About Preplanning
Knowing ahead of time how you will to respond to a dangerous situation is just as important as working to avoid one. Criminals look for victims that they can catch off guard. This gives the criminal an advantage and allows the victim little or no time to react. Thinking about potential actions and responses to situations can allow you to gain and maintain control in dangerous incidents. The best plan is always to have a thought out strategy and practice how you will respond. This will help to keep you calm and focused when you need it most.
Carry personal safety items
- Carry a whistle or other loud noise-making device. Keep it readily available and use it if you feel threatened. Loud noises can attract attention from bystanders nearby. While yelling can provide the most information while attracting attention; it is often hard to verbalize even in a whisper during crisis situations. Anyone can blow a whistle even when they are terrified, it only takes exhaling.
- Pepper sprays or OC sprays can be effective personal protection devices if they are used properly. However, the effects of these sprays can be short term, yet they are devastating. For more information on pepper spray, speak with the Department of Campus Safety. There are state laws limiting the strength of these sprays that can be carried by non-law enforcement persons.
Be aware of the best way to contact help
- Program the Emergency Line number for Campus Safety into your cell phone's speed dial.
- Familiarize yourself with the locations of Blue Light Phones on campus.
- Blue Light Phones provide a direct link to On Duty officers from Campus Safety, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- There are more than a dozen Blue Light Phones located on the west side of campus.
- The phones are easily recognized by the bright blue lights on them.
