Hazardous Wildlife Policy

Environmental Health and Safety
Administrative Services
Florida Gulf Coast University

July, 2005

Objective

The objective of this policy is to protect the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors on the campus from hazardous wildlife, and to minimize the killing or relocation of naturally occurring wildlife to the extent possible.

Authority

Responsibility for this policy is inherent in the roles of the University Police Department and Environmental Health and Safety to protect the public, and the Physical Plant Department to manage the campus grounds and facilities.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission provides procedures for responding to nuisance, dangerous, and destructive wildlife.

Responsibilities

Auxiliary Services Department: Ensures food service areas do not become attractions to foraging wildlife. Participates in hazardous wildlife assessments as available and when the location of the incident is from or proximal to an Auxiliary facility.

College of Arts and Sciences: Some members have volunteered to participate in hazardous wildlife assessments, and assists with hazardous wildlife removal as appropriate.

Environmental Health and Safety: Responsible for the creation and updating of this policy, and participates as available in hazardous wildlife assessments.

Athletics: Participates in hazardous wildlife assessments as available and when the location of the incident is from or proximal to an Athletics facility.

Office of Housing and Residence Life:  Participates in hazardous wildlife assessments as available and when the location of the incident is from or proximal to Housing facility. The Office of Housing and Residence Life assists the University in getting information about wildlife behavior and policies to university housing residents.

Physical Plant Department: Representatives from Grounds participate in hazardous wildlife assessments, and assists with or arranges for hazardous wildlife removal as appropriate.

University Police Department: The police dispatch center is the primary point of contact for hazardous wildlife incidents. The Police Department is responsible for contacting the appropriate contacts and participating in hazardous wildlife assessments, and the creation and maintenance of reports of hazardous wildlife incidents and their outcome.

Procedure

In most instances, the naturally occurring wildlife on campus does not present a significant hazard to members of the University community. When hazardous wildlife incidents occur, this policy provides the procedures for evaluating the wildlife behavior and determining the appropriate response to the potential hazard presented.

General

Persons observing or threatened by hazardous wildlife shall make a report to the University Police Department at 590-1900.

The University Police will log the call including a brief description of the incident, and then contact the appropriate people from the hazardous wildlife call list as identified below to meet at the site of the incident and make an assessment. The assessment team will consist of the police officer, and any person on the hazardous wildlife call list who is able to arrive at the site of the incident within twenty minutes of receiving the call.

Protecting the University community from injury is the primary objective, but the assessment team must make reasonable efforts to minimize the killing or relocation of wildlife from the campus.  

Alligator

Report to the University Police Department at 590-1900 any alligator that approaches people, does not retreat from people, or is otherwise threatening.

The University Police will log the call including a brief description of the incident, dispatch a University Police officer, and then contact College of Arts and Sciences, Environmental Health and Safety, and Physical Plant Department representatives on the hazardous wildlife call list.

The dispatched police officer will isolate people from the alligator and initiate additional actions as immediately necessary to protect the health and safety of members of the University community.

Those called and available will meet at the site of the incident as a hazard assessment team. The assessment team will consist of any person on the hazardous wildlife call list who is able to arrive at the site of the incident within twenty minutes of receiving the call. A University police officer is always part of the assessment team.

The assessment team will determine the degree of hazard presented by the situation and the appropriate response. When the team is unable to arrive at unanimous agreement on a response, the majority opinion shall prevail.

If the decision is to remove the alligator from campus, the University Police will contact the Florida Wildlife Commission to request the removal.

The University Police as part of their incident report will record the names of the members of the assessment team and their decision.

Raccoon

Report to the University Police Department at 590-1900 any raccoon that approaches people or does not retreat from people, appears ill, or is otherwise threatening.

The University Police will log the call including a brief description of the incident; and dispatch a University Police officer to the site of the incident. The dispatcher will contact College of Arts and Sciences, Environmental Health and Safety, and Physical Plant Department representatives on the hazardous wildlife call list, and include the Auxiliary Services Department representative if the incident site is at or near an Auxiliary Services facility.

The dispatched police officer will isolate people from the raccoon and initiate any additional actions immediately necessary to protect the health and safety of members of the University community.

Those called and available will meet at the site of the incident as a hazard assessment team. The assessment team will consist of any person on the hazardous wildlife call list who is able to arrive at the site of the incident within twenty minutes of receiving the call. A University police officer is always part of the assessment team.

The assessment team will determine the degree of hazard presented by the situation and the appropriate response. When the team is unable to arrive at unanimous agreement on a response, the majority opinion shall prevail.

If the assessment team determines a need for better control of garbage or food wastes, the University Police will contact the appropriate University division(s) to correct the situation. Copy these requests via email to the Environmental Health and Safety Director for subsequent follow-up.

If the decision is to remove the raccoon from campus, the University Police will contact the Physical Plant to request the removal of the raccoon by an approved contractor.

The University Police as part of their incident report will record the names of the members of the assessment team and their decision.

Snakes and other Reptiles (excluding alligators)

Report to the University Police Department at 590-1900 any snake or reptile that approaches people, does not retreat from people, or is otherwise threatening.

The University Police will log the call including a brief description of the incident and dispatch a University Police officer to the site of the incident.

The dispatched police officer will isolate people from the snake and initiate any additional actions as immediately necessary to protect the health and safety of the University community. It most instances, isolating people from the snake and providing a clear means of escape for the snake will resolve the situation.

If the snake (poisonous or not) does not leave the site and resolve the hazard it must be relocated away to a safe location on campus. If properly trained and equipped, the responding police officer can make this relocation at his or her discretion. The officer may also request assistance from employees from the Physical Plant and College of Arts and Sciences who are on the hazardous wildlife call list and noted as volunteering to assist with snake handling.

The University Police as part of their incident report will record the names of all persons involved with relocating the snake, and a brief description of the events.

Other Hazardous Wildlife

Report to the University Police Department at 590-1900 any other wildlife deemed to present a potential hazard.

The University Police will log the call including a brief description of the incident; and dispatch a University Police officer to the site of the incident. The dispatcher will contact College of Arts and Sciences, Environmental Health and Safety, and Physical Plant Department representatives on the hazardous wildlife call list, and include the Auxiliary Services, Housing, or Athletics Department representatives if the incident site is at or near one of their facilities.

The dispatched police officer will isolate people from the animal, and initiate any additional actions as immediately necessary to protect the health and safety of the University community.

Those called and available will meet at the site of the incident as a hazard assessment team. The assessment team will consist of any person on the hazardous wildlife call list who is able to arrive at the site of the incident within twenty minutes of receiving the call. A University police officer is always part of the assessment team.

The assessment team will determine the degree of hazard presented by the situation and the appropriate response. When the team is unable to arrive at unanimous agreement on a response, the majority opinion shall prevail.

If the decision is to remove an animal from campus, the University Police will contact the Physical Plant to request the removal of the animal by an approved contractor.

The University Police as part of their incident report will record the names of the members of the assessment team and their decision.

Definitions

Hazardous Wildlife: any animal (reptile, bird, mammal, or insect) perceived as threatening a member of the campus community.