About Safety at Georgetown

The Office of University Safety is committed to maintaining Georgetown's reputation as a leading academic and research university by ensuring the continuation of University operations in the event of an emergency interruption.

University Safety is tasked with the vital matter of developing response mechanisms for the multitude of incidents that can affect the campus or members of its community. To that end the department is responsible for creating and constantly updating an Emergency Management Plan, working with all necessary university departments to communicate their responsibilities, and conducting exercises to test campus readiness for possible incidents.

Students are always invited to voice their opinions on how Georgetown can be made a safer place by joining the Student Safety Advisory Board, which meets with the Vice President of University Safety on a biweekly basis.

What We Do

• First Responders: Georgetown's Department of Public Safety (DPS), comprised of fully trained and accredited police officers, is the first responder to emergency incidents on campus, from theft and assault to fire or explosion. Additionally, Georgetown has an all-student, all-volunteer trained EMT service called GERMS which can respond to all calls, provide emergency medical attention, and provide transport to GU Hospital.
  
  
• Emergency Management: Whenever an incident occurs on the Georgetown campus, DPS officers who report to the scene are then instructed to notify Georgetown's Senior Administrator On-Call (SAOC) and apprise him or her of the situation. Based on the seriousness of the situation, the SAOC may activate the Emergency Response Team (ERT), to manage the situation through its duration. The ERT, a team of university administrators representing various critical campus operations, is trained to respond to all types of emergency incidents, and conduct regular simulated exercises to test Georgetown's readiness capabilities for different events.
  
  
• Communications: During a campus emergency, messages are distributed through the university website at www.georgetown.edu, campuswide broadcast e-mail and voicemail, and news advisories to local media. During major crises, a toll-free number will be established so that family members across the country can obtain more information. Finally, information kiosks will be situated throughout campus so that people may go to a physical location to receive information if electronic communications are unavailable.
  
  
• Services Provided During an Incident: During any incident, the University has a number of resources available to help students with any physical or emotional needs. Chaplains and counseling professionals are available 24/7 to speak with any students in need. Medical attention is available through the student health clinic and GU Hospital. Meanwhile, the ERT will ensure that critical university functions, like providing food and housing, are fulfilled even if normal campus services are disrupted.

What Your Son or Daughter Must Do

• Individual Preparation: Emergency preparedness begins at the individual level. For starters, every student should keep a supply of essential items -- snacks, water, medicine -- in his or her dorm room or apartment in case of an incident where it may be unsafe to go outside for a period of time, a condition identified through the Campus Alert System (steam whistle). Preparedness also should incorporate the safety tips found in the checklist at the bottom of this page.
  
  
• Online Resources: Instruct your children to familiarize themselves with the resources available at Georgetown's Emergency Preparedness website, preparedness.georgetown.edu. This site contains valuable information on individual preparedness, important safety tips, and an overview of how Georgetown will respond to and recover from emergency situations.
  
  
• Building Evacuation & Shelter-in-Place: It is important that everyone at Georgetown knows what to do in the event of either a building evacuation or the need take shelter inside a building. At least once every semester, the shelter-in-place campus steam whistles and the fire alarms for each dorm are tested. During a fire drill students must be sure to leave their dorm and to walk to the meeting point so that their RA can account for them.
  
  
• Storing Phone Numbers: So that students can call for help no matter where they are on or off campus, make sure that they know the numbers of DPS and D.C. police and store those numbers in their cell phones. The number for DPS is 202-687-HELP, or 687-4343. The number for DPS is also the number to request medical help from GERMS. D.C. police can be reached at 911 for an emergency, 311 for non-emergency situations.
  
  
• Communicating Back Home: Remind your son or daughter just how important it is that he or she simply give you a call to check in and say that he or she is safe, no matter how large or small an emergency situation may have been. You don't want to hear about a situation at Georgetown or in D.C. on the news; you want to hear it from your son or daughter.

Student Safety Checklist

Ask your son or daughter the following questions:

• Do you always keep the door to your dorm or apartment locked, even if you're only stepping out for a minute, and even if you're inside the room?
• Do you remember to always keep your valuables in a safe place, and never leave them unattended whether in your home or around campus?
• Do you have the number for DPS stored in your cell phone?
• Do you always keep your GO Card with you, so that you're able to take shelter inside any campus building if you feel unsafe?
• Are you sure to be safe when you're out walking in the neighborhood, by keeping an eye out for your surroundings, not walking alone at night, and not keeping too much money or valuables with you?
• Are you aware of fire evacuation routes for your building, and of where you are supposed to meet outside after an evacuation?