Campus police increase safety

373
0
Sergeant Mario Vasquez heading to a call PHOTO BY BRIAN RATTO

Students and staff that are new to campus do not know what to do, or where to go for an emergency. Emergencies can range from natural disaster to assault.

The most commonly heard emergencies that are reported are assaults and theft. According to the most recent copy of Delta College’s “Clery Report” also known as the campus safety report.

With any emergency, you can contact campus police either by dialing (209) 954-5000 or by using a blue phone. Some stu-dents have asked, “What is a blue phone and where are they?”

There are 52 older modeled blue phones on campus.

The Science and Math Center building has in 11 newer modeled phones. The difference be- tween the old and the new is that the new phones are a two- way system. You can communicate with police with just the push of a button, and the police can broadcast information out of the speaker.

“The older ones are located in front of almost every elevator on campus, and found on all the

pathways,” said Officer Susan McAnelly of the Delta College police department. “The old phones will be replaced with the new as the department receives allocated funds from the district,” stated McAnelly.

A difference between K-12 schools and San Joaquin Delta College, is that there are no fire- drills to practice evacuations. “The district [does] test the alarms regularly to make sure they work,” said McAnelly.

McAnelly went into detail about fires and other disasters, that all students and staff should consult the emergency plan that is inside of each classroom. The plan will contain information, such as which parking lot to evacuate to during a fire and how to stay safe during an earthquake.

McAnelly mentioned that campus police have a special wheelchair they can use to help evacuate people with disabilities from buildings in case of a fire and that they plan on purchasing more in the future.

When asked about being stuck in the quad during an earthquake, McAnelly gave a tip not found in the emergency plan. “Stay away from things that fly away. Stay away from Danner Hall’s windows.”

If there is an active shooter on campus, it is important to fol- low three safety measures “run, fight or hide.” McAnelly explained that if you cannot find a place to hide, try to run from the situation. If you cannot find a place to hide or run to, the last option is to fight.

There are more details in a training video about how to deal with an active shooter on campus. The video is shown in classrooms by the campus police. You may also view it on the campus police website.

The website contains all the information found in the emergency preparedness plan in classrooms, and also other information such as securing bicycles so they are not stolen, and safety tips on walking to your car.

Students and staff should remember that the blue phones are not just for emergencies, but can be used to receive general campus information. McAnelly suggested that staff can and should go over the emergency plans with their students, so that they are better prepared for an emergency.