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. Safety is to 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.

Campus Safety, Pendleton Building, 150 E. Eighth Street
909.621.8170 / Emergency 909.607.2000
cuc.claremont.edu/campussafety

Campus Safety is responsible for maintaining security and safety for The Claremont Colleges community and for continually educating the community on safety awareness. Campus Safety also offers its services to all 5-College events. Other responsibilities include patrolling, traffic enforcement and vehicle registration. Sergeant Eric Chapman is the College’s liaison officer. He can be reached at eric_chapman@cuc.claremont.edu.

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, immediately call Campus Safety to report the matter. If you witness a situation or person that is unusual or suspicious, do the following:

1. Call the Campus Safety dispatcher at 909.607.2000;
2. Identify yourself as a Harvey Mudd College student;
3. Give a concise description of the situation, and;
4. 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 can be used to engage in two-way conversation 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 consortium’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 see them get to their destination 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. In addition, each student will receive an annual report listing crime statistics and tips to prevent crime and stay safe. These will be also posted at cuc.claremont.edu/campussafety under “Campus Safety Reports.”

Bicycle Theft

Bicycle theft is a frequent crime at The Claremont Colleges. HMC has responded by installing heavy-duty bike racks throughout campus. Bike registration is strongly encouraged, and registered bikes are much more likely to be recovered and returned to their owners. Bike registration is available through Campus Safety. In addition, discounted, heavy-duty U-lock bike locks and accessories are available for purchase from the Division of Student Affairs for $10. The College also provides students with engravers to etch identification on bikes and other property.

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.

I. Medical Emergency

1. In case of minor injury or illness, contact the proctors. They have been thoroughly trained in first-aid procedures and know when to treat an injury or refer it to the hospital.
2. If serious injury occurs 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.
3. You must be prepared to provide the nearest building address to the victim’s location. Provide all information requested by the dispatcher. Do not hang up until instructed. If the victim is not in the immediate area, use a runner to convey information that the dispatcher may request.
4. In a major emergency such as an earthquake, emergency medical services on and off campus will be severely taxed. The initial burden for treatment of serious injuries will fall on student proctors, students trained in first aid or emergency care and HMC personnel. The first aid response for serious injuries will follow as above, with consideration of the following items:
   1. All casualties should be reported immediately to the appropriate assembly site personnel;
   2. Student proctors and other emergency personnel will assemble at the sites to coordinate first aid responses;
   3. Unless there is immediate danger to the life of a victim, movement of the victim should not take place. Transfer to triage area, casualty collection site or local hospitals will be directed by the Division of Student Affairs.

II. Fire

1. Activate the closest fire alarm and evacuate the building.
   1. 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 door behind you.
   2. 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.
   3. Only if it is a small fire, 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.
2. 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.

III. Earthquake or Other Disaster

1. Safety Preparation
   1. Keep your bed away from windows and anything that could fall on you (e.g., picture frames, hanging plants, bookcases).
   2. Adhere objects to walls and countertops (use a non-marking product).
   3. Keep a flashlight and shoes available at your bedside.
   4. Close your curtains or blinds to deter flying glass.
2. During the Shaking
   1. If you are inside, stay inside.
   2. Take cover under a desk, table, or your bed protecting as much of your body as possible, especially your head and neck.
   3. Stay away from windows and objects that may fall.
   4. Do not run outside. Stay inside and ride out the earthquake.
   5. After shaking stops, evacuate to the nearest evacuation area and report to the building monitors, back up as designated by your department or other emergency personnel.
   6. If you are outside, move away from buildings and power lines. Stay in an open area.
   7. Do not attempt to go inside.
3. After the Shaking
   1. Put on shoes, examine your area, report to the nearest designated assembly area and check in with roll takers. 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.
   2. Aftershocks can be deadly. Do not enter any buildings until advised to do so by authorized safety professionals.

IV. Emergency Contact Information

You should have at least one emergency contact indicated in your records in the registrar’s office. This contact could be your parents 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 should be reviewed and updated annually. You must notify the registrar if there are any changes in your emergency contact information.

V. HMC Alert Notification System

“Mudd Alert” is the College’s mass emergency alert notification system used for rapid dissemination of crucial emergency information. Formerly called “Connect-ED,” Mudd Alert is used to deliver rapid emergency alert notifications in the form of voice messages, text messages and emails. HMC automatically adds your campus email address into this system. On the registrar’s Biographical Information Sheet, you should indicate whether you want emergency alert notification messages sent to your cell phone in the form of text and/or voice messages. Additional information about the HMC emergency notification system can be found on the web page of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Safety: hmc.edu/emergency-preparedness.

VI. Missing Student Notification

Any concerned person who has information that a residential student may be missing must notify Campus Safety or the assistant vice president for student affairs as soon as possible so that an official determination may be made about whether the student is missing. 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 assistant vice president for student affairs, 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 assistant vice president for student affairs no more than 24 hours after the time that the student is determined to be missing. Students should notify the registrar of any changes in emergency contact information.

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