Safety & Emergencies

Students, faculty and employees of HMC have the right to expect a safe place in which to study and work. It is the responsibility of the community to follow all safety policies established by HMC. The safety of employees, students, the public and College operations is the responsibility of everyone, and safety should take precedence over expediency and short cuts. Every attempt will be made to reduce the possibility of accident occurrence. The College intends to comply fully with all state and federal codes, regulations and laws.

Department of Campus Safety for The Claremont Colleges 

The professional staff at Campus Safety are committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of the Claremont Colleges community. They actively patrol campus grounds, provide security services, and serve as first responders during emergencies. In addition, they offer safety escorts and support a range of services designed to maintain a secure and welcoming environment for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors at the Claremont Colleges.

Campus Safety is responsible for vehicle registration for students, faculty and staff and parking enforcement. Additionally, bicycle registration is available through Campus Safety to assist in recovery of a lost or stolen bicycle.

Campus Safety is located at the TCCS Administrative Campus Center, 101 South Mills Avenue, Claremont CA 91711
(909) 607-2000 or (909) 607-7233 (SAFE)
https://services.claremont.edu/campus-safety/ 

Student Identification

Students are expected to carry their student identification card at all times. Students must identify themselves to Campus Safety or to a College official when asked. Students who run away, give a false name or refuse to identify themselves will be referred to Disciplinary and Judiciary boards.

Suspicious Activities/Persons

Do not hesitate to report a suspicious activity or person to Campus Safety. Officers will immediately respond and investigate the incident. HMC’s greatest defense against crime is community vigilance. If you are a victim of a personal crime or witness a situation or person that is unusual or suspicious, contact Campus Safety Dispatch at 909.607.2000 to report the incident and provide the following information:

• Identify yourself as a Harvey Mudd College student;
• Give a concise description of your location and the situation, and;
• Provide a detailed description of the person(s) and his or her location or direction of travel.

LiveSafe

LiveSafe is a free personal safety mobile application that is designed to help members of The Claremont Colleges access resources, report suspicious or hazardous activities, and communicate with Campus Safety. It allows users direct access to Campus Safety and 911 emergency services and creates greater situational awareness and safety preparedness by educating the user on daily safety-related updates and statistics. It provides simple and immediate steps individuals may take to make themselves and their community safer. To download the app, open Google Play or the Apple App Store on your phone. Search for “LiveSafe” and download the option with the blue shield. Tap “Sign up.” Fill in your profile information and create a password. “HMC” may pop up if you are close to the campus. If so, tap “Yes.” Otherwise tap “Change” to select HMC.

Individuals can share information about anything from suspicious activity, mental health concerns or sexual assault and violence through text, photo or video directly from their smartphones—anonymously, if they choose. Safety officers can monitor real-time information from a command dashboard and respond quickly to help prevent incidents before they occur. The Claremont Colleges all participate in the LiveSafe system, increasing security on the community’s five adjacent undergraduate campuses.

The LiveSafe app allows Harvey Mudd students, faculty and staff to:

• Anonymously share information with safety officials (text or call). Officials will respond immediately and send help.
• Access counseling services and other campus resources.
• Request a campus escort to get to their destination safely.
• Use SafeWalk™ with friends to remotely track their location via map.

With the LiveSafe app, Harvey Mudd seeks to improve communication between students, faculty, staff and campus security, allow for faster emergency response in distress situations and enhance the overall safety of the campus by preventing crimes before they occur.

Security Notices

Periodically, an email alert about suspicious incidents and crimes at the College and the surrounding area will be distributed to all faculty, staff and students. These email notifications will be also posted on the Campus Safety Alert Bulletins web page. In addition, each student will receive an annual report including crime statistics and tips to prevent crime and stay safe.

Bicycle Theft

There are heavy-duty bike racks on both the residential and academic sides of the HMC campus and students are encouraged to use a high-security bicycle lock. However, every year there are incidents of bicycle theft. Free bicycle registration is available through Campus Safety and is strongly encouraged, as it can help recover a lost or stolen bicycle. 

Emergency Phones

Emergency phones are located all along the main east/west campus mall, parking lots, and various interior locations in the academic and administrative buildings. They are easily recognizable with either blue lights or large red buttons/signs on top of or nearby the phone unit. These phones serve a dual purpose. They direct-dial Campus Safety to allow individuals to report an emergency or a suspicious incident. The column exteriors also serve as loudspeakers for information and instructions in case of an emergency on campus.

Security Tips

1. There is safety in numbers; travel with a friend.
2. Always walk in well-lit areas. Avoid wooded, isolated areas, especially at night.
3. Always look alert and confident.
4. Always look through your peephole before opening the door to your dorm.
5. Always look into your car before entering it.
6. Report any security situation or person that seems suspicious or doesn’t feel right.
7. Always lock your room and suite doors, and carry your key at all times.
8. Consider using a locking system to secure your computer to your desk.

