeting Points
Campus Status