If You Sense a Potential Threat
majority of crimes in the residence halls involve theft of personal property. Almost always, the theft is from an unlocked room or an unattended common area. Students can prevent these “crimes of opportunity.”
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Security Measures in the Residence Halls • • • • • • • •
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Do not prop open residence hall doors—even for a friend. Lock your door when you leave—even for a short time. Lock your door before going to sleep. Lock windows that are accessible from outside. Keep your small items of value, such as wallets, purses, money, and jewelry out of sight. Do not leave notes on your door announcing that no one is in. Never loan out your keys or I.D. card. Report any persons acting suspiciously in and around the residence halls. Note their description and location, and call Campus Safety immediately. Report any doors, locks, or windows in need of repair to your resident assistant or Campus Safety. Report all thefts immediately to Campus Safety.
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Fire Safety • •
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Know your emergency exits. Know where the extinguishers are in your residence hall and how to use them. Never play with extinguishers or tamper with the fire alarm system. A false alarm is dangerous, and, at minimum, can result in a Status of Probation, plus restitution and a minimum $50.00 fine.
If the Fire Alarm Sounds The most important thing is getting out. Move quickly, but do not run. Do not stop to collect valuables. Use normal exits if you can, but under no circumstances should you use an elevator. You must leave the building when a fire alarm sounds, even if you believe the alarm to be a false alarm. Do not reenter the building until given permission to do so by College officials. Before opening a door, feel it near the top for heat. If it is cool, open it slowly. If smoke is present, close the door and use another route. Always close doors behind you to limit the spread of fire and smoke. If you must go through heat or heavy smoke, remember that they rise. Crawl, keeping your face very close to the floor. This applies even when opening doors; stay low and reach up to turn the knob. Once you’re out, move well away from the building, and if a meeting place has been arranged, go there. Do not leave the scene, or you may be believed trapped in the building. Do not reenter the building under any circumstances unless you are officially told it is safe. If you are trapped, stuff a sheet under the door to keep out smoke. Open a
Personal Safety Measures •
Consider your options, then take action. Try to get away from the danger. Yell or scream. Create a commotion. Run toward well-lighted public areas. Get to a safe place with a phone and call Campus Safety immediately. Describe what happened, where it happened, the suspect, and the direction to which he/she went.
Always call for an escort when walking alone after dark. When walking in groups or pairs without a Campus Safety escort, walk assertively and confidently and be aware of your surroundings. If you receive annoying or harassing telephone calls, hang up immediately—do not respond to the caller. If the calls persist, keep a record of the time and the voice description, and then contact Campus Safety. If you feel that you are in immediate danger, call Campus Safety at once. Program the number for Campus Safety, 517/629-1234, into your cell phone.
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