Medical Emergency

A. If you experience a minor injury or illness, contact one of the Residential Life Proctors. The Proctors are trained in first-aid procedures and can help treat minor injuries and assess if additional medical support is needed. There is always a Proctor On-Call, who can be reached at 909.717.7183.

B. If you or another student experience a serious injury on campus, immediately call Campus Safety at 909.607.2000. Give your name and describe the nature and severity of the medical problem and the campus location of the victim. A Campus Safety officer will report to the scene to assist and will coordinate with emergency responders, if needed.  

C. When you call Campus Safety, please be prepared to provide the campus location of the victim, including the nearest building, if possible.. Provide all information requested by the dispatcher and remain on the line until instructed, in case the dispatcher has any additional questions. If the victim is not in the immediate area and if another person is available, one person should serve as a runner to convey information that the dispatcher may request about the victim.

D. In the case of a major campus-wide emergency such as an earthquake, the College’s Emergency Operations Plan will be activated to address the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.  In a wide-spread emergency situation, the local emergency medical services on and off campus will be severely taxed. HMC personnel and Residential Life Proctors who have been trained in first aid and emergency care will serve as first responders to provide first aid response for serious injuries.

Fire

Activate the closest fire alarm and evacuate the building.

• To evacuate, feel the door with your hand. If the door is hot to the touch, do not open it. If you are on the first floor, attempt to evacuate using a window. If unable to do so, or if you are on the second floor or higher, put towels or cloth (wet, if possible) in the crack between the door and the floor. Phone Campus Safety at 909.607.2000 and tell them your location and situation. Stand by the window and wait for the fire department. Do not open the window. If the door is cool, slowly open it, exit the room and close the door behind you.
• Call Campus Safety at 909.607.2000 to report the fire. If you call 9-911 from a campus phone or 911 from a cell phone, follow up with a call to Campus Safety.
• In the case of a small fire, if you have been trained on the use of a fire extinguisher and it is safe to do so, return with a fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. Otherwise, evacuate the building and wait for the fire department.

Remember—evacuate in a calm manner. Do not attempt to remove any possessions. Do not re-enter the building until approval is given by the fire department.

Earthquake or Other Disaster

Safety Preparation

• Keep your bed away from windows and anything that could fall on you (e.g., picture frames, hanging plants, bookcases).
• Adhere objects to walls and countertops (use a non-marking product).
• Keep a flashlight and shoes available at your bedside.
• Close your curtains or blinds to deter flying glass.

During the Shaking

• If you are inside, stay inside.
• Take cover under a desk, table, or your bed protecting as much of your body as possible, especially your head and neck.
• Stay away from windows and objects that may fall.
• Do not run outside. Stay inside and ride out the earthquake.
• After shaking stops, evacuate to the nearest evacuation area and report to the building monitors, as designated by your department or other emergency personnel.
• If you are outside, move away from buildings and power lines. Stay in an open area.
• If you are located outside, do not attempt to go inside.

After the Shaking

• Put on shoes, examine your area, report to the nearest designated assembly area and check in with building monitors. If there is significant damage such as cracked walls, fallen or loosely hanging light fixtures or broken windows, report the damage immediately to the roll takers, your dorm proctor or Campus Safety.
• Aftershocks can be deadly. Do not enter any buildings until advised to do so by authorized safety professionals.

Emergency Contact Information

Students should identify at least two emergency contacts to have on file with the College. These contacts could be your parents/legal guardian or a local relative or friend whom we may contact in the event of an emergency. This information is requested when you first enroll at the College and is entered in the StarRez Portal. Your emergency contacts should be reviewed and updated annually. You must notify the Office of Housing and Residential Life if there are any changes in your emergency contact information.

HMC Alert Notification System

The Harvey Mudd College mass notification system, Mudd Alert, provides rapid emergency alert notifications to the Harvey Mudd community during crucial emergency situations, including severe environmental conditions, acts of unexpected violence on campus or other circumstances that call for immediate notification or action. All campus telephone numbers and email addresses are connected to the Mudd Alert system. To receive a Mudd Alert message on your cell phone, please complete the HMC Mudd Alert Registration Form. Additional information about HMC emergency preparedness and the Mudd Alert notification system can be found on the web page of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Safety.

Missing Student Notification

Any concerned person who has information that a residential student may be missing must notify Campus Safety or the vice president for student affairs/dean of students as soon as possible so that an official determination may be made about whether the student is missing. The College will immediately initiate an investigation into any report of a missing person. A residential student is officially “determined to be missing” when a missing person report investigation concludes that the student has been absent from the College for a period of 24 hours or longer without any known reason. Campus Safety, in conjunction with the vice president for student affairs/dean of students, will make the official determination of whether a student is deemed missing. 

All residential students have the opportunity to identify an individual or individuals to be contacted by the vice president for student affairs/dean of students within 24 hours of determining  that the student is missing. Students should notify the Office of Residential Life of any changes in emergency contact information.

For more information, refer to the MIssing Student Notification Policy.