MOLLY TRAINOR
STAFF WRITER
In a move to help better prepare students for possible emergency situations, Franciscan University of Steubenville recently released an online Campus Emergency Guide. The guide lists various emergency situations and is designed to give advice on how to handle situations on campus.
Mike Conn, director of campus security, said that while the guide is not a comprehensive list, it gives a range of tips to help students respond appropriately to emergency situations.
“It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” said Conn.
The guide includes tips on how to respond to everything from active shooter situations and evacuations to suspicious activity and winter weather. It includes contact information for campus security and points out special emergency telephones that are stationed around campus.
In addition to the full Campus Emergency Guide found on Franciscan University’s website, Conn said there is also an abbreviated version that serves as a quick reference guide. This is also available online and is posted in classrooms and around campus. Conn said the goal is to post a Quick Reference Guide in each building.
While the guide is useful as a reference in the case of emergencies, Conn said that it is not only to be read when an emergency occurs, but as a way to prepare.
“Better to read through it before you need it,” he said.
According to Conn, the idea to introduce an emergency guide came from John Pizzuti, director of campus safety and compliance, and Title IX/EEO coordinator. Creating the guide was a joint effort between Pizzuti and Conn and was reviewed by a trained board, he said.
Conn said that the university’s campus security gives students ample information to make the best choices in order to stay safe on campus. In addition to the Campus Emergency Guide, Conn referenced the Annual Security Report, which gives information on campus safety and security. He encouraged students to take advantage of these resources even before an emergency situation were to occur.
The Campus Emergency Guide can be found on Franciscan University’s website on the Campus Security page under the tab “Campus Emergency Guide.” This page also includes the Quick Reference Guide, found on the right side of the page. The guide recommends that those on campus be aware of their surroundings. In any emergency, the guide advises remaining calm and contacting security for assistance.