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Campus Safety

Campus Safety

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to providing all students with a safe and secure learning environment.

Important Numbers:

Pitt Police: Call (412) 624-2121 on non-campus phones, Call 4-2121 on campus phones 
UPMC Security: (412) 647-7440

If you see anyone suspicious, call security immediately (whether it’s during or after business hours), then call the Dean’s Office to report the incident. Also, no one should be soliciting inside the building.

UPSOM Active Training Session:  https://pitt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10e61c41-92...

Emergency Notification Services Link 

Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

University Tools in Place for Active Threat Scenarios

Tools for Prevention:

A Care and Resource Support Team that works in tandem with academic departments, student affairs, police and the Threat Assessment Management team described below.  Resource identification and referral is an example of proactive kindness and caring in action.  The team meets Wednesdays.  

A multi-disciplinary Threat Assessment Management Team that has received training from threat detection and management experts Gene Deisinger and Marissa Randazzo of Sigma Threat Associates and the National Behavioral Intervention & Threat Assessment (NABITA), FBI, and others.  The team includes representatives from Public Safety, Student Affairs, Police, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force,

University Counsel, Human Resources, and Counseling.  The team often shares information and meets in components or as a whole.   

A responsive Counseling Center that works 24x7 with these teams and directly with the police to intervene in threatening situations.  A progressive example of teamwork is the police and counseling center have developed the “HEART” team to jointly respond to acute situations involving mental health see:  https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cc/heart/.   The counseling center has also developed a guide to help faculty and staff address distressed students.  For supervisors and employees managing or experiencing mental health crises, there is Life Solutions which hosts a crisis line: 1-866-647-3432.

The Emergency Command Center team (“ECC”) hosts emergency exercises that help us to be prepared- these exercises have included initiating a central call center, establishing a reunification site, practicing the launching of Emergency Notification System messages, responding to active shooters at regional campuses and in 2019 a full-fledged scenario involving Pitt and City police response, EMS, radio interoperability, convening the ECC and convening the Pitt senior leadership team.  Appendix Q of the Emergency Management Guidelines contains Pitt’s general plan for active killer situations (note there is restricted viewing access of this plan, if you need access please let me know).

An available description of red flags that identifies common stressors and behaviors of concern. 

We will be conducting further red flags training this summer for student affairs staff.  Pitt’s Run-Hide-Fight course described below also covers behaviors of concern.

 

Tools for Response:

A highly trained, equipped, and proven (Western Psychiatric shooting 2012) Police Department.  All officers receive training in active killer response by the National Tactical Officers Association.  They are certified, annually qualified, and armed with handguns and long rifles.  They practice continually in training facilities, abandoned buildings, and on virtual simulators on how to address an active killer.  Pitt Police train with other local police and EMS departments who may be responding to incidents on our campus as well.  The Pitt Police are also trained in first aid, CPR, and Stop the Bleed. Unarmed Pitt and contracted security guards are also trained in response procedures.  The department is available 24x7, 365 days per year. 

A department dedicated to physical security of the University.  The Integrated Security department has cutting edge and connected tools to protect the University- over 1400 cameras are viewable by the police 24x7 communications center.  Thousands of electronically controlled access points that can be locked centrally with the push of a button from the 24x7 communications center. The University is currently partnering with the US Department of Homeland Security Protective Services to conduct a university-wide security assessment.

A crisis communication plan developed by University Communications in consultation with Public Safety that is tailored to an active killer.  With pre-planned messaging available, this plan can save critical time in letting people know what to do in an emergency.  The plan is activated when an Emergency Notification Message (ENS) is sent from the 24X7 dispatch center.  All University members are subscribed to ENS. Communicators from across the University will be brought into to emphasize messaging during and after an active killer event. 

Pitt’s RUN-HIDE-FIGHT program designed initially by the US Department of Homeland Security.  As of May 2022, Pitt Police officers have conducted 184 active-shooter response classes for various university departments while training 3,526 civilian Pitt faculty and staff in how to fend off violent attacks.  RUN-HIDE-FIGHT is advertised in the following ways:

 

University of Pittsburgh Active Shooter Guidelines for Students and Staff

Key Points:
1. Have an escape route and plan in mind
2. Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
3. Leave your belongings behind
4. Help others escape if possible
5. Attempt to prevent individuals from entering an area where the shooter may be
6. Keep your hands visible
7. Follow the instructions of any police officers
8. Do not attempt to move wounded people
9. Avoid long hallways or other open areas when you are exposed while moving for extended periods
10. Move in a non‐linear manner. Most untrained shooters cannot effectively shoot at a moving target at distance
11. Stay low to the ground use any concealment available
12. Notify police when you are safe

 

Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

In case of an evacuation:

Students with special needs or a disability that require accommodations in the event of a building evacuation should e-mail the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) at safety@ehs.pitt.edu to request the development of an individualized evacuation plan. A representative of this office will contact you for specific information. You should also inform your course instructor that you are requesting accommodations for an evacuation.

Additional resource:

https://www.cisa.gov/options-consideration-active-shooter-preparedness-v...

 

Safety Apps:

The Rave Guardian app is an optional companion safety feature of the upgraded Emergency Notification Service that leverages mobile technology to provide new options for contacting the Pitt Police. 

You may also find these apps beneficial:

ICE  - Put your emergency medical contact information on your smartphone's lock screen image overlay display. If you are in an accident, first responders can find your emergency medical contact information as soon as they turn on your smartphone.

KiteString - Checks on you when you’re out and alerts your friends if you don’t respond. No smartphone is needed.
Noonlight - Hold a button when in a sketchy situation and when safe, enter deactivation code. If the button is released and no code is sent, 911 is notified.

 

Reporting Emergencies:

The University encourages everyone in the Pitt community to report crimes and other emergencies promptly to the Pitt Police, or to other appropriate police agencies if off campus. If you or someone you know is the victim of a hate crime, it is important to notify the police immediately. You can do this by dialing 412-624-2121 or 4-2121 from a university phone.