UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Public Safety

Emergency Lockdown Drill, Thursday, March 17

public safetyOn Thursday, March 17, at approximately 10:15 a.m., the University of Portland will conduct an emergency lockdown drill. All members of the UP community are asked to shelter in place for a short period of time. All will receive notification when the emergency drill begins and will also be notified at the end of the drill. The lockdown drill is part of a regular series of emergency preparedness exercises at the University.

All members of the community are encouraged to review the information on the public safety website regarding active shooter situations, available here. Public Safety also encourages students, faculty, and staff to view this active shooter training video as part of their personal preparedness. A valid UP login is required to view the video.

In preparation for the emergency lockdown drill, make sure that all personal information is updated on the UP Alert webpage, which can be found here.

For more information contact public safety at 7161 or publicsafety@up.edu.

Go Forth, And Hover No More

hoverboardRecent information has revealed that batteries used in hoverboards (also known as Segways, or two-wheel self-propelled scooters) are dangerous and prone to explosion, creating a safety and fire risk, according to Gerald Gregg, public safety. In light of recent fire concerns surrounding hoverboards, the use and possession of hoverboards is prohibited on campus and in all University owned buildings. Those who have purchased hoverboards may be eligible for a full refund due to safety concerns, and should contact retailers for more information.

For more information about the UP policy contact public safety at 7161 or publicsafety@up.edu.

Campus Community Emergency Response Team Training

emergencyThe public safety office is offering its Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CCERT) training to faculty, staff, and students starting Wednesday, January 20. The 8-week course teaches basic emergency response and preparedness steps to make yourself, your family, and your neighborhood a safer place after a disaster. Volunteers are trained by the University’s CCERT trainers and Portland Fire and Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance on campus and in the immediate surrounding neighborhood. Public Safety offers CCERT classes at no cost to people who live or work at the University of Portland. UP CCERT program participants attend a total of 24 hours of hands-on training.

Register online at this link. Classes take place on Wednesday evenings 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Chiles Center Hall of Fame Room.

For more information contact Jeff Rook at 7161 or rook@up.edu.

Annual Fire Alarm Testing Over Holiday Break

Alarm!150The public safety office will be conducting annual fire alarm system tests throughout campus buildings over the Christmas break. Starting December 14 through January 8, technicians will be working around campus to ensure that fire systems are operating at peak performance levels. From December 22 to January 8 there may be intermittent audible fire alarms in select buildings. Personnel who are in a building during the test do not need to leave as long as the alarm only lasts for a few seconds. Please contact Jeff Rook, public safety, at rook@up.edu for more information.

Earthquake Preparedness, Oregon Shake Out coming Oct. 15 and 17

alertThe University of Portland will participate in the Oregon Shake Out, an earthquake education awareness program and drill where people are asked to drop, cover, and hold on, on Thursday, October 15, at 10:15 a.m. Informational videos are posted on the public safety website at www.up.edu/publicsafety.

The University will also host three events for earthquake preparedness on Saturday, October 17:

  • Disaster Relief Trials, a cargo bike ride across Portland simulating disaster relief supplies being transported around the city, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (http://disasterrelieftrials.com/)
  • Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup CREW is holding a Preparedness Fair for the entire community, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (http://www.crew.org/news-events/calendar/earthquake-info-fair)
  • Regional Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Olympics, a citizen trained responder challenge exercise bringing teams from Oregon and SW Washington, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (https://www.facebook.com/CERTOlympics).

For more information contact Jeff Rook, public safety, at 7161 or publicsafety@up.edu.

Annual Security and Fire Report

_1aPublicSafety150On September 29, 2015, in compliance with the Campus Crime Reporting Act and the amended Higher Education Opportunity Act, the University of Portland’s Annual Security and Fire Report was published and made available to all members of the University community, and to prospective students and employees. The report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University of Portland, and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. It also includes statistics for fires that occur in residence halls and polices relating to fire safety and preparedness. The report also contains institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies regarding sexual assault, emergency response, and other matters.

Copies of the report are available by contacting public safety at 7161 or by going to this link.

New Parking Permits Required Starting Sept. 21

New employee and staff portraits
New employee and staff portraits

In an effort to provide a more flexible parking option for students, faculty, and staff who must negotiate the potential for bringing different cars to campus from day to day, the public safety department will now be issuing hang-tag permits to all students and any staff or faculty who do not qualify for an “A” Permit or Waldschmidt parking.

Each UP office or department has been instructed to provide faculty and staff with this form. All faculty and staff who do not have the new hang-tag permit must fill out the form (and include a mail stop code) and then send it to public safety through campus mail. The new permit will be sent through campus mail or held for pick-up, if requested. Public safety hopes to complete issuing new permits by Saturday, September 19, and will issue warnings to staff and faculty who have not completed the process starting Monday, September 21. Older sticker permits will expire after the transition period and may result in a citation.

For more information contact Michael McNerney, public safety, at 7161 or renn@up.edu.

Please Update Emergency Notification Information

alert copyThe University of Portland takes the safety and security of the University community very seriously. An important component of UP’s crisis preparedness is the emergency notification system, UP Alert. Please take a moment to update your emergency notification information on the Pilots UP home page at https://pilots.up.edu. The link where you can add or edit contact information for the UP Alert system is in the lower right hand corner of the page.

For more information contact public safety at 7161 or publicsafety@up.edu.

Campus Community Emergency Response Team Training

emergencyUniversity of Portland Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CCERT) training is available for all faculty, staff, and students, according to Jeff Rook, public safety. Volunteers are trained by the University’s CCERT trainers, Multnomah County emergency managers, and Portland Fire and Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance on campus and in the immediate UP neighborhood. Public safety offers CCERT classes at no cost to people who live or work at the University of Portland. Participants attend a total of 24 hours of hands-on training. Classes are on Wednesdays, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., starting September 9 in the Bauccio Commons Terrace Room.

More information and online registration is available at this link, or contact Rook at 7161 or rook@up.edu.

New Reporting Requirements

gregg copyTo comply with federal law, specifically the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University is required to report “statistics concerning the occurrence on campus of the following criminal offenses reported to local police agencies, or to any official of the institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities: murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.” This year, the Violence Against Women Act has added dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking to the list of crimes that must be reported. The University must also report any of these offenses that were hate crimes, as well as any other hate crimes that may have resulted in bodily injury.

For the purposes of the Clery Act, the law broadly defines campus security officials as an employee of the institution who “has significant responsibility for student and campus activities.” Pastoral or professional counselors are exempt from reporting these crimes. Yet, in the interest of providing a more complete picture of campus crimes, pastoral and professional counselors may voluntarily share information with security and police to include in the statistics. Identifying the victim is not required.

Those who are not exempt from reporting and are aware of any crimes that occurred on campus from January 1 through December 31, 2014 that were not reported to law enforcement, the health center, Campus Ministry, or public safety department should forward that information to Gerald Gregg, public safety, no later than June 30, 2015. Location and date of the incident are important to provide, and a brief description of the incident is needed so it can be properly classified following guidelines established by the FBI Uniform Crime Report program.

To find out more about reporting requirements contact Gregg at 7161 or gregg@up.edu.