"At Georgetown University we take the safety of our students, faculty, and staff very seriously. We work continuously to provide information and resources that ensure the protection and security of all members of our campus community and we've developed partnerships with local and federal agencies to enhance safety on campus, in the surrounding community, and in programs abroad, in order to be able to respond effectively to emergency situations."
--Rocco DelMonaco, Jr., Vice President of University Safety
The safety and security of all members of the University community are preconditions of the learning, dialogue and personal growth at Georgetown. We work comprehensively to promote public safety on our campuses, in all University facilities, at our events, and in international exchange programs.
Georgetown University uses an integrated approach to safety and security on campus and in the surrounding community. The resources of the Office of Student Affairs, Georgetown's Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Emergency Response Team and other departments are coordinated in a network designed to provide a safe environment, to prevent problems before they occur, to respond swiftly and effectively when problems do arise and to maintain essential services and business operations after a serious incident. In the event of any emergency situation on campus, members of the campus community should call DPS at (202) 687-4343 to report an incident.
Georgetown's Department of Public Safety (DPS) conducts coordinated patrols on a regular basis to ensure campus security. DPS is nationally accredited and vested through the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department with full arrest power on all campus property. DPS also works closely with the Metropolitan Police Department and District of Columbia Fire Department to address issues surrounding campus and respond quickly to incidents that may arise. The Department also operates free escort services, known as Safe Rides, for Georgetown students on campus and between campus and nearby housing. Students can call (202) 784-RIDE to request an escort. In addition to individual rides, The Shuttle is available for students to use in neighborhood areas surrounding campus.
The University also operates its own emergency medical response system, Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS). GERMS trains students as emergency medical personnel who respond to emergency calls on the Main Campus. The Student Health Center and the Georgetown University Hospital provide the campus with added response capabilities for health matters.
Recognizing that safety is a shared responsibility, the Office of Student Affairs works with students to promote safety as well as appropriate student conduct. All undergraduate and graduate students are expected to abide by the University's Code of Conduct. Some students are selected and trained as resident assistants and student security guards. These students help prevent conflicts, minimize fire hazards, ensure that University rules are respected, and prevent unauthorized visitors from entering residence halls.
Aside from immediate safety concerns, staffs from Residence Life, Campus Ministry and Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offices are available on a 24-hour basis to address the emotional and spiritual needs of the campus community.
The University's Office of Student Affairs works actively to inform students, faculty and staff about the resources that are available to victims of sexual assault. Georgetown offers sexual assault response services to assist victims of sexual assault and serve as a liaison among health providers, law enforcement officers and counselors. Any action taken by the program on behalf of a victim is done at the discretion of the victim.
The Department of Safety and Environmental Management on the Main Campus and Department of Environmental Health and Safety at the Medical Center are responsible for preventing and, if necessary, quickly addressing environmental and hazardous material emergencies 24 hours a day/ 365 days a year. The Departments regularly conduct life safety inspections of buildings and educate people who work with hazardous materials about proper handling and disposal procedures. Equipped with protective gear and other emergency response equipment, they are organized to work immediately and closely with DPS and local authorities in the event of an environmental emergency. In addition, the department is in regular contact with area officials--such as the D.C. Fire Department--to ensure that outside emergency crews are properly prepared for situations involving hazardous materials and to plan appropriate responses in emergency situations.
Recognizing the large number of international students and faculty at Georgetown, the University also has resources available to assist them in special ways should the need arise due to an unforeseen situation in the United States or abroad.
The same high standards for safety, security and health apply at all Georgetown campuses, including the Main Campus, the Medical Center and Law Center.
Students are encouraged to participate in enhancing the University's safety and security through the Student Safety Advisory Board (SSAB). The SSAB meets routinely with the Office of University Safety to address a variety of safety issues affecting the Georgetown community. The SSAB coordinates projects to improve campus security and serves as a liaison between students and University administrators, as well as the Department of Public Safety. For more information or to join, email ssab@georgetown.edu.
