Keeping a major university campus safe isn’t a simple task, no matter which campus.
But it’s especially difficult at a university with a student population of almost 30,000.
The Department of Campus Safety and Security works around the clock to ensure that students are as safe as possible.
“We try to prepare for everything that could happen and, obviously, hope it never does,” said Chance Corbett, associate director of emergency management.
According to Corbett, severe weather is the No. 1 threat to campus.
During tornado watches, Greene Hall and the RBD Library are opened as shelters for students who live in mobile homes or don’t have a place to go.
In the event of a sudden crisis on campus, students can expect more than just an email to warn them.
Outdoor warning sirens and newer buildings with alarm systems allow the department to remotely send messages to warn students of a tornado warning or active shooter.
The Alertus desktop alert system, which is installed on all University computers, also relays important information to students and faculty in an emergency.
If you leverage all of the resources that Auburn provides, there should never be a time when you don’t feel safe on campus, Corbett said.
The department manages the night security shuttles that transport students safely around campus.
Corbett said the department’s recently remodeled building can now house the Auburn police division, so students can now stay on campus if they need to speak to a police officer at any time.
The Auburn Department of Campus Safety and Security offered tours of the Emergency Operations Center and other rooms on Friday, April 6, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.
The building features a discrete room that allows students to talk to an officer in a safe environment.
Corbett is constantly preparing for crises on campus. He said the department started an active shooter response course in 2009 that meets three times a semester and informs students on what to do if an active shooter arrives on campus.
Corbett said the first thing a student should do if there are shots fired or there is an active shooter is call 911.
The dispatch center will immediately send an officer, and the Department of Campus Safety and Security will coordinate the resources of the University to assist the police.
Even though the emergency management program hasn’t been around for many years, Corbett said there is a good working relationship with similar programs at other SEC schools.
He said the schools get support from each other by sharing what ideas work and how the students respond to them.
“We aren’t stagnant on anything,” Corbett said.
He said the University is constantly trying to find better ways to keep the students as safe as possible.
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