About CBCS

Safety Message #7

Know Your Environment

Emergencies require us to act almost instinctively in order to avert disaster. Knowing the safety features in your environment can be helpful in reducing the time to acquire assistance. This month, I want to highlight a few items that could be vital for you to know in the event of an on-campus emergency.

I am sure you have seen the blue light poles located in some parking lots and throughout the campus. While traversing campus, try to be aware of where the blue light poles are located in case of an emergency. A university police officer will respond once the button has been pushed. In fact, if you are moving throughout campus, keep finding and pushing the blue light buttons so police can follow you. Click here for a campus diagram of all blue lights.

While walking to parking lots and around campus, remember to pay attention to your surroundings and to the people around you. At night it is better to walk to your car with another person or a group than by yourself. If you observe someone acting suspiciously, please notify the university police immediately.

In the event of a fire, you should be familiar with the location of the closest fire alarm pull stations and fire extinguishers near your office as well as your classroom. Please be cognizant that some older buildings, such as MHA (Westside), do not have fire alarm pull stations installed. In this case, if you smell smoke, we advise you and your students to evacuate quickly and call 911.

Please see last year's Security Report and Safety guide for more campus safety tips.