What is a crisis?

A crisis is a situation where the functioning of Leiden University or part of the university is (seriously) disrupted and a threat is posed to the continuity of important processes, safety, security and/or reputation. Due to the high level of threat, urgency and/or uncertainty, it is not possible for the normal organisation to deal with this situation. Therefore, if a crisis occurs, the crisis organisation is activated to address the situation. The Security Affairs department is in charge of the university’s crisis management and ensures that this process is correctly laid down, implemented and subsequently evaluated.

Crisis organisation

Leiden University has several crisis teams, each with its own role in crisis management. The crisis teams are categorised as either central or decentral. At the decentral level there are faculty teams and ‘special’ teams, including the International Incident Team (IIT) and the ISSC’s decentral crisis team. The crisis teams operate in accordance with the Crisis Management Plan, which helps them to take appropriate action in a crisis. The plan describes the way the crisis organisation works, the desired response to a crisis and the principles that are important for sustained application during a crisis.

Central Crisis Team (CCT)

The Central Crisis Team (CCT) is activated when a crisis affects multiple organisational units or the university’s reputation; for instance, a cyber attack, power outage or pandemic. Central coordination and alignment are extremely important for crises of this kind.

Decentral Crisis Team (DCT)

The Decentral Crisis Team (DCT) is activated in the case of localised emergencies that affect a building, faculty or service department, such as a gas leak or power failure. If the impact of a crisis turns out to be greater than originally thought, it can be scaled up to the CCT. The chair of a DCT makes this decision, after consulting the chair of the CCT. In such cases, the DCT works in conjunction with the CCT.

Education, Training and Exercise

It is important that members of the crisis teams receive appropriate education, and that they participate in training courses and exercises. This allows them to maintain a high standard of knowledge and skills for a crisis. The Security Affairs department organises education, training and exercise (ETE) programmes each year for the various crisis teams. New members can follow a basic training course, and there are also training courses for specific roles within the crisis organisation, such as chair and report writer. The teams take part in exercises annually in various ways (paper-based or interactive), with scenarios that are as realistic as possible and aligned with potential experiences in the university environment.

If you have any questions or requests relating to the education, training or exercise of a crisis team, please send an email to veiligheidszaken@bb.leidenuniv.nl