Emergency Response
Georgetown University has a detailed and multidimensional plan to promote public safety in the event of an emergency. Georgetown's Emergency Response Team (ERT), including members of Public Safety, Risk Management, Facilities, Student Affairs, the Provost's office, Communications, the Office of International Programs and other departments, is responsible for maintaining a plan to enable the University to respond to a variety of potential crisis situations on- and off-campus. Georgetown's emergency management program also has plans to enhance campus security as appropriate in response to changes in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security terrorist threat levels.
The ERT includes representatives from all areas of the University and from all University campuses to ensure a coordinated response to emergency situations in any location.
Under this plan, the University's highest ranking decision-makers and all officers responsible for core operations can be assembled quickly to manage and respond to emergencies. Georgetown's plan includes rapid internal coordination mechanisms, security procedures, access to the resources of the local and federal government and agencies, and various means for communicating with the University community. The team tests, reviews and updates the plan regularly.
Georgetown's Safety Marshal Program is designed to ensure that every building on campus has staff available to provide safety and security information to staff and students in that location and assist in the event of an emergency. Resident assistants serve as safety marshals in campus residence halls and staff and faculty volunteers fill the role in academic and administrative buildings. All safety marshals have been trained in building, area and campus evacuation procedures, fire protection systems and elements of the University's emergency response plan. All marshals, including resident assistants, are equipped with two way radios to facilitate communications in the onset of and response to an emergency.
In the event of an emergency a variety of mechanisms are available to communicate with the university uses to communicate with students, faculty, and staff. The University has a campus wide alert whistle to signal the need to seek shelter inside in addition to fire alarms which signal the need to evacuate. Depending on the situation the University may communicate information to members of the university community in one or more of the following ways: via its website (preparedness.georgetown.edu), broadcast email and/or broadcast voicemail. Through HOYAlert, the University may also quickly notify those who have subscribed via text message, email, and telephone in the event of a campus emergency.
In addition to these response mechanisms, the University takes a number of steps to educate the community in case of an emergency, including regular fire drills in on-campus residence halls and apartments, evacuation diagrams in campus buildings and student housing, an orientation session for new employees, and annual seminars for students in campus residence halls.
Georgetown also has in place a Business Continuity Plan, developed in preparation for the Y2K conversion. The plan ensures that a variety of essential systems and operations return to normal as soon as possible after an emergency, ranging from food service on campus to information technology.
Main Campus Security and Prevention
The access of commercial vehicles at Main Campus and Law Center entrances is monitored by Department of Public Safety officers. All commercial vehicles and visitors to the Main Campus are directed to the Canal Road entrance to campus. This procedure enhances our ability to monitor and control all vehicular traffic on the campus, as well as provide more safety for pedestrians. Officers also conduct random spot-checks of vehicles.
Residence halls have 24-hour security, with a single point of entry where possible and limited points of entry in all others. In addition, residence hall assistants conduct safety checks several times each night. Systems also exist throughout campuses to restrict access to academic and administrative buildings through the use of Georgetown identification cards.
Georgetown University exceeds fire code requirements in upholding the highest standards of fire safety. Facilities personnel conduct a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure that smoke detectors, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, manual pull alarms, and electrical panels are tested regularly and in working order. All residence hall rooms are equipped with smoke detectors and all residence halls and student apartment complexes are equipped with sprinkler systems. All carpet and upholstered furniture in the common areas of residence halls are made of non-flammable materials.
International Health, Safety and Security
Georgetown recognizes that safety must be a paramount concern for members of our community traveling abroad or participating in an international exchange program. As a result, the University has developed emergency protocols for students traveling overseas in Georgetown-approved programs and activities and has developed University-wide standards to address international health, safety and security issues.
Georgetown faculty leading programs abroad are trained to address safety and security issues that may arise in programs that they lead. Students participating in all University-approved programs and activities must enroll in a specially designed health insurance policy that provides health and accident coverage anywhere in the world. In addition, Georgetown conducts an annual risk assessment of its international programs, evaluating health, safety and security measures at all sites abroad. Georgetown has also developed standardized documents with host institutions that address safety issues and now requires all these partner institutions to provide information about emergency evacuation procedures for students enrolling in their programs.
