Department Safety Liaison Program

Maintaining a Safe Campus Environment

The University of Texas at Tyler has developed a Department Safety Liaison (DSL) Program in accordance with NFPA 101 (2018).  DSLs consist of a network of key personnel that represent departments in all of our facilities on the Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston campuses. This team is primarily comprised of staff and are trained to lead evacuation or shelter in place at their assigned buildings in cases of emergencies.

DSLs are also key to disseminating safety information to faculty, staff and students in their buildings.  The DSL assignment list found below depicts the department representatives and their assigned facilities.

The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) provides oversight of the DSL Program. The EH&S DSL coordinator convenes bimonthly meetings and coordinates training and equipment for DSL team members.

It is highly recommended that faculty and staff learn who the DSL representatives are for the facilities they reside in and gain a basic understanding of the emergency procedures before an incident occurs.

• DSL Facility Assignment List
• DSL Handbook
• DSL Facility Checklist

Emergency Planning

The university has developed its emergency management program in accordance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS). A specific aspect of the program is the centralized planning and decentralized implementation model. University police and the emergency management coordinator (EMC) develop plans and procedures to mitigate potential emergency scenarios and the DSLs implement the required actions.

In the event of an emergency, DSLs will implement the applicable Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for their assigned area/facility. EAPs provide procedural guidance that is specifically tailored for each facility. Evacuation, shelter-in-place and active shooter EAPs are developed by the DSLs in coordination with the EMC.

DSLs also assist with drills designed to test and improve our emergency plans and procedures and overall university preparedness. The campus communities are encouraged to obtain an understanding of their emergency procedures and participate in facility and/or campus drills.

• AED Locations
• Evacuation Chair Locations
• Tornado Shelter Locations

Accidents & Incidents

Each DSL is issued a first-aid kit and receives CPR/AED/Basic First Aid training. They can assist people in the event of an accident/incident and ensure the event is properly reported.  You or the DSL may fill out the following forms and send to safety@uttyler.edu.  

• Anonymous Unsafe Campus Condition Report - An anonymous way to report unsafe conditions quickly.
• Incident, Unsafe Condition, Near Miss Report - Another way to report unsafe conditions in more detail (can be anonymous).
• Student and Visitor Report of Injury - Fill this report out if a student or visitor to UT Tyler is injured.
• Employees Report of Injury - Fill out both the first report of injury form and the network acknowledgement form then email them both to WCI@uttyler.edu.