By Alli Dayton, Managing/News Editor
This afternoon, Executive Director of Campus Safety Alex Wiltz sent out a campus-wide email detailing clarifications and changes surrounding Campus Safety’s procedures.
Campus Safety will soon extend its office hours until 8 p.m. each night. Additionally, Campus Safety will begin offering weekend office hours from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently, weekday office hours conclude at 4 p.m. on weekdays and there are no office hours on weekends.
Wiltz wrote in his email that “as soon as we have staff hired and trained, we will be implementing these hours.”
Wiltz also offered clarification about when students should call 911 instead of Campus Safety.
When an emergency involves risk to someone’s life, or an incident occurs on a public street, students should call 911. Wilz noted that 911 can send resources to campus immediately when students call, and then 911 dispatchers will alert Campus Safety.
The email also specified that Campus Safety does not have jurisdiction on public roads, which is why students must call 911.
Finally, Wiltz outlined how students can best communicate with Campus Safety.
He began by sharing the creation of a new texting platform. Students first text “Hello” to 717-328-8314, and then they answer questions about their situation before a Campus Safety dispatcher arrives.
Students can also call Campus Safety if they prefer. During non-office hours, the automated phone system will offer students three options, which have been shortened for ease:
- Press 1 or stay on the line if someone is in distress
- Press 2 for a room unlock
- Press 3 for a non-emergency
Wiltz concluded his email by informing students that Campus Safety is creating a list of buildings, spaces within buildings, and names of those buildings and spaces for their dispatchers to use. He asked that students email him if they interact with dispatchers who do not know the names of campus locations.
