1. “Is this a dagger I see before me”
A Lesson in Public Safety

2. Presenters
Major C. Scott Coverstone – James Madison University Police Department
Sgt. Peggy Campbell – James Madison University Police Department

3. General Safety Tips Develop your own Safety Plan
Make yourself a hard target
Be aware of your surroundings
Use well lit and well traveled areas
Trust your instincts
Developing a defensive mindset
Use common sense
Be responsible
Advise authorities when something looks or feels suspicious
Coming and going from office.
Be aware of visitors to the office.
Trust you “gut” feelings.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if there was someone in the office who presented a danger to you or your co-workers?
How would you escape your office?
Are you prepared to use physical resistance? Compliance.
Daily routine – vary it, do no be predictable.

4. Secure Personal Property
Keep your office doors locked
Don’t leave property unattended
Secure bike to bike rack
Keep cars locked & valuables out of sight

5. Vehicle Safety Approaching your vehicle Keys in hand
Looking under car
Checking back seat
Keys in hand
Keys as a weapon
Keep car doors locked and valuables out of sight.

6. Reporting An Incident Call local police or security.
Information needed
What is problem?
Description of suspect/victim.
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Your name and phone number

7. Physical Self Defense What skills do you have? Verbalization
Yelling vs. screaming
Decision to Resist
Defensive Mindset
Proportionate to attack
Physical techniques

8. Rape Aggression Defense Programs
Basic Physical Defense
Advanced Self Defense
RAD for Men
r.a.d.KIDS

9. Emergency Procedures

10. Safety Measures Key access to main office & individual offices
Buddy system – if you are meeting with someone late, try and have someone else in the office.
If office is every re-furbished, install doors with windows on the private offices.
Options
Design of office
Daily routine

11. What Can You Do? A fire breaks out Intrusion alarms Medical Emergency
Customer in work area becomes verbally abusive
A co-worker is physically assaulted
Receive threatening s/phone call/messages
Bomb threat is received
Hostile Intruder

12. Fire Alarms
LEAVE

13. Fire Alarms When the fire alarm sounds, evacuate the building.
If a fire breaks out and the alarm is not sounding, pull the fire alarm.
What is the closest exit to your office?
Secondary exit?
Have a meeting place outside for employees.
Have designated person meet with fire officials.

14. Fire Alarms If safe, dial local 911 or security to report the fire.
Become familiar with locations of pull stations and fire extinguishers.
Have designated person to secure sensitive areas of the office.

15. Intrusion Alarms Physical security Personal security
Perimeter activated
Panic alarms
Established response procedure
Code words
Meet responder outside structure
Keep contact list updated
Change reset codes

16. Medical Emergency Call 911 Dispatcher will need certain information
Type of emergency
Conscious/breathing
Age/M or F
Location
AED

17. Verbally Abusive Customer
Panic buttons
If you overhear abusive language, have a coded answer to get help
“Yes, we can do that later today.” CALL POLICE
“No, I’ll re-schedule that to do later.” I’M OK.
Remain Calm
Listen

18. Someone is Physically Assaulted
VICTIM
If you can escape assault, lock yourself in an office and call police – x6911
Think safety first – What are my escape routes?
Play the “What if?” game
Develop a plan of action
Take a self defense class

19. Someone is Physically Assaulted
WITNESS
Call Police or Security
Dispatcher will need certain information
Is the assault in progress?
If assailant has left, direction of travel
Description of assailant/clothing
Weapon involved?
Does victim need medical attention?
Nature of injuries

20. Someone is Physically Assaulted
WITNESS
How can I help my co-worker escape?
Are you physically able to help your co-worker?

21. Reduce the Risk of Termination Violence
Take the threat of violence seriously
Plan carefully so nothing is left to chance
Treat people fairly, and most of the time they will react accordingly
Collect keys and deactivate access cards and network accounts immediately
Have a specified notification process to employees

22. Threats Threats Intimidation
What are threats and why are they made? What is the goal of the person making the threat?
A threat is a statement of an intention to do harm. It offers no conditions, no alternatives, no ways out. It does not contain the words if, or else, until, unless. Sentences that contain those words are not threats they are intimidations. Threats are made because the speaker sees few alternatives. Thus, threats carry more likelihood of violence than intimidations. Threats are made to convince us of an intention, but they actually convince us of an emotion – frustration.
Threats are rarely spoken from a position of power. The power of the threat is derived from the fear instilled in the victim. He gains advantage through your uncertainty. How one responds to a threat determines whether it will be a valuable instrument or mere words. It is the listener and not the speaker who decides how powerful a threat will be.
Intimidations are statements of conditions to be met in order to avert a harm. With intimidations, the motive is always right in the statement and the outcome the speaker desires is clear. “Unless you apologize, I’ll kill you.” (The speaker wants an apology.) “If you fire me, you’ll be sorry.” (the speaker wants to keep his job).
The threats that you all have received – are they anonymous or do you know made the call or sent the ?
Anonymous threats – the motive is to influence conduct. Ask who would be served if they took the actions that they’d take if they believed the threats would be carried out. This often leads to the identity of the threatener.

