Author: Jackie Krehbiel

Dear Patriots,

You have either heard of or experienced last month’s erroneous active threat announcement. Fortunately, this was not a real event, but instead an error caused by an external vendor which has been resolved.  For more information about this situation, please visit our advisories page.  Many members of our community reacted quickly using their training to find a safe location, barricade/lock doors, and helped others as necessary. Although we regret this incident, it does remind us of the importance of individual and institutional preparedness. We continue to explore ways to make our campuses as safe as possible.  Please help us in this endeavor by educating yourself on recommended preparedness and response procedures and report emergencies or suspicious conditions to University Police by calling (703) 993-2810.

Mason Alert: All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to register one or more cell phone numbers with Mason Alert, the university’s emergency notification system. Mason Alert text messages provide timely notification of events affecting your safety.

Active Threat Prevention and Response: Please take 15 minutes to review the university’s Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video designed to help you identify and report concerning behaviors. This video also reviews actions that should be taken if a person with a weapon is reported on campus.  To register for a scheduled viewing of the Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video in the Johnson Center Cinema facilitated by University Police and the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) with a question and answer session, please click here. University Police provide routine Active Threat Training Opportunities or training upon request.  To sign up or request training please click here.

Rave Guardian Public Safety App: Mason offers a free public safety app to all students, faculty and staff. Rave Guardian is integrated with Mason Alert and offers a number of important features, including a virtual safety escort function, the ability to submit tips anonymously to University Police, and a panic call button that relays your location to University Police.  The Rave Guardian app is free through the iTunes store and the Google Play store. 

Be Prepared: Information on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies that might occur on campus is available at ready.gmu.edu. This site also has resources to help faculty and staff prepare for emergencies that interrupt classes or impact research activities.

If you have any questions or concerns about Mason’s readiness for potential emergencies on campus, please contact EHS at safety@gmu.edu or 703-993-8448.

September is Campus Fire Safety Month, and the Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) is pleased to use this opportunity to remind the Mason community of a few essential fire safety tips. In addition to the advice below, EHS encourages you to review the university’sFire Safety Plan, which describes roles and responsibilities, policies, and procedures designed to mitigate the causes of fire, prevent loss of life and property by fire, and outline the procedures used to maintain fire protection and life safety systems at George Mason University.

Stay Warm…and Safe!

With cold weather approaching, it’s important to be aware of heating safety practices. While the university permits the use of personal space heaters, they must be used in accordance with the directives below.

• Space heaters must have tip over automatic safety cut-offs and wiring that is in good condition.
• All combustible materials must be removed at least three feet from the space heater.
• Never place a space heater directly on top of combustible paper products, wood, or fueled equipment.
• Space heaters must be plugged directly into the wall, without the use of an extension cord or power strip.
• Space heater may never be used in areas where hazardous materials (i.e., flammable materials) are used or stored.
• Space heaters must be turned off when they are left unattended.
• Heaters must have a ceramic element. Coil elements are not permitted.

Download this tip sheet from the National Fire Protection Association to learn more about heating safety practices.

Fire Emergencies – Evacuation

Most of us have a habit of entering and leaving our offices through the same door. In an emergency, that exit door may not be accessible, and you’ll need to quickly locate an alternate way out.

Evacuation Plans, like the one pictured here, are posted throughout all university buildings. Students, employees, and visitors are encouraged to know and use two exit routes for all buildings and know your designated assembly area. Evacuation plans also show the location of fire extinguishers and pull stations.

Review your evacuation plan today, and if you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact EHS.

Training Opportunities

EHS offers Fire Extinguisher Use training to all members of the university community. In this engaging, one-hour course, you’ll learn how to operate a fire extinguisher through hands-on practice and classroom instruction. Visit ehstraining.gmu.edu to register for a class today, or contact EHS to schedule a group session for your office.

If this page does not automatically redirect, please click here: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat

This summer, 911 calls placed from university landline phones will start being transferred directly to local county police agencies. This modification will ensure uniformity in all Fire/EMS and Police 911 calls, as all cell/mobile 911 calls are currently answered by the local police agencies.

Should you dial 911 from a university landline, the local police agency will transfer your call to the George Mason Police Communication Center, located at the Police and Public Safety Center on the Fairfax Campus.

All police responses will still be handled by George Mason Police Department, and calls made to the department via the non-emergency line (703-993-2810) and the TDD line (703-993-2817) will be received by the Fairfax Campus Communications Center. The Arlington Campus police line (703-993-8070) and SciTech Campus police line (703-993-8370) are also unchanged.

Changes in the transfer of university landline 911 calls will go into effect on the following dates:

• Arlington Campus: July 9 (Arlington County 911 Center)
• SciTech Campus: July 16 (Prince William County 911 Center)
• Fairfax Campus: July 23–25 (Fairfax County 911 Center)

Questions about these changes may be directed to University Police at 703-993-2810.

 

This announcement was originally posted to News at Mason on June 23, 2019 – follow this link to view the original post: https://www2.gmu.edu/news/577966