“Is this a dagger I see before me”

A Lesson in Public Safety

Major C. Scott Coverstone – James Madison University Police Department

Sgt. Peggy Campbell – James Madison University Police Department

Presenters

Develop your own Safety Plan Make yourself a hard target Be aware of your surroundings Use well lit and well traveled areas Trust your instincts Developing a defensive mindset Use common sense Be responsible Advise authorities when something looks or

feels suspicious

General Safety Tips

Secure Personal Property Keep your office doors locked Don’t leave property unattended

Secure bike to bike rack

Keep cars locked & valuables out of sight

Vehicle Safety Approaching your vehicle

◦ Looking under car◦ Checking back seat

Keys in hand◦ Keys as a weapon

Keep car doors locked and valuables out of sight.

Reporting An Incident

Call local police or security. Information needed

◦ What is problem?◦ Description of suspect/victim.◦ When did it happen?◦ Where did it happen?◦ Your name and phone number

Physical Self Defense

What skills do you have? Verbalization

◦ Yelling vs. screaming Decision to Resist Defensive Mindset Proportionate to attack Physical techniques

Rape Aggression DefensePrograms

Basic Physical Defense Advanced Self Defense RAD for Men r.a.d.KIDS www.jmu.edu/pubsafety www.rad-systems.com

Emergency Procedures

Key access to main office & individual offices

Buddy system – if you are meeting with someone late, try and have someone else in the office.

If office is every re-furbished, install doors with windows on the private offices.

Options◦ Design of office◦ Daily routine

Safety Measures

A fire breaks out Intrusion alarms Medical Emergency Customer in work area becomes verbally

abusive A co-worker is physically assaulted Receive threatening e-mails/phone

call/messages Bomb threat is received Hostile Intruder

What Can You Do?

Fire Alarms

• When the fire alarm sounds, evacuate the building.

• If a fire breaks out and the alarm is not sounding, pull the fire alarm.

• What is the closest exit to your office?

• Secondary exit?

• Have a meeting place outside for employees.

• Have designated person meet with fire officials.

Fire Alarms

If safe, dial local 911 or security to report the fire.

Become familiar with locations of pull stations and fire extinguishers.

Have designated person to secure sensitive areas of the office.

Fire Alarms

Physical security Personal security

◦ Perimeter activated◦ Panic alarms

Established response procedure◦ Code words◦ Meet responder outside structure◦ Keep contact list updated

Change reset codes

Intrusion Alarms

Call 911 Dispatcher will need certain information

◦ Type of emergency◦ Conscious/breathing◦ Age/M or F◦ Location

AED

Medical Emergency

Panic buttons If you overhear abusive language, have a coded

answer to get help◦ “Yes, we can do that later today.” CALL POLICE◦ “No, I’ll re-schedule that to do later.” I’M OK.

Remain Calm Listen

Verbally Abusive Customer

VICTIM◦ If you can escape assault, lock yourself in an

office and call police – x6911◦ Think safety first – What are my escape routes?◦ Play the “What if?” game◦ Develop a plan of action◦ Take a self defense class

Someone is Physically Assaulted

WITNESS◦ Call Police or Security◦ Dispatcher will need certain information Is the assault in progress? If assailant has left, direction of travel Description of assailant/clothing Weapon involved? Does victim need medical attention? Nature of injuries

Someone is Physically Assaulted

WITNESS◦ How can I help my co-worker escape?◦ Are you physically able to help your co-worker?

Someone is Physically Assaulted

Take the threat of violence seriously Plan carefully so nothing is left to chance Treat people fairly, and most of the time

they will react accordingly Collect keys and deactivate access cards

and network accounts immediately

Reduce the Risk of Termination Violence

ThreatsIntimidation

Threats

DO NOT DELETE E-MAIL Print out the e-mail Call Law Enforcement immediately

Threatening E-mails

Do not delete messages Report immediately to local security/police On D-term phones, record numbers &

letters that are displayed Record date & time of call, what was said.

Threatening Phone Calls/Messages

Remain calm and make every effort to talk with the caller

Ask questions like◦When will it go off?◦What is the location of the bomb?

Building/area Record numbers & letters that appear on d-

term screen. Record date and time of call. What was said

by the caller.

Bomb Threat by Phone

Hostile Intruder Inside a Building

Remain calm, do not engage the intruder. If safely possible, try to escape the area quickly and

quietly. If attempting to escape, do not carry cell phones or

objects in your hands. As you move through open areas, keep your hands elevated with open palms visible, especially if encountering responding law enforcement officers. Follow all the instructions officers may give you.

If you cannot safely exit the building, seek shelter in a room where the doors can be locked or barricaded securely.

Close and lock windows, lower blinds, remain out of sight and turn off lights.

Hostile Intruder Inside a Building

Once secured inside, take cover behind concrete walls, thick desks, filing cabinets, away from windows and doors.

Remain quiet, turn off cell phone ringers. Only one person from the room call Police and tell

then where the intruder is and the condition of others with you. Follow their instructions. If you cannot speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is going on.

Assist others if they are injured. Do not respond to any unfamiliar voice commands

until you can be sure that they are coming from a police officer.

Do not open the door until you can be positive that it is a police officer or a recognized public safety official coming to help you.

Hostile Intruder on Campus Grounds

Run away from the threat if you can. Do not run in a straight line. Keep obstacles between you and the intruder to

block the view of the intruder while you are running.

If you decide to hide, chose solid objects, can you be found there and is it a good spot to remain hidden.

If you are caught in the open and others around you have been injured, you may choose to play injured/dead.

Obey all commends from the police

Campus Emergency Communications Plan

Madison ALERT – campus horn & PA system JMU radio AM1610 broadcasts JMU web page at www.jmu.edu Blast e-mail to “___@jmu.edu Connect-ED: Text Messages to registered users

◦ Faculty & Staff register through J-ESS◦ Students register through e-campus

Building Coordinators ORL Hall Directors & Resident Advisors Interdepartmental & Building phone trees Emergency FAX notifications to JMU Departments Police Loudspeakers & PA systems Thorguard System “RED ALERT” horn Local Media/Campus TV/Radio Broadcasts

Comprehensive Safety Plan

4600 page living document Over 400 agencies worldwide are using JMU’s as a model

plan Available on the Department’s web page

James Madison UniversityDepartment of Police and Public Safety

821 South Main Street – MSC 6810Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Emergency: 540-568-6911(Or just 6911 from any on campus phone)

Non-Emergency/Escorts: 540-568-6913

Alternate Emergency: 540-442-6911(If campus phone lines are not working)

Fax: 540-568-3308

www.jmu.edu/pubsafety