23. Threatening E-mails DO NOT DELETE E-MAIL Print out the e-mail
Call Law Enforcement immediately

24. Threatening Phone Calls/Messages
Do not delete messages
Report immediately to local security/police
On D-term phones, record numbers & letters that are displayed
Record date & time of call, what was said.
A threat communicated in an /letter or phone call does not pose an immediate hazard.
Are all phones in office D-term phones? If not, explain how to trap a call – wait a couple seconds before you attempt to trap the call. “Tap, star, 2”. Investigator will check with Telecom if the trap was successful.

25. Bomb Threat by Phone
Remain calm and make every effort to talk with the caller
Ask questions like
When will it go off?
What is the location of the bomb? Building/area
Record numbers & letters that appear on d- term screen.
Record date and time of call. What was said by the caller.

26. Hostile Intruder Inside a Building
Remain calm, do not engage the intruder.
If safely possible, try to escape the area quickly and quietly.
If attempting to escape, do not carry cell phones or objects in your hands. As you move through open areas, keep your hands elevated with open palms visible, especially if encountering responding law enforcement officers. Follow all the instructions officers may give you.
If you cannot safely exit the building, seek shelter in a room where the doors can be locked or barricaded securely.
Close and lock windows, lower blinds, remain out of sight and turn off lights.
Go over each bulleted point.
LOCK AND BLOCK (4th bullet)

27. Hostile Intruder Inside a Building
Once secured inside, take cover behind concrete walls, thick desks, filing cabinets, away from windows and doors.
Remain quiet, turn off cell phone ringers.
Only one person from the room call Police and tell then where the intruder is and the condition of others with you. Follow their instructions. If you cannot speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is going on.
Assist others if they are injured.
Do not respond to any unfamiliar voice commands until you can be sure that they are coming from a police officer.
Do not open the door until you can be positive that it is a police officer or a recognized public safety official coming to help you.
Go over each bulleted point.

28. Hostile Intruder on Campus Grounds
Run away from the threat if you can.
Do not run in a straight line.
Keep obstacles between you and the intruder to block the view of the intruder while you are running.
If you decide to hide, chose solid objects, can you be found there and is it a good spot to remain hidden.
If you are caught in the open and others around you have been injured, you may choose to play injured/dead.
Obey all commends from the police
Run away from the area to a safe location. This could be inside a building or away from the area.
It is hard to hit a running target, especially one that is not running in a straight line.
Obstacles could be trees, bushes, cars, etc. that block the intruder's view.
Solid objects – large trees, vehicles, buildings, etc. Avoid hiding behind bushes. Can you be found?
If you cannot flee the area and you are caught in the open, if others around you are injured or dead, you may chose to play dead, but keep in mind that if the opportunity arises that you can escape, you may want to try.
Once the police arrive, obey all commands. This may involve you being handcuffed or made to put your hands in the air. This is done for safety reasons and once circumstances are evaluated by the police, they will give you further instructions.
VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION AND THINK THROUGH IT REGULARLY.

29. Campus Emergency Communications Plan
Madison ALERT – campus horn & PA system
JMU radio AM1610 broadcasts
JMU web page at
Blast to
Connect-ED: Text Messages to registered users
Faculty & Staff register through J-ESS
Students register through e-campus
Building Coordinators
ORL Hall Directors & Resident Advisors
Interdepartmental & Building phone trees
Emergency FAX notifications to JMU Departments
Police Loudspeakers & PA systems
Thorguard System “RED ALERT” horn
Local Media/Campus TV/Radio Broadcasts
Madison Alert –is the new campus wide public address system to be utilized in the event of a campus emergency. The alarm will sound a unique tone, followed by voice directions on how to respond to the pending emergency. THIS ALERT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE THOR GUARD ALERT!
Radio AM1610 – in the event of a campus emergency
JMU web page – University Web page (black page). This simple page will help ensure that our servers/system remain accessible if an incident occurs. This black page only allows the user to read what is on that page and does not allow them to navigate any further into our web system.
Blast – an will be sent to all members of the JMU community to warn them of a campus emergency. Blast with the ability to instantaneously reach the entire campus community.
Connect ED text messaging – the JMU community can now register to receive text and voice messages over their cell phones during a campus emergency. F/S register through J-ESS and students register through e-campus account.
Building coordinators – all coordinators will be trained on how to respond to various emergencies on campus.
ORL Hall directors and resident advisors.
Phone Trees – interdepartmental & building phone trees
Emergency fax notification –
Police loudspeakers & PA systems in patrol cars.
Thorguard System “RED ALERT”
Local media/Campus TV/Radio broadcasts
Two 800 telephone numbers were procured

30. Comprehensive Safety Plan
4600 page living document
Over 400 agencies worldwide are using JMU’s as a model plan
Available on the Department’s web page

31. James Madison University
Department of Police and Public Safety
821 South Main Street – MSC 6810
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Emergency:
(Or just 6911 from any on campus phone)
Non-Emergency/Escorts:
Alternate Emergency:
(If campus phone lines are not working)
Fax: