Respond to the Immediate Risk First
Even a well-planned event can experience an emergency, injury, safety concern, property-damage incident, or serious conduct problem. The first priority is always the immediate safety of the people involved.
For an Immediate Emergency
If someone is in immediate danger or requires police, fire, or ambulance assistance:
- Call 911.
- Thunder Bay Campus Security: 807-343-8911 or 8911 from a campus phone.
- Orillia Campus Security: 705-330-4008 ext. 3912 or 3911 from a campus phone.
For an off-campus event, call 911 and follow the venue’s emergency procedures.
Lakehead University Security Services
What the Event Organizer Should Do
When it is safe to do so:
- Stop or pause the activity.
- Move people away from any continuing hazard.
- Contact emergency services, Campus Security, or venue staff as appropriate.
- Provide first aid only within your level of training.
- Account for participants and prevent others from entering an unsafe area.
- Follow directions from emergency responders, security personnel, or venue staff.
- Notify LUSU Clubs as soon as the immediate situation is under control.
Do not continue the event until the responsible authority has confirmed that it is safe to do so.
Document What Happened
The Primary Event Organizer should make an objective record of the incident while the details are fresh. Include, where known:
- Date, time, and location.
- Name of the event and club.
- A factual description of what happened.
- Names or descriptions of the people involved.
- Witness information.
- Any injuries or property damage.
- What actions were taken.
- Which emergency, security, venue, or LUSU contacts were notified.
Do not speculate, assign blame, or post incident details, photographs, or personal information on social media.
Report the Incident to LUSU
Email clubs@lusu.ca as soon as reasonably possible after a serious incident, injury, safety concern, property-damage incident, or disruption.
Under the LUSU Clubs Code of Conduct, incidents involving illegal substances or substance-related impairment must be reported to LUSU within 48 hours.
Reports should include the useful information available to you, but do not delay an urgent report simply because every detail is not yet known.
Conduct or Safety Concerns
Students may report concerns when they witness unsafe behaviour, illegal substance use, serious impairment, harassment, discrimination, or a club officer failing to respond appropriately.
Good-faith reports will be handled with respect and confidentiality. Retaliation against someone for raising a concern is not permitted.
Depending on the circumstances, follow-up may include additional information gathering, safety planning, informal resolution, club probation, suspension of privileges, or referral to the applicable Lakehead University process.
After the Incident
LUSU may ask the club to:
- Provide additional information or records.
- Contact its venue, insurer, or another University office.
- Review what contributed to the incident.
- Update its risk controls or event procedures.
- Complete additional training or documentation.
- Pause similar activities until concerns have been addressed.
Near misses should also be discussed with LUSU when they reveal a safety problem that could cause harm at a future activity.