Update on Campus Safety Measures
From: SVSU Police Chief Ron Trepkowski
Date: November 15, 2007
A communication describing campus safety measures was distributed to the University community in early September by the Vice President for Administration & Business Affairs. The purpose of this communication is to follow up that communication with additional information for faculty, staff and students on how to handle an emergency situation should one occur during a class period or in an office situation.
Our intent is to give you general instruction and not a lengthy narrative on how to respond to what could be an endless list of potential incidents.
Communications
Once University Police have knowledge of an incident, an immediate priority will be communicating to the University community as quickly as possible. This communication will provide information as to the nature of an incident and instruction on a course of action intended to provide for your safety.
You should also be aware that depending upon the nature of an incident it may take some time for University officials to assess a particular situation and communicate information and safety instructions.
As mentioned in the September safety communication, the University now has the capability to contact classrooms, labs and offices by use of the CampusAlert messaging system. To ensure the effectiveness of the CampusAlert messaging system, we ask that you do not turn off the ringers on the classroom phones - we have discovered that this has been done in some classrooms.
In the event of an incident that we believe impacts the entire campus, a brief message will be communicated to classrooms via CampusAlert.
Faculty, staff and students who have registered with CampusAlert may simultaneously receive text/voice messages on their cells, although we understand that faculty prohibit students from using cells during instructional sessions.
Messages will also be sent to the campus community by other means such as e-mail, voice mail and use of the University's website.
What Can Faculty, Staff and Students Expect?
Again, it is extremely important to understand that it may require at least 5 to 10 minutes from the time that we first have knowledge of an incident before law enforcement officials can respond. Some basic actions you can take to provide protection for students, co-workers and yourself until the arrival of law enforcement assistance are provided in three hypothetical scenarios which follow.
Violent Acts (firearms, other weapons)
Once an event has been reported, a communication will be sent to classroom telephones and CampusAlert subscribers via the above described CampusAlert messaging system. The message will, in the case of an active assailant, for example, provide instruction to remain in the classroom, lock and barricade the door (directions have been placed on doors indicating the location of locks except for those doors on which the lock location is obvious), shut off lighting and stay out of sight.
These steps are intended to provide valuable safe time while waiting for a law enforcement response.
Subsequent communications via CampusAlert will be sent as more information becomes available and at the time the incident is ultimately resolved.
Staff in offices and students in on-campus housing should take similar action - lock office and room doors, barricade doors, shut off lighting and stay out of sight.
Bomb Threat
If a bomb threat is received, a message will be sent to the campus community indicating the threat and a course of action. This action may be to either evacuate a building or buildings or to remain inside your current location - depending upon the assessment of the situation. Please note that law enforcement officials believe that in some circumstances the safest course of action during a bomb threat may be to remain in a building.
Chemical Spill
If there is an industrial chemical spill in the tri-county area that potentially threatens the campus, a message will be sent to classrooms via CampusAlert and to faculty, staff and students by either e-mail, voice mail or a posting on the University's Web site with instructions from University Police. Depending upon an assessment of the situation, you may be directed to remain in buildings rather than evacuate campus.
A final note on communicating in an emergency is necessary. The various methods of communication that we intend to deploy in a crisis situation depend upon technology and the operation of the University's electrical system. Additionally, CampusAlert's effectiveness can be affected by the amount of cell phone traffic routed through cellular transmission towers. Therefore, we advise everyone not to discount the importance and potential need to use word-of-mouth communication in an emergency.
There are, of course, numerous other situations that might occur. The basics, however, in terms of law enforcement response and what actions you can take to minimize any danger to our faculty, staff and students, are covered above.
If you have any questions or concerns, I urge you to contact me. I am available to meet with you or your department to discuss this matter in greater depth.
Reminder: If you should observe a police, fire or medical emergency, please contact Saginaw County Central Dispatch. If calling from a campus phone, dial 9-911 to reach Central Dispatch.